Typhoon Shelter in Hong Kong

Do you know that the first typhoon shelter in Hong Kong was built in 1883?

The Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter was built after the 1874 typhoon and is about 14 hectare in area.

Too bad it’s nothing more than a construction site now because of some reclamation projects…

The typhoon shelters in Hong Kong are usually cove-like, with breakwater in front to protect the ships and fishing boats during typhoons, leaving narrow openings by side as entrance / exit.

And, believe it or not, they used to be mini kingdoms on their own!

During 1960s - 80s, many descendants of fishermen and boat people (like Tankas, an ethnic subgroup which used to live along the coastal region in southern China) actually lived on the boats inside the shelters because…well, they didn’t have a better place to live. Since the fish catch was unstable, they couldn’t have a steady income.

Their living condition may be poor, but they formed their own, distinct culture circle while living there. During daytime, the fishermen went out to catch fish; at night, they got to enjoy their fresh-caught seafood, singings, mahjong games and the like. They have their own life-style, language, wedding rituals, songs, food…They even had “floating schools” operated by some religious organization to educate the young children who could not afford proper education.

But Hong Kong is no longer a fishing village, and those boat people have already moved onshore, leading to the decline of “typhoon shelter culture”.

However, there are still functioning typhoon shelters, like the one in Aberdeen, Yau Ma Tei, or Shuen Wan.

Give them a visit!

You may not be able to experience the “typhoon shelter life”, but they will definitely give you some nice scenery if you are tired of the skyscrapers of Hong Kong!