Sun Ferry Central - Cheung Chau Route

The Xin Chao vessel running on this route was departing Central Pier 5 (January 2023)
Route information
Termini	Central Pier No.5↔Cheung Chau Ferry Pier
Distance	19.1km
Travelling time	Ordinary Ferry: Approx. 55-60mins Fast ferry: Approx.35-40mins
Operational information
Current operator	NWFF/Sun Ferry (2000 - present)
Previous operator(s)	Hong Kong and New Territories Ferry Company (1925-1938) HYF (1938-2000)
Fare information
Full fare	See fare chart
Service hours
Service hours (origin)	04:15-01:30
Service hours (terminus)	05:10-02:20
Headways	Fixed headways

The Sun Ferry Central - Cheung Chau Route is an Outlying Islands Route operated by Sun Ferry. It runs between Central Pier No.5 and Cheung Chau Ferry Pier.

Among all Outlying Island ferries, this route has the most outstanding ridership as well as the most frequent headways, and is also the local ferry route with the longest service hours.

History

Pre-war era

On 9 November 1925, the Government granted a ferry licence to the Hong Kong and New Territories Ferry Company, operated by businessman Lee Yu-chuen, which included a route between Sheung Wan and Cheung Chau for a period of 10 years.

In September 1938, the Hong Kong Government invited tenders for a New Territories ferry franchise, which was awarded to Yaumati Ferry on 29 October, with this route taking over on 6 November. On 7 September 1939, outlying island ferries revised their timetable and increased their sailings to eight.

During the Japanese occupation

When the Japanese invaded Hong Kong in December 1941, the Cheung Chau route and other Hong Kong ferry services were completely suspended. After the war, there was a heavy flow of industrial, commercial and agricultural products from all over the world, such as industrial products from Mui Wo and Peng Chau such as matches, as well as agricultural products from Mui Wo, Peng Chau and Cheung Chau. The public requested the Administration to reinstate the New Territories routes for the transport of agricultural products to Honkon-tō (Hong Kong Island). After careful consideration, the Cheung Chau route was resumed in March 1942.

The feasibility of extending the Hong Kong-Mui Wo route to Cheung Chau was then raised. Transport Minister Takamatsu of the Japanese military government indicated in 1942 that he planned to resume the Cheung Chau ferry service by extending the Hong Kong - Mui Wo route to Cheung Chau, with a direct link from Peng Chau to Cheung Chau; the Government later announced on 19 January 1943 that the Cheung Chau direct ferry service would be resumed in the near future, and the service was eventually extended from Mui Wo to Cheung Chau on 1 February.

• 5 July 1943: The original 11:00 service from Hong Kong to Cheung Chau and 14:00 service from Cheung Chau to Hong Kong was changed to provide service at 07:30 from Cheung Chau to Hong Kong and 16:45 from Hong Kong to Cheung Chau.
• October 1943: All sailings were berthed in Hong Kong at Kwong Wing Ferry Pier opposite to the entrance of Gilman Street.
• 22 February 1944: In view of the high volume of agricultural exports and the large number of commercial passengers, the service was substantially modified:
  • The number of sailings was changed to 10 per month and the frequency was reduced to two; the frequency was 07:30 from Cheung Chau to Hong Kong and 16:00 from Hong Kong to Cheung Chau.
  • The sailing time was changed to single day departure and double day return.
  • The sailing date was changed to every 3 days from Cheung Chau to Hong Kong on the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 18th, 21st, 24th, 27th and 30th of each month and from Hong Kong to Cheung Chau on the 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 19th, 22nd, 25th and 28th of each month.
• 12 March 1944: In view of the "household survey", the service was suspended on that day together with the Hong Kong to Tai O route.
• 25 March 1944: Service was changed to Monday to Saturday only and suspended on Sundays.
• 28 May 1944: Service on this route and the Hong Kong to Tai O route was suspended due to sailing adjustments.
• 10 June 1944: Service resumed and was changed to operate every second day.
• 9 November 1944: Service on this route and the Hong Kong to Tai O route was again suspended due to sailing adjustment.
• 22 December 1944: Service resumed as on 22 February 1944.

Post-war developments

After the peace in August 1945, the service commenced on 17 August and was changed to operate once every two days, and the frequency was adjusted on the 17th of the same month and was changed to operate from Hong Kong to Cheung Chau on both days and from Cheung Chau to Hong Kong on one day; the service was suspended again on 22 August and resumed again on 23 November, with the frequency increased to eight.

• 21 April 1946: The following arrangements were put in place:
  • The sailings were reduced to three;
  • Additional detours via Yung Shue Wan and additional direct ferry services were introduced.
• 1 November 1948: Detours via Yung Shue Wan were cancelled due to unsatisfactory ridership.

Introducing direct sailings and expanding passenger sources

As the Central-Cheung Chau route detoured via Peng Chau and Mui Wo, it takes more than two hours to reach Cheung Chau, which has aroused dissatisfaction among the residents. In order to facilitate transport to Cheung Chau, HYF proposed in 1948 to increase the frequency of direct flights, and the Cheung Chau Residents' Association (CCRA) had repeatedly requested for the provision of direct sailings.

