‘Father of the fishermen’ put Hong Kong dragon boat racing on the global map

From elevating the neglected Tanka community to bringing their dragon boat races to the masses, Charles Thirlwell’s legacy still resonates in Hong Kong

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Dragon boat races in Shau Kei Wan. Charles Thirlwell, who befriended Hong Kong’s Tanka fishing community, helped put them on the international map.

Stuart Heaver

Published: 9:15am, 25 Feb 2022Updated: 9:56am, 25 Feb 2022

There is no official memorial in Hong Kong to commemorate Charlie Thirlwell. No parks, roads or public buildings bear his name. But his legacy compares favourably with that of any governor or wealthy merchant from the city’s past.

This Hong Kong-born lighthouse keeper campaigned vigorously for the socially marginalised Tanka, the ethnic group of indigenous people who traditionally lived afloat in junks and earned their living from fishing.

He fought for them to be integrated into mainstream Hong Kong society during the post-war period of rapid economic development. Thirlwell championed inclusivity and diversity in the workplace, six decades before the term was widely used.

He was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1970 for his efforts.

Thirlwell was a devout Catholic and even at one time planned to enter the priesthood. Also known by his given Chinese name, Fah Wai Lo, he founded several fishermen’s associations, tutored children in English, started sports programmes, sought out employment opportunities and put the traditional Tanka sport of dragon boat racing on the international map.

Fluent in Cantonese and Tanka dialect, Thirlwell penned a dragon boating anthem that is still sung at festivals. “That’s why he is still known as the father of the fishermen,” says Lai Man-cho, treasurer of the Chai Wan Fishermen’s Recreation Club, which Thirlwell founded in 1964.

Charles Thirlwell beside the flagstaff at Waglan Island, in Hong Kong. Photo: Courtesy of the Thirlwell family