About the Collection

The “K triple AAA” (KAAA)

Today’s Kadoorie Farm is well known in Hong Kong by young and old alike as a serene getaway and for its fresh organic produce. But to those who were once farmers in the New Territories, the Farm, the symbol of the far-reaching activities of the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association (KAAA), means something very different.

Political instability in the Mainland since the late 1940s triggered an influx of immigrants into Hong Kong, many of whom subsisted on farming in the New Territories. Seeing their plight, Lawrence and Horace Kadoorie established KAAA in 1951 to introduce various agricultural programmes, with the aim of giving those who were willing to work a chance to help themselves. Over the years, more than 300,000 people from the New Territories received assistance in one form or another.

In assoication with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Hong Kong Heritage Project held the exhibition on “A Partnership with the People: KAAA and Post-war Agricultural Hong Kong” in 2011 at the Hong Kong Museum of History. This exhibition sets its background against post-war agricultural Hong Kong from the 1950s to the 1970s. It tells the story of how, through hard work, tenacity, and the assistance of the KAAA, the agrarian community of the New Territories became self-supporting. Most of the historical information and photos contained in this exhibition come from the Hong Kong Heritage Project Archive.

This collection presents the contents and materials of the exhibition under the same title to allow the general public to appreciate the story and learn the history of Hong Kong agricultural development during the period of time.

The Hong Kong Heritage Project (HKHP) is a joint initiative by the Kadoorie Family, Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels and China Light and Power (CLP). Established in 2007 to preserve the records of the Kadoorie Family and their businesses, HKHP also promotes heritage preservation through education programmes and community initiatives.