Hong Kong and Macau_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 14th Edition) - Andrew Stone [206]
More recently, the demolition in 2006 of the rather functional, but nonetheless iconic, 1950s Central Ferry pier to make way for new development and land reclamation provoked more fury. In the days running up to the pier’s demolition, thousands of emotional Hong Kong residents arrived to post banners and plead for the conservation of a rare piece of Hong Kong’s historical architecture. Their efforts were in vain.
Mention of the Star Ferry service between Pedder’s Wharf (now reclaimed land) and Tsim Sha Tsui first appeared in an 1888 newspaper article. At that time, boats sailed ‘every 40 minutes to one hour during all hours of the day’, except on Monday and Friday when they were billeted for coal delivery. Service has continued ever since, with the only major suspension occurring during WWII. The Star Ferry was something of a war hero: during the Japanese invasion, boats were used to evacuate refugees and Allied troops from the Kowloon peninsula before the service was suspended for more than four years.
Until the Cross-Harbour Tunnel opened in 1978 and the first line of the MTR two years later, the Star Ferry was the only way to cross the harbour. At rush hour long queues of commuters would back up as far as the General Post Office on the Hong Kong Island side and Star House in Kowloon.
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New Territories Ferries
SAI KUNG PENINSULA & TAP MUN CHAU
Tsui Wah Ferry Service ( 2527 2513, 2272 2022; www.traway.com.hk) boats link the east-central New Territories near Chinese University with the Sai Kung Peninsula and Tap Mun Chau. From the pier at Ma Liu Shui, ferries cruise through Tolo Harbour to Tap Mun Chau and back, calling at various villages on the Sai Kung Peninsula both outbound and inbound.
Ferries leave Ma Liu Shui at 8.30am and 3pm daily, arriving at Tap Mun Chau at 10am and 4.20pm respectively, from where they continue on to Ko Lau Wan, Chek Keng and Wong Shek (weekdays/weekend $18/28). They leave for Ma Liu Shui at 11.10am and 5.30pm. On Saturday, Sunday and public holidays an extra ferry leaves Ma Liu Shui at 12.30pm, arriving and departing from Tap Mun Chau at 1.45pm.
An easier – and faster – way to reach Tap Mun Chau, with many more departures, is by kaido (Click here) from Wong Shek pier, which is the last stop on bus 94 from Sai Kung town. The kaido, operated by Tsui Wah Ferry Service, run about once every two hours (there’s a total of six sailings, with two callings at Chek Keng) from 8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday ($9.50), and hourly (there are 12 sailings, with two stops at Chek Keng) between 8.30am and 6.35pm on the weekend and on public holidays ($14). Be aware that the last sailing back from Tap Mun Chau is at 6pm from Monday to Friday and 6.05pm at the weekend.
If you’ve missed the boat or can’t be bothered waiting for the next, the private sampans at Wong Shek pier, which seat up to three people in addition to the driver, charge from $70 per trip to or from the island.
TUNG PING CHAU
You can reach Tung Ping Chau from Ma Liu Shui, near the Chinese University, on ferries operated by Tsui Wah Ferry Service ( 2527 2513; www.traway.com.hk), but only on the weekend and on public holidays. The Sunday morning ferry could well be booked out, so call ahead to check availability. The Ma Lui Shui-Tung Ping Chau ferry (adult return $90, 1¾ hours) departs at 9am and returns at 5.15pm.
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Outlying Islands Ferries
Regular ferry services link the main Outlying Islands to Hong Kong. Fares are cheap and the ferries are comfortable and usually air-conditioned. They have toilets, and some have a basic bar that serves snacks and cold drinks. The ferries can get very crowded on Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday, especially in the warmer months. They depart early and return in the evening.
There are two types of ferries: the large ‘ordinary ferries’ that, with the exception