However, the ferry company pointed out that direct services had been provided before the war, but after the war, due to the fisheries control system, all fisheries products were carried by the vessels of the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Yau Ma Tei Ferry had lost its huge cargo revenue, and it would definitely suffer a loss if direct services were to be provided; however, it endeavoured to find a way to solve the problem in order to respond to the aspirations of the residents of Cheung Chau. The Cheung Chau Residents' Association met with the District Officer Whitfield on 10 October to request for more direct services, and HYF agreed to provide direct services in the mornings and afternoons every day. Starting from 18 September 1949, additional direct services were introduced on Sundays and public holidays, departing from Vehicular Ferry Pier at 08:50hrs.

Changes made during the same time period

• 28 October 1951: A special sailing was added between Cheung Chau and Wilmer Street, Sheung Wan.
• 22 October 1952: The berthing position at Cheung Chau was relocated to the public pier.
• 26 October 1952: Some special trips between Cheung Chau and Willmer Street, Sheung Wan called additionally at Aberdeen.
• 28 April 1960: The berthing position at Cheung Chau was relocated to a covered pier.
• 9 May 1960: Arrangement to detour via Chi Ma Wan was added.
• 28 June 1964: the following arrangement was implemented:
  • All sailings observe Peng Chau and Mui Wo;
  • The independent fixed non-stop service to Cheung Chau was cancelled and replaced it with irregular extra trips only when the passenger volume increased.
• 21 November 1964: The Central berthing position was relocated to the west of the Central Harbour Services Ferry Pier.
• 27 August 1966: The Central berthing position was relocated to the Outlying Islands Ferry Piers.

Increase in population prompts entire direct sailings

The special service between Cheung Chau and Wilmer Street, Sheung Wan was cancelled on 1 April 1969 due to the continuous growth of the population in Cheung Chau and the outlying islands, the increasing demand for transport from the residents, the failure of the timetable to meet the actual needs, and the decline in the number of fresh fish carried by vessels and the number of passengers travelling between Cheung Chau and the Western District of the Hong Kong Island.

In 1972, Yaumati Ferry planned to substantially revise the frequency of its outlying island routes, including the Peng Chau and Mui Wo to Cheung Chau routes, and at the same time increase the frequency of its direct sailings, with a 60-minute interval on weekdays and a 30-minute interval on holidays. Negotiations with the Outlying Islands Rural Committee (OIRC) for this purpose were held on a number of occasions and were generally agreed.

The plan was endorsed by the Transport Department in March 1973 and by the Auxiliary Secretary in May after confirmation by the District Office and Yaumati Ferry's full direct service on Sundays and Public Holidays, via inter-island services, commenced on 1 July after consultation with representatives of the Marine Department, the Transport Department, the Islands District Office, the Auxiliary Secretary, the Public Works Department and the Marine Police in June. A new route was introduced for the new Inter-Islands Ferry Route between Cheung Chau, Chi Ma Wan, Mui Wo and Peng Chau, and a new Monday to Saturday service was introduced for the three-tier ferry service. On 19 November of the same year, the weekday frequency of the outlying islands route was revised to provide full direct services.

• April 1975: Depending on the actual situation and passenger demand, special direct sailings from Central at 09:15 and 11:45 and from Cheung Chau at 17:00 and 19:30 were added on public holidays.

Hoverferry Services

Yaumati Ferry expected that the in-harbour ferry routes could be deployed to the outlying islands route after the opening of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR), but after the opening of the MTR, the patronage on the in-harbour routes increased, making it impossible for the vessels to be deployed. Benefiting from Yaumati Ferry's order of hovercraft which arrived in Hong Kong in 1980, one of them was deployed to this route on a trial basis from 1 August, sailing Monday to Friday only. The service was finally cancelled on 4 November 1981 as the population of Cheung Chau residents fell short of the target and the need for hoverferry service on some routes in the urban area necessitated the redeployment of the service to the Central - Tuen Mun Route to enhance its frequency.

Yaumati Ferry's announcement of the launch of the hoverferry service to the public

Year Planned proposals 1983 Yaumati Ferry planned to introduce night-time sailings to Cheung Chau, Peng Chau and Mui Wo, which would operate only during off-peak hours on weekdays to replace ordinary ferry services with lower patronage in the evenings, and is expected to commence operation in 1984.。 Members of the Islands District Council suggested that Yaumati Ferry should switch to using hoverferry service to navigate Cheung Chau, Peng Chau and Mui Wo in order to achieve savings and reduce fuel consumption, and TD advised that it had also considered the suggestion. Yaumati Ferry has also considered the proposal but has not submitted a formal proposal to TD. The Administration advised that the company had to identify sufficient flying boats to provide the service and consider whether it was economical to purchase a new vessel. 1986 In view of the increasing demand from Cheung Chau residents for travelling to and from the Central business district and the growing population of the outlying islands, Yaumati Ferry proposed in its submitted 5-year plan to introduce a hoverferry service in October 1987, with the initial idea that the service would be operated on weekdays only so as to avoid adversely affecting the three-decked ferry service during peak hours, and that a new hoverferry would not necessarily be purchased, but that the "redeployment of the existing vessels" would be carried out instead. Fares for the hoverferry service were $7, comparable to the deluxe class of ordinary ferries, for the convenience of some frequent travellers to and from the outlying islands.

