Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong

Do you know the Victoria Harbor of Hong Kong was originally called “Hong Kong Harbor”?

Yeah, I know. That’s not very original…

But it’s true. The name didn’t change to “Victoria Harbor” until it became the shelter for Queen Victoria’s British fleet.

Victoria Harbor has always been famous for its depth (12 meters on average) and wideness. Together with Hong Kong’s overall climate and its sheltered location, the harbor becomes an ideal choice for entrepot. This makes Victoria Harbor one of the busiest ports in the world, with over 220,000 ships visiting each year.

But who cares about the business potential of the harbor? You don’t come here to do business, do you (if you do, you are reading the wrong article)? Victoria Harbor means more than just an entrepot to foreigners (especially tourists) because it’s one of the most iconic landmarks for Hong Kong, and more importantly, a really popular tourist attraction.

You can take a walk along the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, enjoying the view of Victoria Harbor AND visiting the Avenue of Stars at the same time. Or you can take a ride, either on the tourist-only junk boats or the historical Star Ferry, and sail along coast.

You can even swim across it…No, I am not kidding. If you come at October, you can participate in the Hong Kong Cross Harbor Race, which has a history of more than a hundred year.

If you don’t prefer swimming, you can come during Tuen Ng Festival and watch the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Regatta. I doubt you can join it easily, since it’s some kind of international event. But you can always watch the competitors row row row their boats fiercely against the stream.

You don’t like sports? Fine, just come during Lunar New Year and watch the annual fireworks display held here. All you have to do is just tilt you head upward and respond with “wow” from time to time. Easy, no?

But because of the rapid development of Hong Kong, there have been more and more reclamation on both shores of the harbor. The harbor is unfortunately becoming narrower.

So, those who are interest in the harbor, you better give it a visit before it is turned in to Victoria River…