Star Ferry
| Company type | Ferry services across Victoria Harbour |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1888 |
| Founder | Dorabjee Naorojee Mithaiwala |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong |
| Revenue | HK$72 million (2006) |
| Owner | Wharf REIC (100%) |
| Parent | Wharf REIC |
| Website | www |
The Star Ferry () is a well-known passenger ferry operator and a notable tourist draw in Hong Kong. Its principal routes provide transport between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, crossing the iconic Victoria Harbour. Established in 1888 initially as the Kowloon Ferry Company by the merchant Dorabjee Naorojee Mithaiwala, it adopted the Star Ferry name a decade later, in 1898.
With a fleet of twelve vessels serving two main harbour routes, the company carries more than 70,000 passengers daily, amounting to around 26 million annually. Despite competition from tunnel crossings, the Star Ferry continues to be favored for its affordability, scenic views, and convenience. Its flagship service connects Central with Tsim Sha Tsui.
History
Prior to the introduction of steam-powered ferries, wooden sampans were used for harbour crossings. In 1870, Grant Smith launched a twin-screw wooden boat that operated irregularly across Victoria Harbour.
Steam ferry operations commenced in the late 1870s following the British acquisition of Kowloon. In 1888, Parsee entrepreneur Dorabjee Naorojee Mithaiwala founded the "Kowloon Ferry Company," purchasing Smith's vessel along with two additional steam ferries named Morning Star and Evening Star. Over the next ten years, the fleet expanded to four vessels, and in 1898 the company was incorporated as "Star Ferry Co Ltd". The vessel names were inspired by Naorojee’s appreciation for Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem "Crossing the Bar."
Upon retiring in 1898, Naorojee sold the company to The Hongkong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Company Limited, which was then controlled by Jardine Matheson and Sir Paul Chater.
A pier on Salisbury Road was inaugurated in 1906 but was destroyed by a typhoon that same September. At that time, both Hong Kong and Canton currencies were accepted for fares; however, following currency devaluation in 1912, Star Ferry along with tram operators required payment exclusively in Hong Kong dollars.
By 1924, competition emerged with Yaumati Ferry operating alongside Star Ferry in a shared market. In 1933, Star Ferry introduced the Electric Star, notable as the first diesel-electric passenger ferry of its type.
By 1941, the fleet had grown to six vessels. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in World War II, Star Ferry’s boats were requisitioned for military purposes; some ferries were used to transport prisoners of war. Several vessels were sunk during wartime but subsequently recovered.
In the early 1950s, construction started on twin-pier terminals on both sides of Victoria Harbour designed to accommodate up to 55 million passenger journeys annually; these facilities were completed by 1957 along with Edinburgh Place Ferry Pier.
In 1963, despite concerns regarding profitability, Star Ferry assumed operation of the Hung Hom route; service began in March 1965.
Until the Cross-Harbour Tunnel opened in 1972, Star Ferry was the main public transportation link between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
In February 2009, it earned recognition as number one on the "Top 10 Most Exciting Ferry Rides" list from the Society of American Travel Writers.
The company currently operates under a government franchise that was most recently renewed in March 2018.
Public demonstrations
In 1966, a 25% increase in ferry fares led a 27-year-old student at the Edinburgh Place terminal to initiate a hunger strike, resulting in his arrest and sparking the 1966 Hong Kong riots.
On 11 November 2006, the third-generation Edinburgh Place Ferry Pier in Central, including its famous clock tower, was dismantled for land reclamation purposes amid widespread peaceful demonstrations and considerable public opposition.
Current
The Star Ferry provides essential cross-harbour connections with fares updated as of 9 February 2021:
- From Central to Tsim Sha Tsui: The lower deck charges HK$4 on weekdays and HK$5.60 on weekends and public holidays; the upper deck costs HK$5 on weekdays and HK$6.50 during weekends and holidays.
- Between Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui: Fares are HK$5 on weekdays and HK$6.50 on weekends and public holidays.
- Harbour Tour: A sightseeing cruise that follows a circular route linking Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, and Wan Chai.
Payments are accepted via Octopus or tokens (Jeton) available from vending machines at the piers; coin payments at turnstiles have been discontinued.
Bicycles are prohibited on the Tsim Sha Tsui–Central route but allowed on the Tsim Sha Tsui–Wan Chai route for an extra fee of HK$14, except during the evening peak hours from Wan Chai to Tsim Sha Tsui.
Star Ferry operates a sightseeing service between Tsim Sha Tsui and Disneyland Resort Pier with two daily departures. The round-trip fare is HK$180 aboard the luxury ferry World Star, offering scenic views of Tsing Ma Bridge during the approximately 45-minute journey.
Discontinued
- Routes from Central to Hung Hom and Wan Chai to Hung Hom were discontinued on 1 April 2011; these previously charged fares of HK$6.30.
