 Duk Ling鴨靈號 in 2004 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Hong Kong | |
| Name | 鴨靈號 (Duk Ling) |
| Owner | Detours Limited [1] |
| Launched | 1955 [2] |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 50 tonnes [2] |
| Length | 70 ft (21 m) [3] |
| Complement |
|
| Duk Ling | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 鴨靈號 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 鸭灵号 | ||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Clever Duck [4] | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
The Duk Ling is a junk operating in Victoria Harbour,Hong Kong.
The Duk Ling was built in Macau around 1955,and was subsequently used as a fishing boat. [1] In 1985 it was purchased by Pierric Couderc, [5] and underwent three years of restoration back to its original design. It was owned by Detours Limited,which was in turn owned by China Pub Company HK Ltd. [1] It has a licensed capacity of 36 passengers. [4] It is claimed to be the last authentic junk in Hong Kong,the other two junks operating in Hong Kong –the Aqua Luna and the V –being replicas of junks purpose-built for tourism in the 1990s and early 21st century. [6]
The Duk Ling foundered and sank in Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter in September 2014 due to strong winds and the storm surge from Typhoon Kalmaegi,which passed by Hong Kong. It was raised from an 18-meter depth in late December. Hong Kong-based yacht traders Yu Lik-hang and his aunt Cheng Ching-wah purchased and refurbished the salvaged hull at an estimated cost of 10 million yuan. The Duk Ling was officially relaunched on 13 June 2015.[ citation needed ]
Until 2014,the Duk Ling was chartered by the Hong Kong Tourism Board for two days a week,for sightseeing tours in Victoria Harbour, [1] which were only available to tourists as part of its "Cultural Kaleidoscope" program. Sailings were initially offered free of charge,but a $50 charge was introduced,later increased to HK$100. [7] It sailed between Kowloon Public Pier,Tsim Sha Tsui and Central Pier 9. [1] The Hong Kong Tourist Board trips ended in 2014. [8]
Tours resumed on 13 June 2015 after a "Set Sail Ceremony." The cost of a 45-minute tour of Victoria Harbour was increased to HK$320, [9] and admission is no longer limited to foreign tourists.[ citation needed ]
It is also used for cruises to Lamma Island,Lei Yue Mun and Po Toi,as well as weddings and wedding receptions. It has been featured in film versions of Around the World in 80 Days , Tai-Pan , [4] [6] and Dragon:The Bruce Lee Story as well as advertisements for Hong Kong. [10]
In October 2020,the Duk Ling's owner,Hazen Tang,said that it was struggling due to the COVID-19 downturn. Its biggest market was overseas tourists,but it swapped its focus onto local Hong Kong citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. New routes were extended beyond cruising around Victoria Harbour to local residential areas,and the onboard commentary was also changed. [2]
Wan Chai District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. Of the four on Hong Kong Island,it is north-central,and had 166,695 residents in 2021,an increase from 152,608 residents in 2011. The district has the second-highest educationally qualified residents with the highest-bracket incomes,the second-lowest population and the third-oldest quotient. It is a relatively affluent district,with one in five persons having liquid assets of more than HKD 1 million.
Victoria Peak is a hill on the western half of Hong Kong Island. It is also known as Mount Austin,and locally as The Peak only generally. With an elevation of 552 metres (1,811 ft),it is the tallest hill on Hong Kong Island,and the 29th tallest in the territory of Hong Kong. It is a major tourist attraction offering views of Central,Victoria Harbour,Lamma Island and the surrounding islands.
Kai Tak Airport(IATA:HKG,ICAO:VHHH) was an international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. Officially known as Hong Kong International Airport from 1954 to 6 July 1998,it is often referred to as Hong Kong International Airport,Kai Tak,or simply Kai Tak and Kai Tak International Airport,to distinguish it from its successor,Chek Lap Kok International Airport,built on reclaimed and levelled land around the islands of Chek Lap Kok and Lam Chau,30 kilometres (19 mi) to the west.
The Star Ferry is a passenger ferry service operator and tourist attraction in Hong Kong. Its principal routes carry passengers across Victoria Harbour,between Hong Kong Island,and Kowloon. The service is operated by the Star Ferry Company,which was founded in 1888 as the Kowloon Ferry Company,and adopted its present name in 1898.
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour in Hong Kong separating Hong Kong Island in the south from the Kowloon Peninsula to the north. The harbour's deep,sheltered waters and strategic location on South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony in 1841 and its subsequent development as a trading centre.
