It’s rather fitting that I spent today in Aberdeen, home of the boat people, because tonight is my brother Robin’s show at the American Chamber of Commerce (Bank of America Building) about Hong Kong’s relationship with water. Robin is a world reknown photographer. I’ll be going to the opening cocktail party.
As I said, today: Aberdeen. I drove over with Gopal in the morning and spent the day walking all over the town. I literally did not see another caucasian person the whole time I was there, which was about 6 hours.
Back in the 60s when I was a student in HK, I remember coming to Aberdeen for two reasons only: to see the dragon boat races and to take our visiting friends to lunch or dinner on the floating restaurants, where you would select your fish from huge tanks, the staff would pull them out with nets, throw them flopping around on the tiles, and they would be sent straight to the kitchen for preparation. The dragon boat festival was a hugely popular event. Back in those days, the village of Aberdeen abutted the waterfront and there was only a low wall to keep the ocean water from filling the streets. There was a very small stone temple right next to the water where people used to burn incense and other offerings (paper money; tiny paper shoes, clothes, appliances, and anything else they thought their ancestors would need in the other world).
After Gopal let me off, I walked east and came to the Tin Hau Temple, which was built in 1851 by the Aberdeen fishermen. Tin Hau Temples, of which there are 70 in Hong Kong, are usually built on the hillside next to the coast, but due to land reclamation over the last hundred years, this temple is quite a ways inland. Tin Hau is a patron diety of seafaring folks in Guangdong (Canton) and Fujian provinces. This temple was built so the fishermen could pray for protection from Tin Hau.
Tin Hau Temple
Dragon fish roof tiles grace the corners of the Tin Hau Temple roof.
Temple Rules
Incense Cones
These large spirals hanging from the ceiling of the Tin Hau Temple are incense cones. Buddhist and Taoist belief holds that the smoke purifies the surroundings, attracts the attention of the gods, and carries prayers to heaven. It is also believed that the smoke is food for the spirits of ancestors who had previously died. After an incense cone is ignited at the end, it burns for weeks, carrying the worshipper’s prayers and wishes up to the gods in heaven and ensuring good fortune and prosperity. Temples benefit financially from the sale of incense cones, each of which has a red tag with the name of the worshipper who made a donation to the temple. Those who cannot afford a large incense cone can light individual incense sticks, which they wave over their heads during prayer to attract the attention of the gods.
Dieties for 1918 and 1919, the years my parents were born
I left Tin Hau Temple and walked east until I came to Old Main Street, which runs parallel to Main Street. This intrigued me. Sounded like something from the past. It was a narrow one-way street that had shops on one side and backs of buildings that fronted Main Street on the other. So I followed Old Main Street south toward the waterfront. There I saw what was finally a familiar sight: the small temple area that used to be right at the waterfront. Finally I was beginning to see the Aberdeen I remembered from my youth.
Small temple that was next to the waterfront in the 60s.
More small temples that are on a steep incline behind the other temple.
Looking down on the other side of the steep incline, there are more small temples.
I would like to know more about the history of this group of small temples. I can only speculate that since the Tin Hau Temple is supposed to be on the water and since the land reclamation has made the main temple so far from the water, these smaller ones were built to remedy that situation, allowing crowds of people to send blessings to their ancestors on special holidays.
On up the incline was an incredible structure. It looked like a treehouse built in a Chinese Banyan tree. I again assume it has some religious significance because there are many coils of incense hanging under the roof.
Treehouse in Aberdeen
Incense coils hanging inside treehouse
Discarded stone Chinese guardian lion next to small temple
My next objective was to walk across the bridge to Ap Lei Chau so I could get a good view of Aberdeen harbor and see what else there was to see. First I had to figure out how to get across the main thoroughfare. I found the overpass and noticed that there were stairs on one side and a rampway on the other. Clearly in this part of Hong Kong they are thinking about wheelchair users and the elderly. In Central, new construction affords them the use of elevators. Not here.
Stairs to overpass
Rampway to overpass
Accommodating people who use wheelchairs.
Pretty steep incline to go it alone!
Ingenious way to keep homeless people from sleeping under the sheltered overpass.
Bridge to Ap Lei Chau
Schoolyard playground and basketball courts -- taken from bridge
Young boys being trained to march -- ROTC???
I took a video of their practice. It will take a while to upload…
Aberdeen Tennis and Squash Center -- taken from bridge
Water taxis docking to pick up passengers
It was a great day, very interesting and rewarding. I made my way to Main Street where I had seen a bus stop for the #973 or #73 bus that I needed to catch to get back to Repulse Bay. When I got home, I got ready to go out to my brother’s show.
Gopal had to go into town, so he dropped me at the Bank of America Building. I was a bit early (6:15), but I had to leave by 7:30 so that was okay. I met some of Robin’s colleagues and friends, also some people whom he did not know either. The event was well attended. Proceeds from the sale of Robin’s photos go to raise funds for water quality awareness. The photos sell for $1,000 US and upwards. I ordered a book, which is much smaller than the photos and has about 40 photos from several photographers.
Robin applauding what someone else was saying about "the cause." Some of his photos in background.
After I left Robin’s show, I took a bus home, where Gopal and Monika had just begun their dinner party with friends from Paris, Jean Pierre and Moni. I had met them 5 years ago. It was a very nice evening of memories, good friends, good food, and good wine.
Until next time….
