HONG KONG
- a Tai O smugglers tale -
Page initiated: 2022-01-22
1996-07-001 - The lovely, little Yeung Hau temple - - -
1996-07-003 - Mysterious boats at anchor near the coast - -
As mentioned in the beginning of this section about Tai O,- it is just about as far away as you can get in Hong Kong.
But it is also the only place in the Hong Kong territory, where the border line to China actually follows the coast line for a stretch also covering the western part of Lantao Island,- instead of just being an invisible line, far out at sea.
That means,- that if you walk on the beach around the Hau Wong temple, - you are in Hong Kong,- but if you take one step out into the water,- you are in China!
Of course the border area is patrolled by the Hong Kong Police,- but they are not very enthusiastic about the protection of the territory,- so they take it very easy!
Look at the following pictures to see what comes out of that!
1996-07-004 - Fully loaded smuggler boats from China - -
Here is the coast line of Tai O near the Yeung Hau temple,- with Lantau Island behind!
This is Hong Kong territory,- but the water behind the rocks on the beach,- is Chinese territory!
The boats here are all Chinese,- and they are just lying there safe on the Chinese side of the border,- for hours and hours, - waiting and waiting!
At the same time,- a lot of the local people assembled on the beach,- apparently just pretending to enjoy the weather,- and looking very innocent - - - But they were also waiting!
What they were all waiting for was of course for the Police Officer to leave!
The Police Officer knew perfectly well what was going on,- but he had to play his part in this weird game,- and after a while he would eventually find an excuse to turn his back to the scenario,- and leave with a big, big smile on his face-, and that would be the signal everybody had waited for -
1996-07-005 - I used the opportunity to study some structures on the coast. Apparently they had some sort of religious meaning - - - Take note of the smuggler boats in the water behind - - -
1996-07-005 - This structure I think is built for the local spirits, so that they will have a positive attitude against the locals -
1996-07-006 - Here a look inside - - -
1996-07-009 - A Tanka woman strolls along the coast - fully loaded - - -
1996-07-010 - On her way along the coast - towards the Chinese smuggler boat - - -
1996-07-011 - The smuggler boats still at anchor outside the coast! What are they waiting for?
Well - I got the answer from the Hong Kong police officer who patrolled the beach - - -
Since I was the only foreigner there, I did - as usual - attract a lot of attention, - and the police officer - who could speak English - asked me, where I came from and what on Earth I was doing in this dump on the coast of Lantao Island?
I told him that I came from Denmark and that I was a traveller that explored the area, - and that I found Tai O a VERY nice and interesting village - so far away from the tourist trail - and now by coinsidence I happened to end up here, because I wanted to see the temple - - -
I loved cultural and historical items - and loved areas where "Mother Nature" was particular kind and generous - and if something special happened somewhere in the World, - I would love to see it and to photograph it - - -
Those things made me happy - - -
Then the police officer could inform me, that if I waited just about an hour more, I would see something special - - -
After an hour his watch was over and he would go back to the Police Station, - and as soon as he was gone, - the smugglers would sail their boats onto the coast - and start discharging their cargo - - - And the local people who just pretend to enjoy the beach and relax, would suddenly struggle in order to get the best deal with the smugglers - - - So MONEY was made here - - -
1996-07-012 - Smuggler boats fully loaded - - - Waiting for the police officer to leave -
1996-07-012-1 - Same photo as previous, but with a section enlarged so that the many boxes and bags are visible - - -
I used the opportunity to check out the YeungHau temple from the inside - - - Here a few samples - - -
2016-07-016 - Inside the Yeung Hau temple - -
1996-07-018 - Inside the temple -
1996-07-019 - Inside the Temple
1996-07-015 - Here the Hong Kong policeman is leaving - - - He is in front of the temple entrance -
The Hong Kong policeman was absolutely right! Looks as if he had tried this "game" lots of time before - - -
He just laughed, but looked serious enough, with a big gun in his belt - - -
And as soon as he had disappeared, the Chinese boats hoisted their anchors - and sailed into the coast - - -
1996-07-024 - Here a look towards the coast, - and you can see people are assembled close together looking at the boats, that are now arriving - - -
1996-07-024 -
1996-06-026 -
1996-07-027 - Business -
1996-07-028 - Illegal cargo discharged into Hong Kong - -
1996-07-029 - Dioscharging illegal cargo into Hong Kong - - -
1996-07-030 - An illegal visitor from China,- with a bag of smuggler goods, and baby on her back -
1996-07-031 - The trade starts - - -
1996-07-032 - and everybody get a good deal - -
1996-07-034 - Checking and trading - -
The Chinese farmers get a lot more for their vegetables than they would get back home in China,- and the Hong Kong people get their vegetables cheaper than they could get in Hong Kong.
So everybody is a winner,- except the politicians who make the rules that prohibit events like this-, and it is indeed a strange experience to see how well the common people from one of the most restricted communist countries in the world are getting along with ordinary people from one of the most free of the capitalist nations!
They all talked very friendly and happy to each other,- as if they were all good old friends or relatives , which they actually might have been!
A living proof that it is not the common people who make trouble in the world!
What about me then???? Well,- I did not feel too comfortable in the beginning! After all,- I was the only "gwei-lo" there,- carrying "tons" of camera equipment, and traditionally,- the Chinese do not like to be photographed!
How would they react to a "Foreign Devil" who had nothing to do there,- but showed so great interest in their illegal actions,- and even recorded it on film????
I did feel a little bit tense and alone,- but on the other hand I would not miss this great opportunity to experience something special,- so I stayed!
But not an evil word was heard ,- and nobody acted hostile against me! On the contrary - -
I think they by instinct just knew,- that this "Foreign Devil" was O.K., and totally harmless, with absolutely no desire to harm anybody,- so they just ignored me,- and consequently I could move freely among them,- in spite of the fact, that I actually caught them in action,- and even photographed it!
Regarding the police station in Tai O, it is not there anymore - -
Well - it is there, but now it's converted to a hotel in the quite expensive end - and Hong Kong and Tai O have been handed over to China, - so NO more smugglers tales from this wonderful place.