Hong Kong Museum of History
Hung Hom MTR Station Exit D1
Standard Ticket $10 (Octopus Card accepted)
Free admission on Wednesdays (except for some special exhibitions)
I explored the "Hong Kong Story" exhibition. The museum begins with Hong Kong's natural environment back from 400,000,000 years ago. It covers the early inhabitants, the First and Second Opium War, the Treaty of Nanking (1842), Japanese Attack (1941)... til today.
Hong Kong is located at the eastern end of the Pearl River Delta region at the South China. According to historical records, archaeologists believe that the early inhabitants are originated from the Ancient Yue tribes during the Neolithic period.
- Before the British colonized Hong Kong in the mid-19th century, there were 4 main Chinese ethnic groups living in HK:
1) The Punti (本地):
The Punti literally means "local people". They migrated to HK during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The clan settled on the fertile plains. Their main activities were farming, farmland leasing and small businesses.
2) The Hakka (客家):
The Hakka literally means "guest people". This agrarian tribe settled on the remote and infertile hill areas.
3) The Boat Dwellers (水上人):
Formerly known as the Tanka, they traditionally spent their entire lives on boats in the waters of the Pearl River Delta and of the coasts of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. Their main activities were in marine-related trades such as fishing, oyster-farming, pearl-diving, preparing salted fish and ferrying goods and passengers.
4) The Hoklo:
Originated from the coastal areas (Huizhou, Haifeng & Lufeng) of Guangdong province, the Hoklos were engaged in fishing.
- Seven Sisters Festival (七姐誕):
There exists a myth of 2 lovers: a cattle herder, Niulang, and a weaver girl, Zhinu. They are only allowed to meet on Magpie Bridge in heaven on the night of the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. As people built the legend, this day developed into a festival. Young women prayed to their deities for embroidery skills and a good husband.
The Seven Sisters Festival begins on the night of the sixth day of the seventh lunar month. It lasts one to two nights. Rites and rituals vary from one place to another. Generally, spinsters set up an altar with small handcrafted items on a table at home or on the roadside during the night: paper accessories and kits (qijiepan) and paper clothes (qijieyi 七姐衣) for the Seven Sisters, fruit, flowers and cakes. At the most auspicious time, they burn incense and pray to their deities.
The qijiepan has 2 versions: bowl-shaped paper craft and plane prints. It includes 7 sets of paper decoration representing gold and silver accessories, jade ware, combs and paper fans for the Seven Sisters. In the centre, a scene of the lovers reunion is depicted.
- Cantonese opera:
- Coolie Labour:
Coolies are low-paid and unskilled workers. From 1851 to 1872 inclusively, approximately 320 000 Chinese coolies sailed from Hong Kong to America and Australia to work in gold mine and to South East Asia to work on the rubber plantations. In order to accommodate temporarily these coolies in transit, many unsanitary lodgings increased in Hong Kong which were referred as "pigsties". The harsh treatment of these labourers aroused public indignation. Therefore, the Hong Kong government declared the "Chinese Emigrant Ship Ordinance" in 1873. It stated that ships involved in the transport of coolies were prohibited to anchor in the port of Hong Kong. The shameful traffic of coolie labour in Hong Kong came to an end.
- Daily life:
- The Plague and the Sanitary Problems:
In 1894, a dreadful plague erupted in the Tai Ping Shan District due to the poor conditions in HK.
- Architecture:
- Bank:
(Macabre brass scale to weight silver)
- Postal Service:
- Pawnshop:
- Tailor:
- Picture time:
- Grocery Stores Before World War II:
Wing Wo Grocery Store (永和) first opened its doors in the 1920s. It was located on 120 Wellington, Central. It closed down in January 2009. Grocery stores contained the 7 essences of a household: firewood, rice, oil, sauce, salt, vinegar and tea.
- During the Japanese occupation:
Following the Pearl Harbor attack, Japanese planes bombed the Kai Tak Aerodrome on the morning of December 8, 1941. The Royal Air Force in Hong Kong were unprepared for the suddenness of the attack. Their air defenses got destroyed. Japanese troops marched across the Shenzhen River and through the New Territories. The defenses along Shing Mun Redoubt and Gin Drinkers Line collapsed. The Japanese advance demanded the British commanding officer Major-General Maltby to surrender Hong Kong Island. A few days later, Governor, Sir Mark Young rejected twice to give up Hong Kong Island. On the night of December 18, Japanese troops settled down at the North Point, Quarry Bay and Shau Kei Wan. In the following days, they captured Mount Parker, Mount Butler, Mount Nicholson and Mount Cameron. Major-General Maltby and the defenders failed launching counterattacks. On the afternoon of December 25, 1941, Sir Mark Young surrendered to the Japanese.
During the 3 years and 8 months under the Japanese occupation, social and economic conditions became miserable toward Hong Kong people. Rice, sugar, salt and cooking oil were rationed. Vegetables and meat were scarce and exorbitant priced. To control Hong Kong's mercantile activities, the Japanese government organised the majority of the trades into cartels. British and other enemy banks were liquidated. The Hong Kong dollar was replaced by the Japanese military yen. Hong Kong's economy crashed into depression.
Commodity prices rocketed, especially for imported goods; for example, a lipstick cost 5 yen (= 20 HKD).
The fighting in December 1941 destroyed most of the public conveyances. Buses, trams, cable cars and ferries were back in service in 1942 and trains, in 1943. However, fuel was also scarce which gravely affected gas, electricity and public transport services. The tram frequency significantly reduced. The price of one-way ticket cost at least 10 sen (= 0.40 HKD). People used bicycles, tricycles and rickshaws as the main means of transport.
Education declined. There were no school places for children. In order to realize their long-term goal of creating "Great East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere", the Japanese policy was to instill their culture by teaching as major subjects in public schools. Japanese language was compulsorily taught 4 hours weekly in primary and middle institutions.
Following the fall of Hong Kong, captured soldiers were detained as Prisoners of War (POW) in camps located at North Point, Sham Shui Po (深水埗), Argyle Street (亞皆老街), Ma Tau Chung (馬頭涌) and Stanley (赤柱).
- Typical dwelling:
- Water rationing:
In both 1963 and 1967, there were severe droughts reducing water supply.
- "sze dor" (士多):
Since 1970s, supermarkets and convenience stores replaced grocery stores.
- Barbershop:
- Children, sitting on the little tabourets, read comic books:
- Miscellaneous:
I really love this museum. It shows the history of Hong Kong in a variety of interactive presentations. I spent 4.5 hours. It was not enough for me. I was hungry...
Pepper Lunch @Silvercord, TST
(Beef pepper rice)
Sense Dessert Cafe
佐敦廟街286-294號華至大廈地下6-8號舖
286-294 Temple Street
Jordan, Kowloon
Jordan MTR Station Exit C2
Cash only
After 2 years of patience, I have finally eaten earth. I discovered this place on a TV show. The head store is located at Yuen Long. It is actually a tiramisu ($45 HKD + service fee).
Sources: Historical Laws of Hong Kong Online
