In the space of just two decades, Hong Kong’s population surged from 3.01 million in 1960 to 5.01 million in 1979. With the number of teenagers accounting for 39% of that total, the territory’s demographics were one of the necessary conditions that fuelled its post-war economic boom that had first been made possible by the capital and industrial know-how introduced from mainland China. At the same time, this rapid growth in the population exerted enormous pressure on Hong Kong’s healthcare, housing and education systems. This was also the height of the Cold War, a time when Hong Kong was situated both geographically and politically within the schism between East and West. Whether it was turmoil in the mainland or staggering developments in international politics, events at home and abroad created challenges and opportunities for Hong Kong. Yet the spirit of perseverance and courage – a strength of immigrant societies – provided the impetus for significant growth in industry and commerce over the next 20 years while also laying the foundation for Hong Kong’s later prosperity.
In the meantime, as urban development continued, new elements and practices emerged in Hong Kong’s way of life, social ambience and popular entertainment. The people of Hong Kong began to experience a lifestyle that, in both material and spiritual terms, was becoming increasingly sophisticated, something that led to a growing awareness of and quest for a distinctive local identity.
This collection presents the contents and materials of the exhibition on “Memories We Share: Hong Kong in the 1960s and 1970s” held by the Hong Kong Museum of History in 2010 and supplementary materials subsequently provided by the Museum to take you back to Hong Kong at this pivotal time and to introduce to youngsters the many and varied facets of the memories shared by previous generations.