Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
Hong Kong is known for its famous junk boats.
With their flat-bottomed designs and bright red sails, these boats have become modern-day icons on the city’s shores. How much do you know about their history?
Floating around for centuries
Hong Kong junk boats date back to the Han dynasty (206BC – AD220). During the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), junk boats were part of the legendary Admiral Zheng He’s navy.
Junks were also popular in the 19th century during the height of the British Empire. At the time, the boats carried goods from Hong Kong to mainland China because they were fast, dynamic and agile.
Before World War II, Hong Kong’s fishermen used wooden sailing junks to bring their catch back to shore. Later, they were modernised with motor engines.
Even in the 1960s and 1970s, junk boats were a common sight in Victoria Harbour. But then, advances in modern shipping made them redundant for cargo transport.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board was determined not to let the iconic red sails go to waste, so they kept them around as their official logo.
Now, junk boats – including the famous 18-metre-long Dukling – are used to offer sightseeing tours in Victoria Harbour. People can also rent the boat for private events.
Junk boats remain an important cultural icon in Hong Kong, ferrying many passengers around the city daily.
Fun facts about junk boats
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The sails were designed to make them easy to adjust in bad weather.
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Junk boats likely got their name during the colonial period from the Spanish word junco and the Dutch word jonk. Both words refer to a large or medium-sized ship.
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The Dukling, built in 1955, is the only original junk boat still in operation.
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In 1848, the Keying junk boat wowed people by sailing from China to the United States and Britain.
