Loading ...Episode 6 Passing of a Thousand Sails
2025-04-29
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Episode 6 Passing of a Thousand Sails
2025-04-29
During the holidays, an antique wooden ship in traditional Chinese style with a bright red sail fluttering – Aqua Luna – arrives at the Victoria Harbour trippingly. Passengers on board and tourists on shore all take check-in photos for the ship, which is just like a landmark. However, visitors may not be aware that Aqua Luna, which was completed and launched in 2006, is the newest and possibly the last business ship existing in the Victoria Harbour that is 100% made in Hong Kong.
With a natural coastline, Hong Kong had become an entrepot after its inception, and immediately developed its first industry – the shipbuilding industry. However, given the economic restructuring and manpower loss, the shipbuilding industry had fallen into a decline. In the past, there were shipyards producing four to five business ships every year and subsisting more than ten masters and their families, but now only a few of them are still in operation, with just two to three masters remaining steadfast in their jobs and relying on ship maintenance to hang on.
The two shipbuilding masters, AU Sai-kit and NGAI Hau-on, operate shipyards in Shau Kei Wan and Aberdeen respectively. Both of them have experienced the golden era of Hong Kong’s shipbuilding industry (Aqua Luna was built by AU Sai-kit and his father). Facing the gloomy prospect of the industry, the two masters remain optimistic: AU Sai-kit preserves carefully the shipbuilding plans for the past years, and has turned the incomplete “ideal wooden ship” into a proportionate “model wooden ship” to carry on the legend. On the other hand, NGAI Hau-on and his two brothers have plodded away at ordinary repair work, and stuck to their last to serve as “ship rescuers”, ensuring the safe navigation of ships.
A thousand sails have passed amid the ebb and flow of the times. The two masters, who had witnessed the changes in the shipbuilding industry of Hong Kong, accepted the filming invitation from the television station without hesitation; and they shared and talked about everything with the cultural researchers and students who visited them specially for advice, just for passing on the torch. Irrespective of the prospect of the industry, they still want the legend to stay in the mind of the future generations.
Producer: Richard YU
With a natural coastline, Hong Kong had become an entrepot after its inception, and immediately developed its first industry – the shipbuilding industry. However, given the economic restructuring and manpower loss, the shipbuilding industry had fallen into a decline. In the past, there were shipyards producing four to five business ships every year and subsisting more than ten masters and their families, but now only a few of them are still in operation, with just two to three masters remaining steadfast in their jobs and relying on ship maintenance to hang on.
The two shipbuilding masters, AU Sai-kit and NGAI Hau-on, operate shipyards in Shau Kei Wan and Aberdeen respectively. Both of them have experienced the golden era of Hong Kong’s shipbuilding industry (Aqua Luna was built by AU Sai-kit and his father). Facing the gloomy prospect of the industry, the two masters remain optimistic: AU Sai-kit preserves carefully the shipbuilding plans for the past years, and has turned the incomplete “ideal wooden ship” into a proportionate “model wooden ship” to carry on the legend. On the other hand, NGAI Hau-on and his two brothers have plodded away at ordinary repair work, and stuck to their last to serve as “ship rescuers”, ensuring the safe navigation of ships.
A thousand sails have passed amid the ebb and flow of the times. The two masters, who had witnessed the changes in the shipbuilding industry of Hong Kong, accepted the filming invitation from the television station without hesitation; and they shared and talked about everything with the cultural researchers and students who visited them specially for advice, just for passing on the torch. Irrespective of the prospect of the industry, they still want the legend to stay in the mind of the future generations.
Producer: Richard YU