After a round of preparations, the hoverferry re-entered Cheung Chau on 2 November 1987 to operate between the eastern side of the Government Pier opposite the Harbour Building during non-peak hours from Monday to Friday for a three-month trial period, after which the service would be reviewed with the Transport Department, with the intention of introducing additional peak-hour and night-time sailings subject to satisfactory response. In view of the higher speed of hovercraft, the need for captains to obtain higher class licences, MD's ban on sailing after sunset to protect passenger safety, and insufficient patronage, HYF has no intention to introduce additional night-time services, stressing that it is not possible for the company to satisfy all the passengers' requests, and pointing out that night-time services of hovercrafts only involve the interests of a small group of people, which is unfair to the ferry company, and that the company can only introduce additional frequency of hovercrafts on a trial basis in the off-peak hours to tie in with ordinary ferry services. If the response was favourable, the hoverferry service would be upgraded to a permanent service.

Some people in the Islands District wanted to extend the hoverferry service from off-peak hours to Sundays and holidays, but HYF pointed out that it would be difficult to deploy hoverferries from other routes, and that hoverferry service for outlying island routes was an additional service specially designed to save time for the local residents, which would be more costly. Subsequently, the Islands District Council requested to enhance the hoverferry service between Central and the outlying islands and to extend the service to Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

• 1995: The berthing position at Central was changed to tie in with Central Reclamation Phase I;
  • 9 May: Berthing position of ordinary ferries was relocated to Pier 7.
  • 18 May: Berthing position of hoverferries was relocated to Pier 6.
• 28 February 1998: Saturday morning service was added for hoverferry services.

26 July 1998: High-speed ferries implemented the following arrangements:

• • A new weekday departure at 07:00 from Cheung Chau was added;
  • The original 100-seater hoverferry was fully replaced by a 198-seater catamaran.
• 26 September 1998: Aadditional fast ferry services on Saturday afternoons, Sundays and Public Holidays were added.
• Christmas 1998, New Year's Day and Lunar New Year 1999: High-speed ferry service to and from Cheung Chau via Yung Shue Wan was provided.

Changed to licenced operations

Following the failure of the negotiation on the development above the four piers on the Central Reclamation in 1998, the Government decided to invite open tenders for the outlying islands, new towns and inner harbour ferry routes, and Yaumati Ferry was eventually granted a licence to operate ferry services for Outlying Islands Route Groups 1 and 2 and Inner Harbour Route Group D. The Government has been working closely with HYF on the development of the outlying islands and the inner harbour routes.

• 1 April 1999: Yaumati Ferry's franchise was resumed by the Government and converted to licensed operation with the following changes:
  • The frequency was increased by 83 to while all sailings were direct to Central and Cheung Chau;
    • Departures from Cheung Chau at 08:00 and 20:30 on weekdays were upgraded to fast ferry services.
    • The extra sailings at 12:00 from Central and 16:00, 20:00 from Cheung Chau on weekdays was changed to a regular basis.
  • The berthing position of ordinary ferry at Central was relocated to the east berth of Pier 6.

However, after the implementation of the new timetable for the outlying island routes, the ferry services were plagued with chaos. After reviewing the arrangement with the ferry operators, TD implemented an interim improvement measure on 7 April to increase the number of scheduled trips from Cheung Chau during the morning peak period to cope with the demand. Subsequently, Yaumati Ferry revised the timetable of the Cheung Chau service twice, on 10 May and 1 August, after surveying passengers' views on the revised timetable.

On 15 January 2000, Yaumati Ferry's passenger service ended and the 00:30 departure from Central on this route, the Mui Wo route and the Peng Chau route became Yaumati Ferry's last ever passenger ferry service.

Change of operator

New World First Ferry (now renamed Sun Ferry) took over the operation of its eight licensed ferry routes at midnight on 15 January 2000, with the 01:30 departure of the Central - Cheung Chau route becoming the first passenger-carrying ferry in the history of New World First Ferry, with Ying Hui II (英輝二號) as the vessel.

