Chinese shipbuilding made big strides during the Song. Technological advances were also made in metallurgy, enabling artisans to produce durable and sturdy iron tools, such as iron saws, iron nails and iron axes, that greatly facilitated shipwright in building massive ships. Sea transport soon became the preferred mode of transportation, especially for cargoes. The fertile delta area of Guangdong supplied rice to feed the population of Fujian by sea. Fujian in turn supplied Guangdong with native produce such as ceramics and some iron wares on the vessels’ return voyages. Sea traffic between Fujian and Guangdong was sufficiently brisk in the Song Dynasty to justify the establishment of a customs office on the eastern entrance to the harbour in Hong Kong, not far from today’s Tung Lung Chau (東龍洲), known then as Fat Tong Mun (佛堂門).[7] There are conflicting opinions as to the exact location of this customs office. While some consider it to be located next to the Tin Hau Temple there, others think it was on the small islet of Fat Tau Chau (佛頭洲), which has now been reclaimed and merged as part of Tseung Kwan O (將軍澳). No matter where its precise location was, such a government institution was the first-ever known office in the Hong Kong region set up to check, regulate, and levy taxes on the coastal sea traffic travelling in Hong Kong waters.
In the wake of cargo movements, immigrants started arriving from the north. One good example of such a migration was the relocation of the Lin family (林氏) from Putian (蒲田), Fujian, to Pang Ka Wai (彭家圍), today’s Tai Hom Tsuen (大磡村) in Wong Tai Sin.[8]
In the family lineage record, one entry describes the experience of one of older Lin’s trading trips from Fujian to Hong Kong: the vessel encountered a thunderstorm and was shipwrecked just outside Hong Kong harbour. The Lin Brothers clung onto a wooden statute of the sea goddess Ah Ma (亞媽) and were finally saved. Deeply grateful, the Lins built a stone tower on Tung Lung Chau to pay tribute to the sea goddess. The tower no longer exists. In the same location there now stands a temple dedicated to Tin Hau, the sea goddess.
The Tang family (鄧氏) of Kam Tin (錦田) also decided to settle there after Tang senior’s years of service as an official in the area. The family might not have moved to Hong Kong by boat, but Tang senior made a careful and detailed survey by vessel of the territory before deciding on building their home in Kam Tin.[9]
With the increase in population, more economic activities ensued. Large salt pans were developed along the coast of Kowloon Bay, an area known as Kwun Fu Cheung (官富場) in Song times. As the production increased, edible salt was transported to the inland regions, notably to north Guangdong and beyond, while some was shipped as far as Guangxi, by boats all the way to Wuzhou (梧州) and further up the Xijiang (西江). The Song authorities had special interest in the production, sale and distribution as the salt trade constituted a major revenue source. A salt commissioner was assigned to oversee all these activities and to ensure orderly delivery of the product by boat to the areas that required salt the most. As the seat of this important official, Kwun Fu Cheung was renamed Kwun Fu Chai (官富寨).[10] In early Ming, the place, now in East Kowloon, was re-organised as a military checkpoint and named Kwun Fu Magistracy (官富巡檢司).
Adding to the list of maritime activities was pearl farming, which was active in the sea off Tai Po, then called Tai Po Hoi (大步海), in today’s Tolo Harbour. Pearl farming started in the Five Dynasties, initially as government initiatives. Subsequently for various reasons, the authorities banned pearl farming intermittently. But the activities went on until Ming, when oyster cultivation for pearls was discontinued in Tai Po in favour of similar enterprises in Hepu (合浦), which apparently produced better products.[11]
The role of Hong Kong as an artery for coastal traffic from Fujian to Guangdong was dramatised by the arrival of the entourage of the last Song Emperor, who fled the onslaught of the Mongols when the Song capital, Linan (臨安) was overwhelmed by the victorious Mongol army. Empress Ma embarked with the young Emperor Shi of Song (宋帝昰) together with his younger sibling Zhao Bing (趙昺) in a fleet that was marshalled by loyalists. In the chilly wintry season of 1276, the northeasterly monsoon quickly sent the surviving Song court southwards, stopping over at important ports such as Wenzhou (温州) and Quanzhou (泉州). But they were refused safe refuge by local officials who would not take the risk of siding with the wrong party. By the end of 1276, the fleet was off the coast of Guangdong, near Fat Tong Mun. Prime Minister Chen Yizhong (陳宜中) took the decision to switch course from the southeast and head west. The fleet then glided through the narrow passage of Fat Tong Mun into the calm waters of Hong Kong. There was little fanfare, though some Kwun Fu residents sent sampans to welcome the entourage. The royal family speedily settled down at what is today’s Kowloon Bay area. Apparently there were plans to stay for a longer period as efforts were made to gather construction materials to build a palace.
Not for long, information from scouts revealed that the Mongols pursuing them were about to launch an assault. After a sojourn of about two months, the Emperor had to move on. According to some records, their next stop was Chin Wan (淺灣), believed to be today’s Tsuen Wan (荃灣). The Mongol General Liu Shen (劉深) soon sent out scouts to reconnoitre in advance of an attack. Not ready for a final showdown, the fleet weighed anchor and departed Hong Kong, sailing north up the Pearl River.[12]
Notes:
- [7]舒懋官、王崇熙：《新安縣志》，卷四，山水略，1819；曹家齊：〈宋朝限定沿海發舶港口問題新探(初稿)〉，載於嶺南宋史研究會、嶺南大學合辦：《十至十三世紀中國的政治、文化與社會學術研究會學術報告》，2012，頁71-78。
- [8]Lo Hsiang Lin, Hong Kong and its External Communications before 1842 (Hong Kong: Institute of Chinese Culture, 1963), pp. 121-122.
- [9]靳文謨：《新安縣志》，卷十，人物志，僑寓，1688；羅香林：《1842年以前之香港及其對外交通》，第二章，註25（香港：中國學社，1959），頁43。
- [10]盧祥重修：《東莞志》，卷三，合屬衙門、巡檢司，1457-1464；靳文謨：《新安縣志》，卷十，田賦志，鹽課，1688；饒宗頤：《九龍與宋季史料》，卷四（香港：萬有圖書公司，1959），頁38-39。
- [11]Lo Hsiang Lin, Hong Kong and its External Communications before 1842 (Hong Kong: Institute of Chinese Culture, 1963), pp. 41-48.
- [12]饒宗頤：《九龍與宋季史料》，卷三（香港：萬有圖書公司，1959），頁25-32；羅香林：《1842年以前之香港及其對外交通》，第四章（香港：中國學社，1959），頁68-70。
Part 1 Chapter 1.4 - Hong Kong region performing the role of coastal artery in the Song Dynasty
