A Poets View

These photos were taken during my trip to Hong Kong.  We were traveling the maze of waterways around the fishing village in a sampan, which I loved.  While traveling around the village I snapped the photos.  Aberdeen is the epitome of old versus new.  There are junk boats alongside yachts and people living on small sampans and fishing trawlers surrounded by expensive high rise homes and apartments upon the scenic mountainside.  The people living in this fishing village make their living by fishing and selling their catch to the Jumbo Floating Restaurant which is located within the village.  They live a very basic yet proud life.  They’ve built their boats and work very hard.  The sampan in which we were riding was built by the owner.  She makes her living by giving tours of the village to eager tourists like me.  Photo below.

While touring this waterway we came upon one small boat which had a television sitting atop a small wooden table.  Most boats basically had a table - period.  The tour guide told us that this family was considered elite because they actually owned a tv.   Yes it is a very poor region and I wondered why they would live this way when they could just as easily go ashore and work and find an apartment.  I was told that these were fishing people.  Their legacy handed down for hundreds of years and it is tradition that they make their living fishing and reside on their boats.  For them there is a richness and sense of pride in what they do and how they live.  I left there with a new understanding and respect for these people and their traditions.

More pics at http://joshongkong.tripod.com

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