No more Instagram Pier

One of my favourite photos from the cargo pier from Dec 2019

 

Instagram Pier, the unofficial name for the Western Cargo Working Area has closed off to the public since Sunday -- possibly for good.

It's a favourite spot for many photographers who like to go to the end of the pier to capture sunsets, others like to walk their dogs there, or practice skateboarding, aunties dance there in the evenings, and runners go there as one of their points on their route.

The spot was also a favourite of mine too, and I was hooked about three years ago when I discovered it and went there more often from late 2019. It has an edgy feel to it, one section had tons of bamboo poles piled up, another had old unused cargo containers that people liked to pose with, and newlyweds took pictures there too.

The sunset drew many people to the pier

But alas, the public found the gates closed on February 28. The Hong Kong Tourism Board said the pier would be closed "citing Covid concerns".

However, many visitors did not understand this place is a working pier -- during the day there are cranes transporting items from one place to another, or even moving shipping containers. There are boats from Lamma that come to pick up supplies that are manually moved or hoisted onto them.

A few times security staff handed out leaflets to people warning them to leave the area or risk a hefty fine, and towards the end they tried to get people to wear masks in the area, sometimes without success. Some people seemed to think the pier was a public area without realizing it isn't at all. Or they climb up onto container or the cranes to take pictures without regard for safety.

One time during the day a man who was walking his dog got into a shouting match with one of the dock workers. In front of me was a group of policeman who saw the incident and went over to investigate; I didn't stay to see what happened. Some dog owners don't clean up after their pets, leaving a mess.

With the eruption of the coronavirus pandemic last year and gyms closed most of the time along with cinemas and other entertainment venues, many went to Instagram Pier to hang out, have some beers (and not clean up after), and have their dogs socialize with others. 

But in the end it was too much for the staff to enforce the rules and stopped everyone from going in at all.

Many brought their dogs to the pier to play

So I understand why the cargo pier had to be closed to the public, but it's disappointing that such a lovely spot is now completely off limits. 

My last visit there was February 24 and had no inkling anything would happen, though for a few weeks before, the gates were completely closed and there were only two side entrances to get in. The pier was also completely shut to the public on February 12, the first day of Chinese New Year.

District Councillor Paul Zimmerman criticized the closure of the pier, saying it "breaks the waterfront connectivity".

"The presence of the public has been tolerated and condoned for many years. Instagram pier was voted the most favourite public space in 2016. It is very regrettable that the Marine Department has decided to suddenly close the gates without prior consultation of the District Council, nor The Harbourfront Commission," he says.

"If any closure is to proceed, government should first widen the pavements around the Western Cargo Working Area before the closure is implemented," Zimmerman adds.

However the deed is done.

The pier was a lovely spot to admire and reflect

Many were quick to vent their anger on Twitter, saying the government would rather encourage people to go into indoor spaces like shopping malls than outdoor areas like the pier, and that it was the one place that wasn't programmed to show people how to use the space. 

This evening was the first time I had to alter my walking route and go around the cargo pier to get to the harbourfront promenade. Zimmerman is right that the closure of the pier breaks up the connectivity of the harbourfront. It's weird not being able to go to the pier to finish my walks, but like everything else, this is the new normal where things change without consultation...