From the 1980s onward, the government gradually resettled boat dwellers into public housing. As of the 2021 Population Census, Hong Kong’s marine population was 1,125, consisting of households living on fishing boats, pleasure crafts, and houseboats (dwelling vessels). Marine Department figures state that from 2022 and 2024, there were only three remaining licensed dwelling vessels, all of them moored in the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter. 

A closer look at the shelter facilities

Though typhoon shelters may appear loosely managed, they actually operate under a well‑defined system governed by maritime laws and long‑established industry practices. 

Under the Merchant Shipping (Local Vessels) (Typhoon Shelters) Regulation (Cap. 548E), every typhoon shelter has a legally defined boundary and must have breakwaters engineered to certain standards. Passage areas are marked on Plans of Typhoon Shelters to regulate vessel movements within them. Seven shelters accommodate vessels up to 30.4 metres in length overall, six shelters allow vessels up to 50 metres, and one shelter permits vessels up to 75 metres. Furthermore, local vessels carrying certain classes of dangerous goods are not allowed to enter or berth in typhoon shelters without permission from the Marine Department. This is why oil barges used for supplying fuel to vessels are typically stationed outside them.

In addition to typhoon shelters, there are also various designated “sheltered anchorages” where vessels can berth. There are currently 18 such anchorages across Hong Kong, covering a total of about 184 hectares. In contrast to typhoon shelters, sheltered anchorages lack engineered breakwater structures but are located in bays where the surrounding terrain, landscape, and hydrographic features can shield vessels from wind and waves during adverse weather. Many of these anchorages developed informally in spots where ships habitually congregated for extended periods after storms. If enough ships anchored somewhere on a regular basis, the Marine Department would designate it a sheltered anchorage, and if necessary, allocate additional resources to managing it, such as extra patrols, or installing navigational aids to mark passage areas. 

However, sheltered anchorages may also be adjusted or removed in response to policy changes. In 2021, the government redeveloped the former Wan Chai Public Cargo Working Area into a Water Sports and Recreation Precinct, decommissioning the sheltered anchorage there in order to introduce paddle boating and other recreational uses. 

A typhoon shelter’s daily operations

Every typhoon shelter in Hong Kong has its own distinct character. For example, Aberdeen, Lei Yue Mun, and Sam Mun Tsa are mainly home to fishing boats, while the Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter hosts not only fishing vessels but also a large number of tugboats and barges. Regardless of the location, the berthing principle is always on a first-come, first-served basis. Vessels may anchor anywhere outside of designated passage areas. Usually, a boat drops an anchor at both the bow and stern to secure its position. Some typhoon shelters have areas designated for private mooring (known locally as “paau wai” for the space; “da paau” for the action of mooring). Boat owners can apply to the government and pay a fee to secure one. Certain mooring buoys are reserved specifically for ferries; these buoys consist of a heavy mushroom-shaped anchor on the seabed chained to a floating buoy on the surface, to which the boat is secured by ropes at bow and stern.

Mr Kwok Wai Hung, chairman of the Hong Kong & Kowloon Motor Boats & Tug Boats Association, operates a fleet of commercial and engineering vessels, some of which are anchored in the Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter. He compares passage areas within shelters to traffic lanes in a car park, which serve not only as pathways for ships but also as firebreaks. If a vessel moors in these areas, the Marine Department will contact the owner to request its removal. Although the government does not assign fixed berths within shelters, boat owners have long worked out a set of established practices to manage the mooring positions of their boats. The New Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter is informally divided into zones for cargo handling, small boats, and large boats/barges. Boats load and unload cargo at the public cargo working area along the shore; smaller craft also moor closer to shore, while larger vessels occupy the outer zones for more convenient operations and to reduce the risk of collision.  

When a typhoon approaches Hong Kong, many vessels will head into typhoon shelters. The Marine Department will announce on TV and on the radio when typhoon shelters become full, so ships still at sea will need to navigate to alternative typhoon shelters or anchorages.

Typhoon shelter shuttle boats

Within typhoon shelters, transport between moored vessels and the shore is mainly provided by small boats known locally as song yan teng (literally “people‑carrying boats”). In the past, sailors who needed to go ashore could either book a ride in advance or hail a transfer boat on the water, just like a water taxi. These used to be small wooden sampans rowed by hand, but have been replaced by motor boats. Many of their operators were former fishermen who lived aboard their boats. Licensed under the M1 category, these transfer boats are allowed to carry passengers within the boundaries of the typhoon shelters but are not permitted to sail beyond them.

Over time, as the number of vessels and houseboats (dwelling vessels) in the typhoon shelters declined, the way these transfer boats operate has also changed. Today, most trips are booked by phone or arranged directly at the pier. Late‑night rides that were once common have become rare. Fares depend on distance and the location of the vessel, but a typical one‑way trip usually costs less than fifty Hong Kong dollars.

Every typhoon shelter in Hong Kong tells a different story. For example, the typhoon shelters at Aberdeen and Sam Mun Tsai are classic fishing ports where mainly fishing boats are moored and fish markets and related facilities can be found nearby on shore. Yau Ma Tei’s typhoon shelter, with its collection of working boats, cargo ships and motor boats present a different side of the working harbour. In this way, typhoon shelters are not just safe places for boats to shelter from the wind and waves, they are living repositories of all the different ways there are of making a living at sea, together making up Hong Kong’s unique maritime culture. 

Special thanks to Mr. Kwok Wai-hung, Chairman of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Motor Boats and Tug Boats Association, and Mr. Leung Chi‑yan, Life vice-chairman.

This article was written by contract researcher Ng Cheuk Hang.