Yau Ma Tei was once one of the largest communities in the city.

With overcrowding, depletion of fish in Hong Kong waters and degradation of boats sitting in dock, issues of poverty, hygiene and social infrastructure was essential yet it was the Catholic church that stepped in.

Catholic missionaries, such as Fr Franco Mella in Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter, created floating schools and churches, winning converts with free food.

The conditions in YMT lead to the demise of the community with boat dwellers rehoused. The typhoon shelter closed and the land reclaimed providing a site for several waterfront high rise estates in the 1980’s.