The junk is one of the oldest surviving vessel designs in the world, with roots stretching back well over a thousand years in Chinese maritime history. For centuries these boats were the working backbone of Hong Kong's harbor, used for fishing, trade and transport across the South China Sea. Though their numbers have dwindled greatly, a handful of traditionally styled junks still sail Victoria Harbour today, kept alive as a living connection to the seafaring culture that shaped the region long before the modern skyline rose behind them.

Sunset on Victoria Harbour turns the water a color that almost matches those sails — late October through December tends to bring the clearest skies and the most vivid evening light.