As Hong Kong’s iconic “Dukling” junk boat sails into its 70th year, it becomes more than a floating museum. According to Hazen Tang, the current owner of the boat, it becomes a living symbol of the city’s enduring “Lion Rock Spirit”. This "can-do" attitude defines Hong Kong’s identity.

First popularised in the 1972 television series ‘Below the Lion Rock’, which spotlighted the lives and struggles of the working class, the spirit later became a rallying call during hard times, most notably after 1979 with the addition of the series’ very own theme song.

Like the mountain that watches over Kowloon’s working-class neighbourhoods, the Dukling has weathered storms, surviving a sinking in 2014 and the COVID-19 pandemic. Its restoration and current transformation into a cultural exhibit on water echo the resilience and growth of the city it sails through.

With historical artefacts on board and decades of stories behind it, the Dukling is more than a boat, it’s a floating cultural tribute to Hong Kong’s past, perseverance, and solidarity.