In the past, there were many "sail boats" moored along the waters of Aberdeen. Fishermen processed the fish on the boats and dried them into seafood such as salted fish and dried squid. , at present, there is only one houseboat still operating in Hong Kong.
The Southern District Dragon Boat Racing Committee has recently launched the project "Aberdeen Love in the Fishing Port", in which 360 photography techniques will be used to photograph fishing boats of different shapes and sizes into exhibits, which will be placed in the upcoming Aberdeen Fishermen's Cultural Museum, so that the public can appreciate the past. Fishing ports have a deeper understanding.
Board this boat from the Kaito pier in Aberdeen, and the strong salty aroma slowly spreads into the nose.
I saw that the workers on the boat first cut out and discarded the internal organs of Ma Youyu, put them in a bucket to clean them, and then put them into salt water to soak them; Leave a thin and transparent spine so that the squid can stand upright when it is dried, but since the squid has no scales, it is not necessary to soak in salt water.
When they're done, they machine the fish to the upper deck of the boat, line it up on iron nets to dry in the sun, or move it to a large air dryer for dehumidification when it's overcast.
"One night stand" salted fish is not easy to make
The owner of the boat, Leung Tai (Huang Yufang), pointed out that she has been in business for more than 40 years. She used to be married as a waterman, but her husband died very early, leaving her to manage the business with her partner and take care of a son and a daughter.
She pointed out that the family used to live on the boat and moved ashore after their children finished high school and entered university.
It is not easy to dry the boats. Mrs. Liang said that they have to squat on the ground for a long time to deal with barrels of fish, and even get up in the middle of the night to check the dried fish. At present, no local people are willing to enter the industry.
She revealed that Ma You fish is mostly sold at Tin Kwong Market and seafood shops that are transported to Sai Ying Pun. She also pointed out that although there are also salted fish that make such "one-night stands" in the Mainland, they are never afraid of competition, because it takes time for the goods to arrive. Preservatives may need to be added, and many people who know the goods will still choose to buy Liang Tai's goods.
Aberdeen fishermen's culture is very important, but it is gradually diminishing with each generation.
(Photo by Zhang Haowei)
Sponsored by the Community Renewal Fund and implemented by the Southern District Dragon Boat Racing Committee, "Aberdeen Aberdeen Love" will start in September 2021 and last for 27 months. It hopes to transform the unique community face of Aberdeen that has undergone fishery transformation and urbanization. , record and preserve them one by one.
The group plans to launch the first Aberdeen "Fishermen's Culture Museum" in January next year. There will be three ways, including a virtual museum, setting up a temporary physical museum on the waterfront of Aberdeen, and setting up a QR code along the typhoon shelter for the public to scan the fishermen concerned. different information on cultures.
▼The process of making fishing goods on the home boat▼
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Chen Zhihao, the vice chairman of the Aberdeen Fisheries and Seafood Chamber of Commerce, whose family used to operate sun-dried boats and has since switched to selling frozen seafood, also served as a consultant for this project.
He pointed out that many people do not know the culture of fishermen. He mentioned that Hong Kong people would go to Tsukiji in Japan for a "pilgrimage", but they seldom go to the fish market in Aberdeen to uncover the mystery. If we don’t, the children in the future will only know that there is a fish on the dining table. Is it a spot, is it fishing or a seine? They don’t know at all.”
"No one will come in anymore"
Regarding the drying of family boats, he also pointed out that many people only thought it was a place for mooring pontoons and yachts. Although it was a pity that the industry of drying family boats had declined, he also knew that it was a "sunset industry". They will all tell them not to do it... There will be no one in this business anymore, it is very difficult to let people continue to dry fish every day, and it will cost several million to make a new boat." But Chen believes that home boats and fishermen Culture definitely has preservation value, and I hope Hong Kong people can better understand this "cultural heritage".
The "Aberdeen Love of Fishing Port" project includes the launch of the "Aberdeen Fishermen's Culture Museum" in January next year, and the culture of home boats is also one of the key contents.
(From left) Mr. Leung Tai, owner of Saijia Boat, Mr. Chen Fuming, Chairman of Southern District Dragon Boat Racing Committee, and Mr. Chen Zhihao, Vice Chairman of Aberdeen Fisheries and Seafood Association.
(Photo by Zhang Haowei)
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