Hong Kong’s charming past
This rare footage featuring Hong Kong in 1938 with rickshaws, cheongsams, colonial buildings, the ordinary folk, pristine nature, is a strong reminder of Hong Kong’s past and the long way it has come. Hong Kong is still a wonderful place, but looking at the footage, I cannot help but think how much of the beautiful landscape the city once had, has been lost for the sake of economic development.
The harbor was once so wide, teeming with fishing boats with sails – Hong Kong today has a narrow harbor with a re-made sailing fishing boat for tourist attraction only. Many of the colonial and traditional arcade buildings have obviously been torn down.
Some heritage remains though, like the Peak Tram. It stands the test of times – the track and the tram look just like today. So does the current Legislative Council building and the adjacent square in Central.
Take a look at this extraordinary clip about Hong Kong in the late 40s. You will be entertained and delightfully surprised.
Awesome video! Extremely sad though to see that most of Hong Kong’s heritage has already been lost and the small amount that does remain is disappearing fast. Thanks for some great insight into Hong Kong’s past.
What a wonderful find. Thank you for the post. I enjoyed it very much. I might like to use it for my students.