A Hong Kong cargo dock known as “Instagram Pier” for its popularity with photographers and social media users was shut to the public over the weekend by officials reportedly citing coronavirus-related concerns.
A councillor said he was shocked to find the photogenic spot at the Western District Public Cargo Working Area in Kennedy Town closed off on Sunday without warning or consultation, although he noted that businesses had previously made complaints over visitors disrupting their operations there.
Social media influencers and photographers from around the world are among the tens of thousands of people who have showcased pictures online of calming sunsets against the industrial backdrop, using the hashtag #instagrampier.
Central and Western district councillor Sam Yip Kam-lung said the Marine Department cited “Covid-19 concerns” when it told him last Friday afternoon that the pier would be closed to the public from Monday. However, he discovered on Sunday afternoon the pier had already been shut without notice.
“I called the department to ask why they were closing it so suddenly and without any official public statement, but they said they would go ahead with the decision anyway,” Yip said on Monday.
Only dock workers and truck drivers will be allowed to access the site and they must hold a permit card issued by the Marine Department Services, according to Yip, who represents Shek Tong Tsui constituency.
“Many residents like to jog or walk along the pier, so they were upset to find out that the pier was already closed this morning,” Yip said.
While he expressed disappointment at the government shutting the facility without consulting Hongkongers, Yip said the pier’s popularity had created some problems.
“In the past, companies stationed at the pier have raised concerns that members of the public were disturbing their operations,” he said, referring to complaints he had received about damaged construction materials there and overcrowding issues.
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Kenji Wong, a Sai Wan resident who regularly walks his dog at the pier, has posted examples of people misbehaving in the area on social media.
“I walk my dog there almost every day, and see a lot of things that people shouldn’t be doing. People have barbecues and picnics, or even camp there overnight, leaving rubbish behind,” Wong told the Post. “Some of the dock workers there also told me that they’ve seen drunk people hurt the guard dogs there.”
Hong Kong officials have made several attempts to limit access to the pier, most recently in 2017 when they warned of the safety implications of a site designated for industrial operations being used for leisure purposes.
That year, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced in her policy address plans to convert the cargo area in Kennedy Town into a “community garden”, which faced a heavy backlash from local residents and advocate groups.
Despite Marine Department signs warning against unauthorised access even before the recent closure, Instagram Pier has been considered the starting point of the Central and Western District Promenade.
The 3.8km waterfront route links Kennedy Town and Sheung Wan to the public ferry piers in Central and Tamar Park in Admiralty.
In an emailed response to the Post, the department stressed that the cargo working area was not a public open space, pointing out that the pier was a place to moor trade vessels and often housed heavy goods vehicles and mobile cranes for cargo operations.
“To avoid affecting cargo operations and ensure public safety, people who are not engaged in cargo working activities should not enter public cargo working areas,” a government spokesman said. “For leisure activities, the public can visit the two fully opened public areas flanking the Western District Public Cargo Working Area, namely the Belcher Bay harbourfront and the Central and Western District Promenade.”
The spokesman also said that anyone entering any cargo working area was required to use the “Leave Home Safe” Covid-19 risk-exposure app or register their names and other personal details starting from March 1, to comply with the government’s latest measures.
Although the rest of the waterfront is still accessible, people cannot walk their dogs or ride bicycles along most of the promenade, which is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
“I understand that it could be dangerous to open the industrial port to the public. Personally I think it’s OK if the pier is shut to the public. But of course that means the government should allow dogs and cyclists throughout the rest of the promenade,” Wong said.
Following the sudden closure, Southern district councillor Paul Zimmerman suggested the government offer residents alternatives for enjoying the public space, especially given the huge demand from locals wanting fresh air amid Covid-19 restrictions.
Zimmerman accused the government of flip-flopping between restricting access to the site and turning a blind eye to people enjoying the area.
“It has been a space that the public can enter easily and it’s been growing in popularity,” he said, adding the government should open up the rest of the promenade if it decided to shut Instagram Pier permanently.
Meanwhile, the Home Affairs Department said it was willing to gather opinions from the Central and Western District Council over its concerns.
