website of Karsten Petersen

[SamSam]

I've posted this before but here it is again, Most photos are from the early 1970s, only 40 some years ago, and most scenes depicted are gone forever.

There must be more than a thousand photos in here, every link highlighted in red takes you somewhere else. I keep finding more and more photos, topic introductions (with more red links) and descriptions of photos. If you get lost, clicking on the 'MAIN MENU' or the 'Home' link will get you back where you started.

I emailed him a number of years ago but I'm unable to do it again to get his permission to post. His guest list is full and trying to "contact the Webmaster" ends up in a Bill Gates blue screen Microsoft Internet Explorer sacrifice your eldest child email storm drain to nowhere. Here's his claim to his stuff, please respect it.

index http://global-mariner.com/index.htm

IndexMAIN MENU http://global-mariner.com/IndexMAINMENU.html

Important Notice!


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1) All pictures in this web site which are photographed by me are of course protected by copyright.

2) Therefore only the photographer/copyright holder has the right to copy or sell the pictures.

3) Any public display, distribution or other use of any picture to which I hold the copyright, can
only be done with my knowledge and my permission.




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This web site contains an awful lot of pictures, - and more will come - - - -
Over the years I have noticed, that several of my pics can be found all over the World Wide Web, - displayed without my knowledge and permission -, and sometimes I also see, that the credit for taking the pictures are taken by others, when some "armchair" traveler needs pics for his "travel adventures"!
- - - - - -
THIS IS A PROBLEM!


However, - there are also many copies of my pictures displayed here and there, which have been published in full agreement with me, - and with my permission.
- - - - - -
THIS IS NO PROBLEM!

In fact I am only happy to help out if an old friend or somebody else ask for a copy of a picture of for example his old ship, - or whatever.
It can also be some non-profit organization that like to use some of my stuff, and if they ask for permission, I do normally not see any problems at all if they can use my pictures, as long as I find the purpose good, interesting and non-profit!
- - - - - -

BUT YOU HAVE TO ASK!




Thank you for your understanding


Karsten Petersen.




Now, - please continue to the

MAIN MENU

- and please enjoy -

Updated: June 1. 2006

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"The Ships"

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Junk Harbour - Aberdeen

Floating cities of Chinese junks???
Yes indeed!
In Hong Kong, - both on the island itself as well as on the mainland and the outlying islands -, there are several typhoon shelters, where small ships and fishing vessels can seek shelter during the typhoon season.
In the mid 19 hundreds, several of these typhoon shelters were actually not only used as refuges during typhoons, but were in fact floating cities of junks, of which many would never go to sea again, but just stayed there, permanently moored until they rotted away and sank - - -

The biggest of these floating cities could be found in Aberdeen Harbour between Hong Kong Island and Ap Lei Chau.
Here lived about 20.000 "boat people" on about 3000 junks. They are the Tanka- and Hoklo people, - a certain group of fishermen, that traditionally preferred to live permanently on their boats instead of living in apartments ashore.
There are still "boat people" in Hong Kong, but the Hong Kong government has for long time tried to encourage them to leave their boats and resettle ashore by building housing estates for them as well as schools and facilities for their children. And slowly but surely the fishermen have been transformed into factory workers as their typhoon shelters are disappearing when harbour areas are being reclaimed for city development - - -
Nobody forced the "Boat People" to resettle ashore, - it was their own choice -, and probably a wise choice, since the floating cities were actually a form of sea based slum, offering only an inconvenient lifestyle.

The floating cities were , - however -, extremely interesting to visit and explore, and seen from that angle, it is actually a pity that they are disappearing - - - the world becomes a little bit less colourful without them - - -

The following pictures are from Aberdeen Harbour at its peak in the seventies - - -
Visitors to Hong Kong will not experience this sight any longer, - the floating city of junks are long gone - - -



http://global-mariner.com/1973-04-065-Web-Aberdeen..jpg
1973-04-065
Chinese Junks
A sight never to be seen again!
The very large assembly of junks at Aberdeen Harbour, Hong Kong, - Autumn 1973.
(Photography © Karsten Petersen)