Lost Hong Kong: A history in pictures

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By Peter Waller

 

The story of Hong Kong is one of almost constant change. From a sleepy fishing community, Hong Kong – now a Special Administrative Region following its return from Britain to China in July 1997 – has grown into one of the most significant financial and trading centres of the world.

Hong Kong Island itself has witnessed massive rebuilding over the years, with the result that much of the colonial-era architecture has been swept away and replaced by skyscrapers. Moreover the first high-rise buildings constructed from the late 1950s onwards are now themselves under threat as the constant requirement for more accommodation – both for people and for businesses – continues.

The Kowloon peninsula and the New Territories have also experienced development, whilst the construction of the new airport saw the destruction of an entire island to create the foundations of the new facility. The pressure for land has seen reclamation schemes extend the coastline of Hong Kong Island far to the north.

Over the years photographers have recorded the changing face of Hong Kong: its street scenes, buildings and people. This new book – drawing upon images from a wide range of sources, many of which are previously unpublished – is a pictorial tribute to this lost Hong Kong. Once familiar but now long-gone scenes are recorded, offering a tantalising glimpse back at an era which in chronological terms may be relatively recent, but given the rapidity of change, seems like a distant age.

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Description

The story of Hong Kong is one of almost constant change. From a sleepy fishing community, Hong Kong – now a Special Administrative Region following its return from Britain to China in July 1997 – has grown into one of the most significant financial and trading centres of the world.

Over the years, photographers have recorded the changing face of Hong Kong: its street scenes, buildings and people. This new book – drawing upon images from a wide range of sources, many of which are previously unpublished – is a pictorial tribute to this lost Hong Kong. Once familiar but now long-gone scenes are recorded, offering a tantalising glimpse back at an era which in chronological terms may be relatively recent, but given the rapidity of change, seems like a distant age.

Additional information

Weight 350 g
Dimensions 209 × 203 mm
Pages

96

Binding

Paperback

Illustrations

Approximately 90 colour photographs

About the author

Brought up in Bradford, Peter Waller grew up as the city’s trolleybus network gradually declined.
 Following a history degree at Oxford, he took a master’s degree in industrial archaeology at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum’s Institute of Industrial Archaeology (part of the University of Birmingham).

In 1986, Peter commenced a career in publishing, working for a number of years as Ian Allan Ltd’s Publisher (Books), where he oversaw the commissioning and publication of a wide range of titles. The first book that he wrote was “British and Irish Tramway Systems since 1945” in 1992. Since then he has written a number of books on transport subjects; these include the critically acclaimed “German Trams in Colour 1955-1975”, which was published in both English and German during 2017.

He first visited Hong Kong in 1992 when his mother was working there for the British Council and took the opportunity during his visits to travel extensively around both Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. Moving to Shropshire in 2007, Peter is now a full-time author and editor. He is also a director and secretary of the Online Transport Archive and a committee member of the National Railway Heritage Awards.