• 26 November 2001: To meet passenger demand, the frequency between 19:30 and before 23:45 on Mondays to Saturdays was rationalised:
  • Sailings from Central between 19:00 and 23:30 and from Cheung Chau between 20:00 and 23:30 was changed to every 30 minutes;
  • The ordinary ferry sailing from Cheung Chau at 19:15 was cancelled;
  • The fast ferry sailing from Cheung Chau at 19:45 was changed to ordinary ferry;
  • Sailings after 19:00 is operated by two 3-deck ordinary ferries and two 400-seat fast ferries; and the number of sailings of ordinary and fast ferries from Central and Cheung Chau between 19:00 and 23:30 is changed from six to five.
• 26 September 2002: The berthing point was relocated to Pier 5 to tie in with the Central Reclamation Phase III and Central Ferry Piers Improvement Project. 。
• 9 November 2003: To attract more visitors to Mui Wo on Sundays and public holidays, a "Buy One Get One Free" discount was introduced on Sundays and public holidays from 12:00 pm to 00:30 pm on the following day, whereby two accompanying passengers who chose to travel to/from Mui Wo by high-speed ferry could enjoy 25% off the ferry fare for a period of three months until 8 February 2004.
• 22 January 2004: The concessionary period of the "Two Passengers One Fare Concession" was extended to be valid all day long until 9 May and 3 October of the same year.
• 1 November 2004: To attract more local and overseas tourists to visit the outlying islands during holidays, "Outlying Islands Holiday Round Trip Promotion" was launched on Sundays and public holidays from 03:00 to 00:30 on the following day, with a special offer for one person to enjoy a complimentary return ferry ride upon purchase of a round-trip ticket for two persons to Mui Wo (the complimentary ferry ride is based on the lowest fare), with the offer amounting to about 75% to 85% off. It lasts for three months until 31 December of the same year and the trial period is extended to 31 March 2005 thereafter.
• 1 July 2011: Departures from Cheung Chau at 06:20 every Mondays to Saturdays were diverted to berth at Pier 6, and the arrangement has been cancelled from 1 July 2017 onwards.

After the millenium

The Transport Complaints Unit (TCU) received a significant increase in complaints about inadequate service on this route in 2016. Most of the complaints were related to the increase in passenger demand for the 06:20 fast ferry service at the start of the new school year in September, as parents/grandparents wished to accompany their children/grandchildren to school during the first few weeks of the new school year. This change in travelling pattern was short-lived, and a similar phenomenon had been observed in the past few years. To address the problem, NWFF launched the "Morning Ferry Concession Scheme" from 3 October to 31 December 2016 to encourage passengers to take the earlier departure from Cheung Chau, i.e. the 05:50 ordinary ferry, by offering fare concessions; a survey conducted by the TD in October found that the carrying capacity of the 06:20 departure had gradually decreased, while the carrying capacity of the 05:50 departure had slightly increased.

TD has requested NWFF to provide appropriate measures to cope with the anticipated increase in passenger demand at the start of the new school term in September 2017. As a result, NWFF deployed a higher capacity vessel to operate the 06:20 service in early September and provided additional high-speed vessels to divert passengers.

• 1 July to 31 December 2016: Fare concession was provided.
• 19 August 2017: The fast ferry "monthly pass" at Central Pier 5 and Cheung Chau Ferry Pier was made available on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, except on the day of the Buddha's Birthday when the Bun Festival is held.
• Early November 2017 to February 2018: Pontoon loading and unloading was switched for some sailings in response to the improvement works to the lifts at Cheung Chau Ferry Pier.
• 8 January 2020: Multi-trip Tickets, which must be purchased with Octopus using the Multi-trip Ticket Self-service Ticket Dispensing Machines, were introduced; ticket holders are entitled to 20 trips on ordinary seats of ordinary ferries from Mondays to Saturdays within 30 days from the date of purchase of the ticket; if they choose to travel on the deluxe seats of the ordinary ferries or the high-speed ferry on weekdays, they must present their tickets and pay the difference in the ferry fares.
• 1 September 2020: Fare concessions were introduced and valid until 31 March of the following year.
• 1 March 2021: Student Monthly Pass concession was introduced.
• 1 April 2021: To tie in with the implementation of the new licences for ferry services on outlying island routes:
  • To Central:
    • The sailing at 08:10 on weekdays was changed to 400-seater high-speed ferry service;
    • A new frequency was added at 16:30 on Mondays to Fridays;
  • Towards Cheung Chau: A new sailing was added at 18:30 on Mondays to Fridays.
• 1 November 2022: Fare concession on early morning sailings were offered until 31 December 2023.
  • The fare concession was applicable to 05:50 ordinary ferry departures from Mondays to Fridays to Central.
• 1 February 2023 to 28 February 2023: A new fare concession was introduced.
• 24 September 2023: A fare increase for this route was implemented.

Historical Information

More about the past service hours, sailings and fares, see Historical Route Information.

Sailing timetable

Departure times from Central Pier 5 Hrs Mins Mondays to Fridays 01:30 04:15 06 10* 07 00, 40* 08 00, 40 09 00*, 45 10 - 16 15*, 45 17 20*, 40 18 00*, 20, 30, 45* 19 00, 15, 40* 20-22 00, 30* 23 00, 30*, 45 00:30 Saturdays 01:30 04:15 06 10* 07 00, 40* 08 00, 40 09 00*, 45 10- 16 15*, 45 17 20*, 40 18 00*, 20, 45* 19-22 00, 30* 23 00, 30*, 45 00:30 Sundays and Public Holidays 01:30 04:15 06 30* 07 - 22 00, 30* 23 00, 30*, 55 00:30

Departure times from Cheung Chau Ferry Pier Hrs Mins Mondays to Fridays 02:20 05 10, 50* 06 20, 40* 07 00, 15*, 45, 50*, 55 08 10, 20, 40* 09 00, 30 10 00*, 45 11 - 15 15*, 45 16 15*, 30, 45 17 15*, 40 18 20* 19 - 22 00, 30* 23 00, 30*, 45 Saturdays 02:20 05 10, 50* 06 20, 40* 07 00, 15*, 45, 50*, 55 08 10, 20, 40* 09 00, 30 10 00*, 45 11 - 16 15*, 45 17 15*, 40 18 20* 19 - 22 00, 30* 23 00, 30*, 45 Sundays and Public Holidays 02:20 05:10 06 - 23 00, 30*

• Seats are available on a first-come-first-served basis, passengers please wait for the next sailing when the current sailing is full.