Ocean Park Hong Kong,commonly known as Ocean Park,is a marine mammal park,oceanarium,animal theme park and amusement park situated in Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan in the Southern District of Hong Kong. It is the second largest theme park in Hong Kong,after Hong Kong Disneyland,as well as the largest theme park in Hong Kong by area. It is also the second oldest theme park in Hong Kong,after the now-defunct Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park which closed on 31 March 1997,four months before the 1997 handover.
The Avenue of Stars,modelled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,is an avenue located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui,Hong Kong. It honours celebrities of the Hong Kong film industry.
Lei Yue Mun is a short channel in Hong Kong. It lies between Junk Bay and Victoria Harbour,separating Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The channel is an important passage for the city,forming the eastern entrance of Victoria Harbour.
Cha Kwo Ling is a hill in the eastern New Kowloon area of Hong Kong,and the area around it. It is adjacent to Victoria Harbour and located to the west of Yau Tong and southwest of Lam Tin. Administratively,it belongs to the Kwun Tong District. The northeastern entrance to the Eastern Harbour Crossing is located in this area.
The Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal is a ferry terminal and heliport,centrally located in Hong Kong. It is also known as the Macau Ferry Terminal,the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier or the Shun Tak Heliport,and has an ICAO code of VHSS.
There are three vehicular harbour crossings in Hong Kong,linking the Kowloon peninsula with Hong Kong Island. These are as follows:
Kau Yi Chau,also known as Tai Kau Yi Chau,is an uninhabited island located west of Victoria Harbour,between Peng Chau and Green Island in Hong Kong. It is located on the crossroad of sea routes,east to west and north to south. The ferry between Central and Mui Wo sails close to the south of the island. Administratively it is part of Islands District.
Kowloon Public Pier or Tsim Sha Tsui Public Pier is a public pier in Tsim Sha Tsui,Kowloon,Hong Kong. It approaches Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Victoria Harbour. Any boat can freely park at the pier.
Aberdeen is an area on southwest Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. Administratively,it is part of the Southern District. While the name "Aberdeen" could be taken in a broad sense to encompass the areas of Aberdeen (town),Wong Chuk Hang,Ap Lei Chau,Tin Wan,Wah Kwai Estate and Wah Fu Estate,it is more often used to refer to the town only. According to the population census conducted in 2011,the total population of the Aberdeen area is approximately 80,000.
Waterfront Air is a Chinese airline started in 2008 with the aim of reintroducing seaplane services from Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour. In 2014 the airline ended plans for operating in Hong Kong and instead is focusing its operations in the Chinese mainland.
The 1908 Hong Kong Typhoon was a tropical cyclone which made landfall near Hong Kong on the night of 27 July 1908. The storm resulted in significant property damage and loss of life. The most notable occurrence of the event was the loss of the SS Ying King (英京號),a steamship,which sank while trying to seek shelter from the storm;421 people on board drowned. About one thousand people were reported to have drowned,more than 20 houses collapsed,and many Hong Kong wharf facilities were damaged. As a result of the catastrophe,additional safety measures were undertaken,including the construction of a second typhoon shelter in Hong Kong harbour.
The Aqua Luna,known in Cantonese as the Cheung Po Tsai (張保仔),is a Chinese Junk operating in Victoria Harbour,Hong Kong. It was launched in 2006,and while it is named the Aqua Luna in English,in Cantonese it is named after the 19th-century Chinese pirate Cheung Po Tsai.
The Hong Kong Observation Wheel is a 60-metre (197-foot) tall Ferris wheel located at the Central Harbourfront,Central,Hong Kong. It has 42 gondolas,including one VIP Gondola with leather seats and a clear glass bottom floor. All gondolas are equipped with air conditioners and communication systems. Each ride includes two to three rotations and takes about 15 minutes. Each gondola seats a maximum of eight people,other than the VIP Gondola,which seats five people.
Harbour Cruise Bauhinia is a sightseeing and dining cruise in Victoria Harbour,Hong Kong. As Bauhinia is the City Flower of Hong Kong and the regional emblem of Hong Kong. The brand is under Hong Kong Ferry Group.
SS Fatshan was a passenger ferry steamer operating on the Hong Kong-Canton Line between 1887 and 1933 when she was scrapped and replaced by her namesake,Fatshan (1933). Shortly before scrapping she was renamed Fatshan I.
