Fishtail Rock: Past and Present

Fishtail Rock, named for its fin-like shape, stood on an islet about one and a half kilometres to the south of the eastern end of Boundary Street: the northern border of that part of Kowloon ceded to Britain in 1860. A fairly prominent harbour feature, the rocky islet appears on Captain Edward Belcher’s 1841 Hong Kong Nautical Chart and on later charts, rather grandiosely named – given its small size – Tok Kwu Wan Island. John Thomson photographed the rock, then about half a kilometre offshore, from a sandy beach. His photo looks southeast, with the outcrop hiding Lei Yue Mun, the eastern entrance to Victoria Harbour. Now reclaimed, the islet is part of part of Hoi Sham Park – as seen in the 2015 photograph. Surrounded by park facilities, the rock nonetheless retains its fin-like appearance.