The Half-Fish, Half-Human Mermen

If you ever visit the rugged coastline of Lantau Island—specifically around the fishing village of Tai O in the western part of the island—you might come across tales of strange, half-fish, half-human mermen known as the Lo Ting (盧亭). However, contrary to Western mermaids or mermen, the Lo Ting possess a fish-like head or torso with long, human-like limbs. But where did these Lo Ting come from?

In 411 AD, during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a rebel leader named Lu Xun (or Lo Chun) was defeated in battle near present-day Guangzhou. His surviving men fled to the wild outer islands of Guangdong, including Lantau. Over the centuries, their isolated marine lifestyle led their bodies to adapt to the marine environment, eventually developing distinct, fish-like traits.

Texts dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644AD) describe the Lo Ting as having yellow eyes, fair skin, and short hair. Although they had lost the ability to speak, they were known to smile. They lived in isolation as a peaceful, yet highly agile tribe, and ate raw fish, mussels, and prawns, and were even recorded as using seashells to build the walls of their structures.

The Lo Ting are, obviously, mythical creatures. However, their legend is heavily intertwined with the Tanka people—one of Hong Kong’s indigenous groups known for their traditional boat-dwelling lifestyle. Because of this unique way of life, the Tanka historically faced severe discrimination from the land-dwelling populations of Guangdong and Hong Kong.

According to local lore, the Tanka intermarried with the Lo Ting, making these mysterious creatures the mythical ancestors of Hong Kong’s indigenous seafaring population.