• This route is served by ordinary ferries and fast ferries.
• Trips marked with * in bold are operated by ordinary ferries (slow vessels) and can carry cargoes.
• Trips marked with *% in bold are operated by ordinary ferries (slow vessels) and can carry cargoes with concessionary fares.

Remarks
The times listed above are pier closing times (except when ferry tickets are sold out in advance).

This route provides real-time seat availability enquiry service.

Remarks

• On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (including summer holidays), or when special events are held in Cheung Chau (e.g. Cheung Chau Da Jiu Festival and Bun Festival), the frequency may be increased before or after the normal sailings in response to the passenger volume.
  • Some of the extra trips of ordinary ferries with double-decked vessels do not have deluxe class fare and service.
  • Some extra sailings may have the opportunity to berth at Pier 6.
• On the day following Buddha's Birthday (i.e. after the Bun Race), additional 01:15 ordinary ferry service to Central may be operated, please refer to the Passenger Notice for details.
• In the early morning of New Year's Day, this route may operate additional ordinary ferry services to Central at 01:15 and to Central at 00:20, please refer to the Passenger Notice for details.

Sailing times

Edit	Sun Ferry Central ↔ Cheung Chau
Central ↔ Cheung Chau

• Ordinary ferry: about 55-60 minutes
• High-speed ferry: about 35-40 minutes
• The above sailing time is for reference only, and the actual time required is subject to speed restrictions on Victoria Harbour, marine traffic, weather and sea conditions.

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Fares

Ordinary Ferry Mon-Sat Sun & Holiday Ordinary Class Adult $14.8 $22.0 Child $7.4 $11 Elderly and Disabilities(Cash) Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities(Elderly and Personal Octopus, JoyYou Card) $2.0 Deluxe Class Adult $23.2 $33.8 Child $11.6 $16.8 Elderly and Disabilities(Cash) Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities $6.2 $7.8 JoyYou Card Holder under 65 $10.4 $13.8

Fast Ferry Mon-Sat Sun & Holiday Adult $29.2 $42.3 Child $14.5 $21.1 Elderly and Disabilities(Cash) Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities(Elderly and Personal Octopus, JoyYou Card) $2.0

Monthly Ticket Adult Student $580.4 $406.2 Multi-Ride Ticket 12 Rides 20 Rides $170.1 $283.5 Other fares (Only on ordinary ferries and stored in ordinary seats) Bikes $24.5 each Goods $224.3 per cubic square metres Pets $21.3 each

Holiday round-trip tickets (Registration/purchase required at Cheung Chau Ferry Pier) Round trip fare is required (Fare is pre-set for return trip on ordinary boat with ordinary seat) Class travelled on the outward journey Ordinary ferry Ordinary seat Ordinary ferry Deluxe seat Fast Ferry Adult $29.6 $38.0 $44.0 Child $14.8 $19.0 $21.9 Return journey in other cabin class is subject to fare difference. Class travelled on the inward journey Ordinary ferry Ordinary seat Ordinary ferry Deluxe seat Fast Ferry Adult +$0 +$8.4 +$14.4 Child +$0 +$4.2 +$7.1

Fare remarks

This route has adult and concessionary fares (Child, Senior and Disabled) and the fare payable is as shown above. Children aged 3 to 11 can enjoy half-fare concession/fare discount. Infants or babies aged 2 or below can enjoy free travel concession if they do not occupy a seat. If the passenger is taller than 95cm, he/she will be counted as a 3-year-old passenger unless proof of age is provided. Elderly aged 65 or above can enjoy half-fare concession/fare discount. Holders of Registration Card for People with Disabilities paying by cash can enjoy half-fare concession/fare discount. Hong Kong residents aged 60 or above using JoyYou Card, as well as eligible persons with disabilities aged less than 60 paying the fare with their "Persons with Disabilities" personalised Octopus card can enjoy a flat concessionary fare of $2.0. If the concessionary fare after 50% discount of the regular fare for senior citizens aged 65 or above or eligible persons with disabilities is below $2.0, the beneficiary will only need to pay the original concessionary fare. If the original full fare for Hong Kong residents aged between 60 and 64 is below $2.0, the beneficiary will only need to pay the original full fare. The above fare concession is only applicable to ordinary ferries and fast ferries. If the beneficiary is travelling on Deluxe Class cabin, he/she has to pay the fare difference on top of $2.0, and the total fare payable is as shown above. This route has joined the Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme, in which passengers paying their fare by Octopus cards, AlipayHK "Ride Code" or monthly passes/multi-journey tickets will be included in the calculation of the subsidy. Passengers should tender fare by cash or by Octopus card at the pier with change available. Passengers can also purchase a Monthly Pass/Same Day Return Pass/Multi-journey ticket and present upon entering the gate. Monthly Pass/Same Day Return Pass/Multi-journey ticket are only applicable to travel on ordinary ferries (and ordinary seats). Passengers travelling on ferries of higher class or higher cabins will need to pay the fare difference. This route has weekday (Mondays to Saturdays) and holiday fares. This route has both ordinary ferry and fast ferry fares, with ordinary ferry fares being divided further into ordinary seat and Deluxe Class cabin fares. Deluxe Class cabin fares can only be purchased before entering the gate. Passengers should pick up Deluxe Class Cabin approved ticket at the ticket counter or at the corresponding gate, and use the ticket to enter the Deluxe Class cabin before entering the cabin, with no on-board ticket supplementation available. This route has goods fares.

