Water Margin - 9789881566577

Water Margin: Hong Kong's Link to the Sea is an enchanting exploration of the human and natural geography of Hong Kong's coastline and waters. The volume opens with Hong Kong's early history as a wild coastal frontier ( haijiang) of imperial China and follows the social and cultural development of its maritime border zone. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Chinese and Western influences created the city of Hong Kong, a durable crossroads forever reinventing itself. Today, Hong Kong's coastline boasts an intense mix of urban high-rise dwellings, vast shipping facilities, and near-pristine wild areas. It is home to one of the most vibrant water sports venues in Asia and hosts a range of unique wildlife populations, including dolphins, turtles, and migratory birds. This volume focuses on Hong Kong's coral and marine diversity, containing a breathtaking array of underwater photographs. The text is filled with little-known tales of pearl fishing, crocodile boating, piracy, the adventures of the city's fishing fleet, and the voices of Hong Kong's ocean heros, including Olympic gold medalist Lee Lai Shan, singer G.E.M., and the elders of Hong Kong's remote fishing villages. A portfolio of Robin Moyer's black and white photography recaptures Hong Kong's seascapes and its unceasing resources of wonder for local residents and tourists alike. The volume also covers global ocean protection initiatives sponsored by the Ocean Recovery Alliance. In addition to raising awareness and an appreciation for these precious waters, the text examines the key challenge of reviving and preserving Hong Kong's aquatic environment for future generations.