Photos: Local tourism keeps 'Symbol of Hong Kong' junk boat afloat

Built in 1955, boat was once owned by a fisherman who lived on the vessel with his family

Last updated: November 23, 2020 | 15:49

Reuters and Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Senior Web Editor

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Hong Kong: The Dukling, a traditional Chinese junk boat frequently spotted around Hong Kong's picturesque Victoria Harbour, has readjusted its tour routes to survive the coronavirus pandemic, now mainly catering to locals.

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Built in 1955, the boat was once owned by a fisherman who lived on the vessel with his family. It has been used for harbour tours since the 1980s, and the current operator has run the service since 2014.

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Its 12 staff serve mainly foreign tourists looking to see Hong Kong's glitzy skyline from a different angle.

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But with the border all but shut for non-residents for roughly the past 10 months, Dukling Limited's director of business development, Charlotte Li, says foreign clients are virtually non-existent.

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"This disease has had a massive impact on the entire planet and Hong Kong is really dependent on trade and tourism, said Li, seated in the wooden boat.

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Visitor arrivals have been down 96-99% year-on-year for every month since February. At its peak Hong Kong received almost 7 million visitors per month.

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Still, Li has preserved about a third of the business by offering tours in Cantonese rather than English and sailing to more distant Hong Kong locations to attract more local residents.

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My kids love boats," said Edmund Kwok, a 36-year-old engineer, on a tour with his wife and two children.

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Traditional Chinese junk boats were originally used for fishing and transportation. Tourism has prompted more such boats to float across Victoria harbour, but many are believed to be just replicas.

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