▁Hong ▁Kong ▁is ▁often ▁used ▁for ▁that ▁purpose , ▁and ▁some ▁ty ph oon ▁sh el ters ▁have ▁wh ar ves ▁for ▁cargo . ▁ ▁Life ▁in ▁ty ph oon ▁sh el ters ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁fairly ▁large ▁population ▁living ▁on ▁boats ▁in ▁ty ph oon ▁sh el ters . ▁Many ▁of ▁them ▁were ▁the ▁descend ants ▁of ▁fish erm en ▁or ▁boat ▁people . ▁They ▁developed ▁a ▁distinct ▁culture ▁that ▁is ▁different ▁from ▁the ▁main stream ▁cult ures ▁found ▁in ▁Hong ▁Kong . ▁The ▁culture ▁is , ▁by ▁many ▁definitions , ▁a ▁fully ▁developed ▁one , ▁with ▁its ▁own ▁language , ▁wed ding ▁rit uals ▁and ▁other ▁things ▁such ▁as ▁food , ▁songs ▁and ▁super st itions ▁. ▁ ▁The ▁life ▁and ▁culture ▁of ▁the ▁descend ants ▁of ▁these ▁fish erm en ▁has ▁often ▁been ▁gl amour ised , ▁ ▁and ▁effectively ▁hid ▁the ▁truth ▁of ▁the ▁extreme ▁pover ty ▁that ▁existed ▁among ▁these ▁people . ▁Since ▁they ▁often ▁had ▁to ▁go ▁out ▁to ▁sea ▁to ▁fish , ▁the ▁children ▁of ▁a ▁fish erman ' s ▁family ▁often ▁did ▁not ▁go ▁to ▁school . ▁This ▁created ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁" f lo ating ▁schools ", ▁operated ▁by ▁religious ▁organis ations , ▁to ▁educ ate ▁children ▁living ▁in ▁ty ph oon ▁sh el ters ▁. ▁Also , ▁as ▁the ▁catch ▁was ▁variable ▁income ▁was ▁not ▁steady . ▁ ▁Finally , ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁impossible ▁to ▁establish ▁proper ▁pl umb ing ▁and ▁garbage ▁collection