A Tanka Boatwoman and Child by their Dwelling, on a River Estuary, near Macau, China

The Tanka people were found along the coast at Macau, Whampoa and Hong Kong. Tanka people were named after their 'egg-shaped' boats called 'Tankas'. Tankas were up to fifteen feet long with roofs made of curved rattan. These people belonged to a distinct ethnic group which was discouraged from intermarrying with the mainland Chinese. For further information, see P. Conner, George Chinnery, Woodbridge, 1993, p. 201.