Kenneth Whiting (AV 14) - Naval Cruise Book

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HONG ■nsmx Our visit to Hong Kong was first an experience, then as we learned more and more about this phenomenal Pearl of the Orient, it turned into a fascinating ad- venture. We found that like a promiscuous vamp it has many moods and faces. And although we stayed only twelve short days, an education was instilled into all. Watching a sunrise from Hong Kong harbor is a spectacle. We marveled at the shimmering shafts of light as they danced and richocheted off the tall, gleam- ing architecture that clings to the hillsides; and above. Mount Victoria loomed tall and erect with a sprinklmg of clouds crowning her head. With each new dawn this esteemed lady would smile down and bid us hello. Moments later the harbor would come alive with the intriguing water people beginning their performance. And a major production it is, too, as they play a major role in Hong Kong ' s daily success story. Their existence is an enigma to all Westerners. Not a few of them are born, live their whole lives and die in their boat homes. The population of the Colony ' s junk city is estimated 47

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ttihr SB ! g During u respite from the sun, Kelley, Intantmc, and Chiel Clark take it easy under this crude, but effective shed the Nationalist soldiers ererled fcr cur ccmfcrt. The model airplane bug v. ' as in the Pescadores, too. Ellington (with plane) displays his model to (left to right) Scharlau, Roby, MacKay, Hunnicutt and Rube before sending it aloft over Sand Island. On one of their occasional get-togethers Nationalist Chinese soldiers get a taste of American beer, cigarettes and nonsense from these members of the Whiting crew on the seawall at Gyoo-Too. .-Jjiia Island O-Club. Built by the Naticr,:;- Forces as l. token of good-will, it was lacking in plush furniture, running water, ice and air-conditioning, but it was on the beach, and oft-times that is enough for any Navy man. There is little culture among the Taiwanese as their education standards are low, averaging 4 to 5 years of schooling. And their arts and crafts, have a rugged aspect. There is none of the del- icate and exquisite taste of the mainland Chinese, nor are there any intricate wood and ivory carv- ings. Their jewelry is fashioned predominantly of sea shells and a rare, highly polished wunstone. Reputed to be mined only in the Pescadores and Sicily, the wunstone ' s rarity deems it somewhat of a collector ' s item. The people are devoutly religious, with 99 per- cent being avid Buddhist, and a sprinkling of Christians tossed in. Both Catholic and Protestant groups have found it near impossible to convert the people to the christian faiths. After 60 years of persistent teaching by the Catholic mission- aries, 300 converts make up the complete flock at Saint Mary ' s in Ma Kung. The Protestants have enjoyed even less success. To the American Navy man aboard ship at Boko Ko, the most pronounced aspect about these incomprehensible people and their homeland is the languid quietness. Watching them day after day, and throughout the night, he sees sampans moving to and fro like uncountable water beetles negotiating a mill pond. He can never quite man- age to get in close proximity; he can find no way of communication — no avenue from which to ef- fect a merger. So eventually he shrugs it off in typical American nonchalance and quits sweating it. As far as he can discern, the native ' s only goal is existing. And their chief concern? Enough work to survive; many hours of rest and sleep; increas- ing the Pescadores population. And the American that could talk to them learned that they seem- ingly have 10,600 years in which they can ac- complish these things — or anything else they might happen to desire. We learned, though, that they were our friends, and glad that we were there. And we were glad that they were glad . . . AND AWAY WE GO...

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On entering the mouth l i;.c vi..-....,c, are intrigued by the colorful lunks. men crowd the rail and - — — eJi gsf ♦--■ PEARL OF THE ORIENT — Victoria (loreground) and Kowloon (across the bay). These two make up Hong Kong, Red China is just 35 miles across the first mountain range. to be 125,000. These floating dwellings include not only big ocean-going junks but tiny sam- pans as well. Most of the genuine boat-people belong to one of two races — the Cantonese (or Tanka) and the Hokla, a tribe of sea-gypsies originating in the China province of Fukien. The Hoklo live almost entirely in sampans, which scurry like water beetles unafraid through the busy harbor. To watch them nego- tiate the traffic among the ocean liners, in what appears to be complete abandon, is often hair- raising indeed. The New York Harbor Commis- sioner would perhaps go amuck watching such nonchalance. But Hong Kong is one of the busiest harbors in the world, and with 70,000 fishermen within the Colony, they can ' t let any- thing like a few dozen ocean liners deter their haste toward a livelihood. Hong Kong ' s fishing fleet is probably the largest in the world. It is made up almost en- tirely of owner-operated wooden junks, mostly propelled by sail — and most colorful they are. The principal fishing harbors are at Aber- deen and Shau Ki Wan on Hong Kong island and on the outlying island of Cheung Chau. Aberdeen is a popular tourist attraction, its floating restaurants, in which the diner selects his own fish and has it cooked while he waits, affording a new gastronomic thrill. Hong Kong is quite homogeneous. Of the two and a half million residence, the over- whelming majority are Chinese. Semi-perma- nent Europeans and Americans, mainly British, total some 14,500. Temporary resident foreign- ers account for 2700 more, with a sprinkling of Portuguese, Indian and Eurasians. This 99 percent Chinese population are main- ly farmers and fishermen. There are 500,000 refugees in every sense of the word; 300,000 constituting a squatter problem. This means over-population. Only twenty years ago the figure was 800,000. More than a million have flocked in since the war. More are coming every day. ABERDEEN — Home of thousands of fishing junks. Junk City was one of the major attractions of the Whiting sailors. Thu celebrated junk. On vessels such ab lliiii, vviicle iair.i cire born and die, never knowing any other home. 48