One of the rare touristy things i did in Hong Kong in 1997 was taking the star ferry; however, i wasn't really that much into blogging then and failed to take any photos to commemorate the visit.
Fast forward to 2019 and here i am once again to take the iconic cruise that would bring us on a short ride from Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier to Central Pier on Hong Kong Island!
The signature green staircase with the painted destination.
Navigation to the deck wasn't hard; just look out for the signage or follow the crowd; which wasn't much on the day of our visit as the surrounding area was designated as a protest site. p.s. this was back in July 2019 when the situation wasn't as dire.
Price list for the ride which was amazingly cheap given the high cost of living in Hong Kong! Our ride would just cost HKD $3.70; less than S$1.00 and you can conveniently pay for it- via the contact-less Octopus Card (used for buses and train rides too).
The relatively empty waiting area; with the opening of three underwater tunnels connecting the mainland to Hong Kong Island, it's inevitable that the ferry mode is now less preferred given the longer time taken to cross Victoria Harbour.
Looking out of the window for the spectacular view of the skyline of Hong Kong Island. Both sides (Hong Kong Island and mainland) boasted towering skyscrapers although the government, financial and business district is on Hong Kong Island.
A star ferry (A2971 Northern Star) making its way across the harbour. Built in 1959, this grand dame has the capacity to hold 576 sitting passengers.
Most noticeable structure for the above photo would be the The Hong Kong Observation Wheel although my main objective was more for the central pier next to it; the one with a clock tower.
Gate was opened for departing customers!
Proceeding to the upper deck of the ferry; do note that the tickets for the lower deck were priced lower; HKD $3.70 (upper) versus HKD $3.10 (lower).
Interior of the ferry; rather basic but if my memory serves me well, i thought the seats back then were entirely wooden and the floor didn't seem to be lacquered.
Seat base now features the star logo.
Photos taken while on the cruise. Back in 1997, i remember the chill as it was winter period and my elder sister (companion for the trip) was wearing shorts; drawing stares from locals!
Oh my god; the classic junk boat on Victoria Harbour! Called the "Dukling", it's an old fishing boat that's about 65 years old and has now been converted into a tour boat.
For more information, click here!
The phallic structure - the 415-meter tall International Finance Center that's the second tallest in Hong Kong. Want to guess which takes the top rank on the board? It's the 484-meter International Commerce Centre which housed the sky100 observatory.
Reaching the Central Pier; contrast the commoners' transport with the private yacht that happened to be in the picture. To be fair, it can charted as i did in Singapore in 2014. Check out my post here.
Jet bridges - as the tide would change, there's a mechanized pulley system to raise or lower the platforms. Quite amazing right as this must have been in existence for maybe about 50 years!
Opening the door for us to make out way out! It's still relatively labour intensive to operate the ferry and with dwindling passengers (numbering on average about 50,000 persons a day); i sure hope Hong Kong wouldn't lose this icon in time to come.
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Website
Additional Information
Tourists can consider signing up for the Star Ferry's Harbour Tour to spend a longer duration on the ferry with a route circling the harbour. Cost a lot more than the one we took from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central Pier.
For the summary of my seven days' itinerary to Hong Kong (with a day trip to Shenzhen), please click here.