Typhoon shelter

A typhoon shelter in Sai Kung, Hong Kong.

A typhoon shelter (Chinese: 避風塘) is a shelter for fishing boats during typhoons. These facilities are often found in Hong Kong.

Structure

In its usual form, a typhoon shelter is usually in the form of a bay or a cove, with a narrow opening for access, as most of the opening to the seas are blocked by a man-made breakwater.

Usage

A typhoon shelter, as it name suggests, is used by small to medium ships as a shelter against gale force winds and rough seas during a typhoon strike. It is also used to store yachts (the shelter in Causeway Bay in Hong Kong is often used for that purpose). Some typhoon shelters are also places for vessels loading and unloading cargos.

Life in typhoon shelters

Before the 1990s, there was a fairly large population living on boats in typhoon shelters. Many of them were the descendants of fishermen or boat people. They developed a distinct culture that is different than the other mainstream cultures found in Hong Kong. The culture is, by many definitions, a fully developed culture, as the culture has its own form of wedding rituals and for other matters such as food, singing, and speech. The famous dish typhoon shelter-style fried crab (Chinese: 避風塘炒蟹), which is served in a lot of Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong, is believed to be originated from typhoon shelters.

The life and cultures of these descendants of fishermen has often been glamourised, and effectly hides the truth of the extreme poverty that exists among these people. Since they often have to go out to sea to fish, the children of a fisherman's family often do not go to school. This created the need for "floating schools", operated by religious organisations, to educate children living in typhoon shelters. Also, as fishermen get varying amount of fish each time they go out to sea, income is not steady.

Finally, as it is impossible to establish proper plumbing and garbage collection services among these boats, sanitary conditions in typhoon shelters during the time where there were many people living in it were atrocious.

Present day

Hong Kong's status as a fishing city declines, these descendants of fishermen have moved onshore, and the so-called "Typhoon Shelter" culture is rapidly being lost. The function of typhoon shelters remains unchanged, however, and its existence is still vital to Hong Kong, even after all these years. Some restaurants serving typhoon shelter-style cuisine have moved to shops on shore.

See also

• List of typhoon shelters in Hong Kong
• Cuisine of Hong Kong