Aberdeen, originally known as Shek Pai Wan (now more commonly referring to Shek Pai Wan Estate in the hills of Aberdeen), was the site where British forces landed in 1841 and inquired about the local residents’ location. The residents responded with ‘Hong Kong,’ hence the entire island became known as Hong Kong Island, and this place was named Aberdeen. Later, the British colonial government named it after Lord Aberdeen, the British Foreign Secretary at the time, to commemorate him. Aberdeen was once renamed Yuan Hong Kong, signifying ‘the origin of Hong Kong.’
Over time, many fishermen from Aberdeen moved to live on land starting from the 1960s. The former site of Aberdeen’s dry dock was reclaimed in the 1970s and has become a large private residential complex in the Southern District today known as Aberdeen Centre. Aberdeen was once a major transit port in the Hong Kong region. In ancient times, stone bricks produced within the Hong Kong area were mostly transported to Aberdeen’s bay for sorting before being shipped to Guangzhou, hence the bay was named ‘Shek Pai Wan.
On the other hand, fishermen had been living in Aberdeen well before the opening of Hong Kong. After the opening, in addition to the fishing industry, the area around Aberdeen also began to develop industrially. The Summer Garden Dockyard, completed in 1857, was the first large dockyard in Hong Kong and was later acquired by the Whampoa Dockyard in the 1860s, developing into Aberdeen’s dry dock and eventually becoming one of the four major dockyards in Hong Kong.
Aberdeen, once renamed as Yuan Hong Kong, signifies the origin of Hong Kong. As time progressed, many fishermen from Aberdeen moved to live on land starting from the 1960s. The original site of Aberdeen’s shipyard was reclaimed in the 1970s and has become a large private residential complex in the Southern District today, known as Aberdeen Center. Aberdeen was once a major transit port in the Hong Kong region.
Stone bricks produced in the Hong Kong area in ancient times were mostly transported to Aberdeen’s bay for arrangement before being shipped to Guangzhou, hence the bay was named Shek Pai Wan. During the Ming Dynasty, Shek Pai Wan also managed the transit of agarwood products. Products produced in areas such as Sha Tin and Sha Lo Wan were sent to Shek Pai Wan via small boats from Tsim Sha Tsui, and then transported to Guangzhou using the locally known ‘Da Yan Jiao’ sailing ships. It is said that the village of Hong Kong established during the Ming Dynasty was named after this. However, Aberdeen’s transit business declined with the relocation during the early Qing Dynasty. On the other hand, fishermen had already been living in Aberdeen before the opening of Hong Kong. After the opening, in addition to the fishing industry, the Aberdeen area also began to develop industry. The Summer Garden Dockyard, built in 1857, was the first large dockyard in Hong Kong and was later acquired by the Whampoa Dockyard in the 1860s, which developed into the Aberdeen Dry Dock[3], and later became one of the four major dockyards in Hong Kong. In the early 20th century, the Tai Shing Paper Mill was established in the eastern part of Aberdeen, but by the 1920s, due to the expansion of the Aberdeen Reservoir, the water source could no longer be used, and the business had to be terminated. The original site later developed into the Aberdeen Children’s Handicraft Institute (now Aberdeen Industrial School). Initially, most residents lived along Heung Island Road (now Aberdeen Avenue) and Aberdeen Street (now Old Aberdeen Street) to the east of the Whampoa Dockyard in Aberdeen, while boat dwellers mostly lived in Aberdeen’s typhoon shelter and along the coast of Yung Mei and Chong Mei in Wong Chuk Hang. The Aberdeen area is open all year round and accessible 24/7, with specific business hours subject to daily operations.
