Star ferry

The Star Ferry's ferry crossings at Victoria Harbour are well-known for being crucial tourist routes as well as an integral part of the commuter system connecting Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The ferry ride was ranked among the top 50 places in The National Geographic Traveler. The ferry voyage is renowned for being one of the most cost-effective tourist excursions in the entire globe.

The Star Ferry dates back to 1880, when Parsee cook Dorabjee Naorojee Mithaiwala began a new career. With his steamboat, the Morning Star, he started operating a ferry service across Victoria Harbour. The Kowloon Ferry Company was the name of the young company. According to a local newspaper from 1888, the ferry made the 40- to 1-hour trip between Pedders Wharf and Tsimshatsui at all times. The service was suspended on Mondays and Fridays so that the boat could be coaled. Four single-deck Star Ferries could be found on the Kowloon Ferry by 1890. The ferries eventually got a second deck.

During the next ten years, businessman Sir Catchick Paul Chater bought all the boats and in May 1898 the Star Ferry Company, as it is known today, became a public company. Its name derives from the ferries, which all bore the name “Star”.

In 1998, the company commemorated its 100th anniversary. Two franchised ferry routes between Tsimshatsui and Central and Tsimshatsui and Wanchai are now served by a fleet of nine ferries. In July 2003, Star Ferry introduced the only authorized harbour tour (Harbour Tour) in Hong Kong in addition to ferry services. A variety of harbor views are available for passengers to enjoy at their leisure throughout the one-hour trip, which departs from Tsimshatsui and travels to Central and Wanchai before returning to Tsimshatsui.

Due to the pier relocation for Central Reclamation Phase III, Star Ferry has continued its ferry services at the Central Star Ferry Pier as of 12 November 2006. (Central Pier No. 7). The Central Star Ferry Pier, with its magnificent clock tower, is a replica of a remarkable structure that enhances the Star Ferry's history and character by serving as a significant landmark along the city's new waterfront.