Monday, April 04, 2011

Lost Ferries

 The Hunghom - Wanchai and Hunghom - Central ferry services stopped at the end of March.  When I walked past the Wanchai pier in the evening of Thursday, a couple of hours after the services had stopped, I couldn’t help feeling a profound sense of sadness.     

Not too long ago, I took the ferry from Central to Hunghom, on my way home.  I could have taken a cross-harbour tunnel bus, the MTR and then our shuttle bus, or the Central - Tsimshatsui ferry and then a bus.  But the Central - Hunghom ferry had a special charm.  I got to see the Tsimshatsui East waterfront from an angle unavailable from the land.  The unusually ugly Cultural Center from a distance.  The colourful tourists on the Promenade. The long lineup of hotels.  Our university.  The Hunghom Coliseum.  The pier where all kinds of to-be-recycled materials are loaded onto barges.  Our own apartment block - even the window of my own apartment.  ...  All of that for a few dollars, which also got me leisurely home.

I do understand, as my father said, that with so few passengers, the ferry is not a good business.  But, is it really necessarily so?  We (Hong Kong) could have been smart enough to make our harbour front more attractive.  We could have saved some of the precious harbour front space for parks, scenic views, street performances, dog walking, bus stops, cafes, restaurants, ..., where people would have a reason to gather or pass through.  Perhaps then the ferries would be more attractive.  The ferry would then be much more valuable.  All that would in fact work together to make our harbour, and our city a more interesting city. 

Instead, everything is predicated on making more and more money, and faster too.  Hence more and more high rises, packing even the waterfront; and more and more travelling in enclosed underground tunnels.  The more is our time spent on making money, the less time we have to enjoy our lives.  By the time we wake up from it, it will be too late. 


19 comments:

Anonymous said...

I couldn't agree more.

HK is becoming a city without a character, and without a heart. If it doesn't bring in tons of money, just quit it. Simple pleasures citizens can afford are rapidly disappearing.

StephenC said...

Yeah. We know we cannot count on the government. If anything is to be done, citizens have to it ourselves. We have to want it badly. But there does not seem to be enough people who want it badly.

Cedrovsky said...

But there is still a chance to save the service and it doesn't have to be Star Ferry service.

In my opinion if there was very modern ferry like that one which runs from Asakusa to Odaiba in Tokyo, this could help a lot to bring new tourist-passengers. Than, after short stop ferry could go to Wan Chai. And back, Wan Chai-Hung Hom, stop, Central. No need to have two ferries which go every 15 or 20 minutes, even after peak time. Of course would be more helpful if in Hung Hom was anything interesting to see for tourists.

I think Star Ferry made a lot of mistakes. They do not adjust good enough to variable situations. Is easy to blame the Government but without Government help is still possible to save the service.

Well, if I had money I would do anything to bring back the service. But don't have enough of them so ... :-)

StephenC said...

That sounds like an interesting idea, and surely worth a try.

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