Template:Sun Ferry Monthly Pass

Monthly Ticket and Multi-Trip Ticket Passages

Passengers holding Monthly Passes and Multi-ride Tickets can use the Monthly Pass to gain direct entry to high-speed ferry services on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (except Buddha's Birthday), and weekdays before and after public holidays at Central Pier 5 and Cheung Chau Ferry Pier.

As a large number of people visit Cheung Chau on public holidays, causing inconvenience to the island residents, the residents and local organisations have been fighting for the provision of a residents' passageway on this route to allow priority boarding for the island residents and working people. In early 2015, NWFF proposed to provide special lanes for this route during peak hours to give priority to monthly or return ticket holders to board the ferry, so as to minimise the impact of tourists on the residents on the island, but the proposal was rejected by the Transport Department (TD) and the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF).

By 2016, TD took the initiative to propose a special monthly ticket passage for this route, limited to Sundays in July and August and Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays of each month (if the Monday is a public holiday). The NWFF would not reserve seats for monthly ticket passengers to ensure fairness and to avoid affecting the operational efficiency of the high-speed ferry, and would require adjustment of the relevant software settings, which was expected to take nine to 12 months to complete. The Architectural Services Department would carry out modification works at the Cheung Chau Ferry Pier and Central Pier 5, including the installation of necessary fencing and queuing facilities. The monthly ticket corridor was implemented on 19 August 2017 after a round of preparation.

The monthly ticket passages were well received by Cheung Chau residents, and both residents and local organisations continued to fight for the extension of the opening period of the monthly ticket passages to before and after long holidays. During the Ching Ming and Easter holidays in April 2023, the NWFF opened the monthly ticket passes for the first time on weekdays before and after the public holidays and then switched to the official arrangement. Some residents argued for extending the coverage of the monthly ticket passages to all Cheung Chau residents and all types of vessels, but this was rejected by the NWFF and the Transport Department on the grounds that the vetting process was complicated and would reduce the efficiency of the passage.

Goods Services

• For details of goods charges, please enquire at the Ticketing Office of the ferry pier for the fares payable for different types of cargoes.
• Passengers who wish to bring large items on board (except hand-carried baggage of less than 32" W x 23" H x 12" D) must purchase a ticket at the Ticketing Office at the ferry pier for ordinary ferries only (no goods service is available on high-speed ferries). Upon boarding the ferry, goods should be stored in the designated cargo area of the Ordinary Class cabin.

Ferry fleets

According to the 2019 Legislative Council Paper, this route uses five ordinary vessels and six fast vessels. Ordinary ferries mainly use triple-decker vessels, namely Xin Chao, Xin Fei and Xin Guo (Xin Guang and Xin Fa are used for additional sailings and replacement of maintenance vessels), while double-decker vessels may be deployed as additional ordinary ferry sailings.

High-speed ferries are operated by the Singapore Marinteknik Shipyard-built vessels First Ferry III, First Ferry V, First Ferry VI and First Ferry VIII, which share the fleet with the Central - Mui Wo Route. In the past, Flying Cat New Ferry II of NWFF's Macau fleet was designated to operate the 7:55 a.m. fast ferry service from Cheung Chau on weekdays, or as a reserve vessel for the fast ferries. The 8:10 a.m. Central-bound fast ferry service on weekdays is designated to use vessels with more than 400 seats. For the early morning high speed ferry trips or extra trips, the lower capacity vessels First Ferry IX, First Ferry X and First Ferry XI will be used.

List of vessels used on Sun Ferry Central - Cheung Chau Route
Ship name	Certificate of Ownership number	Remarks
Xin Fa (新發)	A3623	Operates on some times only
Xin Zhong (新忠)	A3763	Operates on additional sailings only
Xin Ying (新英)	A3873	Operates on additional sailings only
Xin Jie (新傑)	A4123	Operates on additional sailings only
Xin Chao (新超)	A4313	Operates whole day
Xin Guang (新光)	A4413	Operates on some times only
Xin Fei (新飛)	A4623	Operates whole day
Xin Guo (新國)	A4773	Operates whole day
New Ferry II (新輪貳)	A9843	Operates on some times only
First Ferry III (新輝叄)	A10003	Operates whole day
First Ferry V (新輝伍)	A10013	Operates on some times only
First Ferry VI (新輝陸)	A10043	Operates on some times only
First Ferry VII (新輝柒)	A10053	Operates whole day
First Ferry VIII (新輝捌)	A10153	Operates whole day
First Ferry IX (新輝玖)	A10293	Operates on some times only
First Ferry X (新輝拾)	A10313	Operates on some times only
First Ferry XI (新輝拾壹)	A10343	Operates on some times only
First Ferry XVIII (新輝拾捌)	A143810	Operates on some times only