Charter options
The Star Ferry's vessel "Golden Star" is available for charter every day, accommodating up to 300 passengers. It has been renovated for hosting cruises and special events, equipped with tables, larger panoramic windows, air conditioning, as well as a public address and sound system.
Fleet
Currently, the fleet consists of nine diesel-electric ferries along with a tugboat.
Over time, many vessels have been part of the fleet, notable examples include:
| Name | Year Built |
Builder | Seating Capacity | Details | Image (green and white livery) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning Star (曉星號) | 1871 | English-built steamboat | about 100 | The inaugural "Star" Ferry, in service from 1871 to 1898 | |
| Evening Star (夜星號) | 1888 | English-built steamboat | 100 | Second "Star" Ferry, operated between 1888 and 1902 | |
| Northern Star (北星號) | 1900 | Served from 1900 until 1959 | |||
| Electric Star (電星號) | 1933 | Operated from 1933 to 1968; sunk in 1943 but salvaged and converted to diesel power in 1948 | |||
| Golden Star (金星號) | 1928 | Active from 1928 to 1968; sunk in 1943, later recovered and converted to diesel in 1953; now available for charter | |||
| Celestial Star (天星號) | 1956–2011 | Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock | 576 | Oldest ferry in operation before retirement | |
| Meridian Star (午星號) | 1958 | Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock | 484 | Converted in 2012 for Harbour Tour backup service; returned to standard ferry configuration in 2013 | |
| Solar Star (日星號) | 1958 | Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock | 547 | ||
| Northern Star (北星號) | 1959 | Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock | 547 | ||
| Night Star (夜星號) | 1963 | Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock | 576 | Named after the original vessel of Kowloon Ferry Company | |
| Day Star (晨星號) | 1964 | Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock | 576 | ||
| Shining Star (輝星號) | 1964 | Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock | 576 | Used for Harbour Tour services; design inspired by early-20th-century ferries | |
| Twinkling Star (熒星號) | 1964 | Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock | 576 | ||
| Morning Star (曉星號) | 1965 | Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock | 399 | Named after Kowloon Ferry Company’s original vessel; upgraded with Caterpillar diesel-electric engines in 2020 | |
| Silver Star (銀星號) | 1965 | Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock | 399 | Retrofitted with Caterpillar diesel-electric propulsion systems in 2021 | |
| Golden Star (金星號) | 1989–2011 | Wang Tak Engineering & Shipbuilding Ltd | 762 | Sold into private ownership in 2011 | |
| World Star (世星號) | 1989–2011 | Wang Tak Engineering & Shipbuilding Ltd | 762 | ||
| Glowing Star (耀星號) | Hong Kong Shipyard | 288 | Former British Army vessel leased from 2001 to 2005 | ||
| Tugboat Kowloon |
Additional vessels include the tugboat named Kowloon as well as the corporate yacht Pacific Princess—originally acquired from Australia in the late-1980s and subsequently modified for Kowloon Wharf Group operations.
Piers
- Star Ferry Pier, Central located in the Central District
- Initial Pier (1890) situated at the intersection of Pedder Street and Chater Road
- Second iteration (1912) at Pedder Street, presently the location of Jardine House
- Third Pier (1957) positioned near Edinburgh Place
- Fourth iteration (2006) found on Man Kwong Street
- Piers 7 and 8 of the Central Ferry Piers were in use until 2011; Pier 7 catered to Tsim Sha Tsui, while Pier 8 served Hung Hom
- Post-2011, only Pier 7 remains active; Pier 8 was transformed into a museum in 2013
- Star Ferry Pier at Tsim Sha Tsui (established 1957)
- Wan Chai Pier
- Second version (1968), closed on 29 August 2014
- Third version (2014), operational from 30 August 2014 onward
- Hung Hom Ferry Pier, ceased operations on 1 April 2011
Financial problems
After relocating the Central Star Ferry Pier from the vicinity of Hong Kong City Hall to a spot outside the International Finance Centre (Hong Kong), there was a marked decline in passenger traffic, predominantly limited to tourists with only a small number of commuters. This transition led to substantial financial setbacks for Star Ferry. As a result, the company terminated the unprofitable Hung Hom-Central and Hung Hom-Wan Chai routes on 31 March 2011, discontinuing services at Hung Hom Ferry Pier and choosing not to bid again for these routes.
Filmography
The Star Ferry plays a significant role in the 1960 movie The World of Suzie Wong, where the character Robert Lomax (portrayed by William Holden) encounters Suzie Wong (played by Nancy Kwan) aboard the ferry. It also makes brief appearances in the 1988 television miniseries Noble House, as well as in French films such as Les Anges gardiens (1995) and The Moustache (2005).
See also
Further reading
- Hong Kong: Epilogue to an Empire, Jan Morris
- Europe in China: the history of Hongkong from the beginning to the year 1882, Ernest John Eitel, 1895, Luzac & Co, London