Wu Kai Sha, a pier which appears to be like any other beach in Hong Kong, comes alive at the crack of dawn every morning. The ocean is filled with seniors from around the neighbourhood or even across town. Some go there to swim to keep up their physical mobility, some go to train for triathlons and ocean marathons, some don’t even know how to swim but bring a float board with them so they can do stretching in water, some go there to connect and chat with friends, and some take their grandchildren there and teach them to swim.
This pier has a Chinese nickname – 蟹伯樂園 – it means a waterpark/playground for the “crab” seniors. And at 6 am, the sea opens as a themepark for welcoming this community of seniors, to gather and provide mutual support, as a way of passing the time in their older years.