Lives of Hong Kong Residents in Moving Images

Documentaries are historical records. Colonised by the British in 1841, Hong Kong urban development picked up rapidly from a sluggish start. The transformations of the cityscape, as well as the evolution of citizens’ ways of life, have all been preserved for future generations.

During Hong Kong’s early development, the British Government carried out urban construction rapidly in order to enhance the small port’s military and economic prowess. From The Edison Shorts (1898) with a total running time of 4 minutes, the division of social classes in late 19th Century Hong Kong was clear. For example, the major mode of transport was sedan chairs, ridden by well-dressed Westerners while operated by skinny and shabby Chinese.

It is not difficult to observe how Hong Kong has changed through its fall and rise when viewing pre- and post-World War II documentary films. Fall of Hong Kong (1941), filmed by the Japanese contains footage of the Japanese military’s attack on Hong Kong, including scenes of bombings, mass destruction and troops entering the city. A British newsreel documents the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender in August 1945, and the withdrawal of Japanese troops. Hong Kong citizens were overjoyed at the restoration of peace and their efforts in rebuilding the war-torn city can be seen.

From the footage shot between the 1920s and 1930s, rickshaws were replaced sedan chairs. Peak Tram, roadside tramway and ferry, the main means of transport at the time, often came into view. The quality of life for some Chinese people of that period also improved. There were, however, still plenty of images of the densely populated areas in Central and Sheung Wan. Hawkers and the homeless filled the streets. These clips were taken by different foreign cameramen, and although their impressions of early Hong Kong are relatively similar, the footage nonetheless offers a glimpse into every strata of the Chinese community from different angles.