Tension Harboring Over Land Reclamation Policy

"Decades of land reclamation to keep pace with breakneck development...have whittled the harbor down to nearly half its size in the days when tea and opium merchants plied their trade on wooden sailing ships. And the Hong Kong government plans as much as 636 hectares more of reclamation, activists say. The harbor has already been reduced by 3,200 hectares, or nearly 3,900 soccer pitches." Conservationists "fear the harbor, long renowned for its depth and width, will turn into a river and endanger one of Hong Kong's most enduring icons -- the century-old green and white Star Ferry that shuttles tourists and commuters across the scenic stretch of water. Hong Kong's harbor plays a key role in the territory's history, from its roots as a fishing village and its days trading tea and opium in the heyday of the British empire to its modern role as one of the world's best ports and tourist attractions."

Thanks to Connie Chung