1956 Hong Kong Film
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Submitted by Admin on Thu, 2012-04-26 21:26
Note from George:
I hope that someone may be able to help me identify places shown in film of Hong Kong my grandparents took in 1956. I have already noted places I have found, with the help of many great people, in the film. I have been using the internet to find what I can. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated!
133638 youtube://v/E04f0411VbI
Shek Kip Mei?
Video at 4:10 reminds me of the area around Shek Kip Mei (where Mei Ho House is). However, I'm not certain about that, just a guess.
Cheers
Phil
1:12-2:30 Rennies Mill?
I think this section was likely filmed on the same day, during a visit to the Rennie's Mill area. The same ship / harbour / skyline views pop up at different times during this section of the film.
Do you know anything about the purpose of your grandparents' visit? Was it a personal visit, or were they here with an organisation?
Regards, David
1956 film
In the 50s. one could drive through Kai Tak Airport. A barrier was lowered across the road (Argyle or Prince Edward) when a plane is landing or taking off. Vehicular traffic came to a halt for a short moment and passengers in the cars could enjoy seeing the plane gliding across the road. One could also go quite near the plane to meet some arriving visitors.
Those Transit Housing adjacent to the Shek Keip Mei Resettlement Estates which were erected quickly to house the many people rendered homeless by the big fire in the squatter area of Shek Keip Mei. I remember over night, make-shift covers lined all the streets in Kowloon City. The 7-storeys blocks were erected one in 7 days so it was said. There were communal toilets in the middle section of H-shaped blocks; no flushing water though. Everybody cooked at the corridors in front of their very small units. It was better than living in the dangerous squatter area.
As the population of HK grew exponentially, the Resttlement programme became a cornerstone of its success. The refugees made up a diligent labour force for the industrial development of HK, including its cottage industries. The public-private-partnership of Government & the NGOs, espcially the Christian churces, is commendable for how social services were rendered to the community.
One photo showed the Annual open-air Exhibition of the Hong Kong China Manufacturers' Association.
Chuk Yuen Chikdren Centre was at Wong Tai Sin. I believe it was operated by the Salvation Army then. Therefore, I would speculate that the Opening Ceremony was for Chuk Yuen Centre, and the church was one of the Salvation Army.
Lawrence
Resettlement housing
I grew up in them. 100 sq ft 6 people living in it. The elementary school was on the roof of the building. I played around the open sewage and floated paper boats down the sewer. Fond memories :)
Resttlement Estates
Resettlement Estates were where many successful & outstanding peronalities of HK grew up. It also harbours many crouching tigers and hidden dragons, including some former colonels & generals of the Chinese military, whose Chinese education found little value in finding suitable employment of HK. Just because someone spoke English, it was commonly assumed that they were well educated & capable; and anyone not being able to speak English were deemed neither.
The low rent also enabled many tenants to have real savings from their diligence & business innovations, so much so that by the early 70s, Government deemed that it was time that they may want to transit from being tenants to being owners of their homes - hence, the germination of the Home Ownership Scheme.
I was blessed in being a 'plastic kweilo' and lived very privileged. I visited many Resettlement Estates often as a Platoon Commander of the Police Tactical Unit on anti-crime saturation patrols in the 70s.
Lawrence