Fleet evolution history

HYF era

During the era of Hong Kong New Territories Ferry Company and the early years of Yaumati Ferry's operation, the route was operated by two iron slag ferries (San Yu and San Chau) and a wooden steamer ferry; the San Yu and San Chau were renamed as Man Kin and Man Hong after they were resold to Yau Ma Tei Ferry, while the wooden ferry was named Man Yiu. In the 1930s, a large ferry, the Man Fuk, was added to the fleet.

During the Japanese Occupation, the wooden ferry Man Sing was deployed from 19 January 1944 onwards after the route was shortened to Mui Wo in 1942. As the capacity of this route increased to over 500 passengers, it was changed to a double-ended ferry from 19 January 1944 in order to carry more passengers, and the Man Sing was transferred to the Tai O route. In addition, the Man Ching also sailed this route as a replacement vessel.

In the early post-war period, the Man Sing, Man Ka and Man Fook were mainly used; in 1947, the rebuilt Man Fat and Man Ying were deployed, with dinghies on the stern to cater for the shallow location of the piers in the countryside, where dinghies had to be used to connect to the shore. Later, the Man Keung and Man Wo were added to the route, and from the 1950s, a number of iron and wooden double-decked ferries were added to the route, also with dinghies at the stern. In 1963, the 135.5-foot double-decked ferry Min Yuet and Min Lai were added to the direct weekday service, and in August 1979, the Man Lung service was launched from Cheung Chau at 07:15 on weekdays.

Triple-decker ferries were introduced in 1973 to provide additional services on the four Lunar New Year public holidays, followed by triple-decked ferry services on Sundays and public holidays from 15 April to ease the passenger flow , and were upgraded to a daily service from 1 July of the same year.

To enhance the ferry service between Central and Cheung Chau, a water taxi service was introduced by Pai in October 1973 and withdrawn in 1976; and a water bus service was introduced in 1980 but withdrawn in 1981 due to relatively low patronage, operating costs similar to those of ordinary ferries, poor response, and efficient use of resources.

Yaumati Ferry operated 65-92-seater hoverferries in 1980 but withdrew in 1981, and then operated 74-105-seat HM218 hoverferries (HYF 105-107, 111-130) when it rejoined the hoverferry service in 1987, and then added HM527 hoverferries to replace HM218 hoverferries in the morning peak hour service.

In December 1997, HM218 was replaced by a catamaran nicknamed "Small House" made by Cheoy Lee Shipyard and only operated the 8:05am Cheung Chau to Central service on Mondays to Fridays. It was later changed to operate during the afternoon peak period. Eventually, on 26 July 1998, all the existing hoverferries were replaced. In fact, in the Schedule of Services effective from 27 July 1998, the section "Vessel allocation/carrying capacity" was amended to read "Use of 1 hoverferry/catamaran:198 to 200 seats"). Subsequently, in order to meet the demand for high-speed ferry service to Central during the morning peak hours, a 428-seat Norwegian Kværner Fjellstrand a.s. catamaran was deployed to replace the 198-seater catamaran on this route with effect from 25 January 1999, and a new catamaran was deployed to replace the 198-seater catamaran on this route.

In April 1999, Yaumati Ferry changed to a licensed operation, and the vessels on this route were also changed. The three-decked ferries of the ordinary ferries were replaced by a deluxe version (Man Chiu, Man Kwong, Man Fei and Man Kit), supplemented by a double-decker vessel (Man Chung, Man Ying, Man Hin, Man Kit). The first luxury version (Man Fai) also sailed the route as a spare support vessel while the fast vessels sailed on catamarans (A Fai I and A Fai II), "Small House" catamarans, Flying Cat catamarans, and the HM527 flying boat, all made by A Fai Shipyard.

NWFF/Sun Ferry era

In the initial period of the NWFF operations, the above mentioned vessels were dispatched as usual, and it was not until 2001 that a catamaran made by Marinteknik Shipyard of Singapore was added to replace the HM527 Flying Boat, and in 2003, a catamaran made by Hong Tak Machinery & Iron Works was added to replace the "Small House" catamarans, and a catamaran made by Damen Fast Ferry 4010 of Singapore was dispatched as well (New Ferry V, New Ferry VI).

On 30 April 2001, in response to a large number of passengers being evacuated by a double-decked vessel (Man Chung) sailing the Inter Islands Route, the vessel was swapped with another vessel (Ming River) sailing the same route in disguise.

