From harbour anchorages to container terminals
Hong Kong’s maritime development links the sheltered waters of Victoria Harbour with a much larger network of cargo terminals and shipping services. Containerisation transformed that network in the early 1970s: the first berth at Kwai Chung began operating in 1972, establishing the nucleus of today’s Kwai Tsing container complex.
Port management also changed with technology. Before 1989, the Marine Department tracked vessels through a communication centre and three signal stations. Reported ship locations were represented on a large board with movable ship-shaped magnets. Vessel traffic services subsequently brought electronic monitoring to this busy harbour.