Page 30 - Sphere No.21 (Mar 2008)

Weightlifting
Champions
T H E N . . . A N D N O W
28 SPHERE MAIN PHOTO: KAY YUEN
THE familiar image of cargo being loaded onto a boat
docked beside a quay is an enduring symbol of one of
mankind’s earliest and most successful forms of com-
merce. For thousands of years, trade between cities, countries
and continents has helped communities all over the world grow
and prosper. And in recent times, few places can match Hong
Kong as a place that meets the ever-increasing logistical needs
of importers, exporters, shippers and shipping lines.
Then... The earliest cranes were no more than the most rudi-
mentary of levers – a combination of a bamboo pole and human
muscle power. Huge quantities of goods were moved using this
simple and effective method. Less than 100 years ago, scenes
like this were part of everyday life at the Whampoa docks in
Kowloon and other ports throughout Asia.
Now... Port operators have revolutionised the container ship-
ping industry. Today, instead of cranes with slings loading ships
with crates from wooden pallets, powerful ship-to-shore quay
cranes can now lift two 20-foot containers at a time. Each crane
can make on average 44 moves an hour, significantly reducing
docking times. Hongkong International Terminals operates a total
of 46 quay cranes, of which 37 have twin-lift capability at Kwai
Tsing, one of the busiest ports in the world.