The Blake Pier can be found just adjacent to the Murray House at Stanley and was originally known as Pedder Warf. In 1900, Pedder Warf was renamed after the 12th Governor of Hong Kong (1898 – 1903) Sir Henry Arthur Blake.

Blake Pier in Stanley

Blake Pier in Stanley

Most visitors probably don’t know the interesting facts and history about the Blake Pier. The Blake Pier was originally situated at the end of Pedder Street (hence the original name Pedder Warf), facing the waterfront where the Des Voeux Road in Central is today. Taking a look at the streets and area around Pedder Street and Des Voeux Road in Central it is hard to imagine that there once was only water. Keeping these facts in mind one can imagine how the different land reclamations changed Hong Kong’s harbor front in the past decades.

Blake Pier in Stanley

Blake Pier in Stanley

Blake Pier in Stanley

Blake Pier in Stanley

The Blake Pier’s role was to serve as a landing place for new Governors, British royal dignitaries and other VIPs visiting Hong Kong at this time. For this reason the Blake Pier was also known as the Royal Pier. Yachts, barges, sampans and traditional Chinese Junks could easily dock at the Blake Pier and it was basically the connecting and landing point between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon side of Hong Kong.

For all of you who are interested in architecture: originally, the Blake Pier was not covered with any roof, but soon became a thatched roof to provide travelers and passengers shelter from rain as well as heat. In later years (somewhere around 1909), the thatched roof of the Blake Pier was replaced by a classic Edwardian-style iron-steel roof.

Blake Pier in Stanley

Blake Pier in Stanley

The Blake Pier served as a landing point until the mid-1920s. In 1925, Queen’s Pier (named after Queen Victoria) took over the role to serve not only as the official landing point for all of Hong Kong’s Governors as well as for the members of the British Royal Family, but also as a public pier in a day-to-day use.

The history of the Blake Pier is similar to the history of the Murray House. In 1965, Hong Kong Government decided to demolish the Blake Pier. The pavilion and its iron-steel roof was dismantled, moved and rebuilt in Morse Park (Wong Tai Sin) at the Kowloon side. The unique shaped roof was used as a cover of a pavilion and served the next 40 years as a park shelter. In 2007, the iron roof was transferred a last time to Stanley and returned to its role to serve as a public pier again. Since then the roof served as a cover at the Blake Pier at Stanley. Taking a look at the Blake Pier and Murray House one can not only admire the beautiful architectural elegance of both historic buildings, but also reminiscence the old times and imagine how Hong Kong might have looked a century ago. Both colonial buildings complement each other and bring back the former colonial architectural style of Hong Kong to a new location.

For all of you who would like to experience the arrival or departure at the historic Blake Pier there are some opportunities. The Tsui Wah Ferry Service operates a ferry between Aberdeen and Po Toi Island via the Stanley Blake Pier. You can refer to the picture below or follow the link for a detailed schedule and timetable of the ferry route Aberdeen – Po Toi (http://www.traway.com.hk/). Expect to pay HK$ 20 for a single trip and HK$ 40 for a round-trip ticket. The small motorized ferries used by the Tsui Wah Ferry Company are called Kai-to. At the moment that are about 78 routes served by these small ferries all over Hong Kong.

Ferry from Blake Pier Stanley

Ferry from Blake Pier Stanley

How to Get to Blake Pier and nearby attractions:

Please refer to the article “Stanley and Repulse Bay” for the information.

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