Downtown Aberdeen's minibus-thronged streets may seem little different from other small suburban towns in Hong Kong. But dried seafood shops are in abundance here and snippets of Tanka dialect can be overheard. Locals are known to throw rowdy banquets at the old-fashioned restaurants here after dragon boat races. For most outsiders though, it's where you pass to reach Aberdeen Promenade, and board the sampan to Ap Lei Chau. Buses to/from Central, Causeway Bay and other parts of Hong Kong Island stop here as well.
Aberdeen Harbour is widely believed to be what gave Hong Kong its name. Its Cantonese name, 'Heung Gong Zai', translates as 'Little Hong Kong' or 'Little Fragrant Harbour'. It was here that incense trees from the New Territories were brought via Tsim Sha Tsui for export to China, lending the harbour a lingering perfume.