In addition, NWFF had rented vessels from other ferry operators before the Marinteknik and Wang Tak catamarans came into service, including:

• March 2000: 2 Cheoy Lee Shipyard catamarans (Cheoy Lee Shipyard's Kung Lee and Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry's Sea Strike).
• March 2000 to 26th of the same month: 3 monohulls (Discovery Bay 20, 21 and 22 of DBTPL), commonly known as "Large monohull", built by Marinteknik Shipyard of Singapore, sailed on the 08:20 weekday service from Cheung Chau.
• 27 March to 6 April 2000: 1 catamaran (Discovery Bay 7 of DBTPL), commonly known as "Catamaran", built by Marinteknik Shipyard, Singapore, sailed on weekday 08:20 sailing from Cheung Chau but was withdrawn due to overcharging of hire charges.
• May 2001: Borrowed two catamarans from Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry (Sea Supreme, a Hong Kong Cheoy Lee Shipyard catamaran, and Sea Superior, an Australian Wavemaster shipyard).

Starting from 1 October 2020, a high-speed catamaran "First Ferry XVIII", which was purchased from Chu Kong Shipping's Austal Shipyard in Australia, officially commenced service on the Central - Mui Wo and Cheung Chau routes. With a capacity of 435 passengers, the vessel is equipped with two wheelchair parking areas and, for the first time, automatic sensor-activated taps in the toilets on board. In addition, the ship's bottom is painted with materials that are not toxic to marine life.

In March 2022, in response to the fifth wave of the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak, a double-decker vessel was once deployed to replace a triple-decker vessel on this route for ordinary ferry services.

Ridership

As the most direct ferry service between Cheung Chau and the urban areas, the patronage of this route has been maintained at a high level, and during holidays, especially the Bun Festival, the frequency of the new ferry is increased to ease the passenger flow. Although the route between Cheung Chau and Aberdeen was launched in August 2015, it was eventually discontinued in 2020 due to low frequency and the fact that Aberdeen is not as convenient as Central in terms of connectivity.

Some newspapers even reported in 1999 that this route was a cost-recovery route.

According to the information in the relevant documents over the years, the occupancy rate of this route is as follows:

• 1963: The annual patronage was:
  • Jubilee Street to Cheung Chau: 1,002,911 passenger trips.
  • Jubilee Street ↔ Peng Chau ↔ Mui Wo ↔ Cheung Chau: 142,731 passenger trips.
  • Wilmer Street to Cheung Chau: 52,108 passenger trips.
  • Wilmer Street ↔ Aberdeen ↔ Cheung Chau: 14,701 passenger trips.
• 1987: 14,000 passenger trips on weekdays and 28,000 passenger trips on holidays.
• 1994: 7,446,000 passenger trips.
• 1995: 7,323,000 passenger trips.
• 1996: 7,295,000 passenger trips.
• 1999:
  • August: The average daily patronage was 18,270.
  • November: The average daily patronage was 16,800.
• January 2000: Yau Ma Tei Ferry carried 17,000 passenger trips on weekdays and 18,500 passenger trips on holidays.
• 2000: The average daily patronage was about 17,900.
• 2001: The average daily patronage was about 17,915.
• 2002: Average daily patronage was about 17,637.
• 2003: the average daily patronage was about 16,899.
• 2009: The average daily patronage was 20,458.
• 2011: The average daily patronage was 22,943.
• 2012: The average daily patronage was 23,610.
• 2013: The average daily passenger trips were 25,244.
• 2014: The average daily patronage was 25,767.
• 2015: The average daily patronage was 26,315.
• 2020: The average daily patronage was 19,177.
• 2021: The average daily patronage was 22,350.
• 2022: The average daily patronage was 20,632.

Future developments

In the 2019 Policy Address, the Government decided to subsidise the replacement of this route from five ordinary ships and six fast ships to ten fast ships. However, eventually two of the vessels will be converted to 1,000-passenger double-ended ordinary vessels with an open deck on the top floor.

In February 2020, the Transport Department issued a paper to consult the Islands District Council on the future service arrangements for this route.

Gallery

Xin Chao is the main vessel on the ordinary ferry sailings of this route (March 2022)

First Ferry III is the main vessel on the fast ferry sailings of this route (March 2022)

New Ferry II is the the spare vessel of this route (January 2023)

More pictures, photos and related information about this article are available in the following Gallery Page:

Sun Ferry Central - Cheung Chau Route(Edit)

Related Articles

• Sun Ferry Central - Mui Wo Route
• HKKF Central - Peng Chau Route
• Sun Ferry Inter Islands Route
• NWFF Tsim Sha Tsui - Cheung Chau Route (Cancelled)
• NWFF Cheung Chau - Tsim Sha Tsui Route (Cancelled)
• Tsui Wah Ferry Service Cheung Chau - Aberdeen Route (Cancelled)
• Wah Sing Kaito Cheung Chau Ferry Pier - Sai Wan Route

External Links

• Transport Department: Details of Franchised and Licensed Ferry Services
• Central (Pier 5) ↔ Cheung Chau Route - Sun Ferry Official Website

To facilitate quoting and enquiries, the following redirect page(s) will direct to this page:

Sun Ferry Cheung Chau - Central Route, NWFF Cheung Chau - Central Route, NWFF Central - Cheung Chau Route, Cheung Chau - Central Route and Central - Cheung Chau Route