Lost Hong Kong: A History in Pictures

Hong Kong is one of the world's most exciting cities and its story is one of constant change. From a sleepy fishing community, Hong Kong has grown into one of the world's most significant financial and trading centres. Hong Kong Island itself has witnessed massive rebuilding over the years, with much of the colonial-era architecture swept away and replaced by skyscrapers. Moreover the first high-rise buildings from the late 1950s are now themselves under threat, as the constant requirement for more accommodation – 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 material for the its foundations. This pressure for land has seen reclamation far extend the coastline of Hong Kong Island. 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 This new book – drawing upon images from a wide range of sources, most of which are previously unpublished – provides a pictorial tribute to a lost world. Once-familiar but now long-gone scenes offer a tantalising glimpse back at a time that in chronological terms may be relatively recent, but which now seems to be in the distant past.