rickshaw at Central.jpg

Rickshaw at Central in 1950s

The building behind rickshaws was Hong Kong branch of Japanese shipliner, O.S.K. ( Mitsui O.S.K. at present).

At this Chinese website showing below ( at end), I found numerous photos on rickshaw in Hong Kong, and I decided to post these as our reference. 

“During the early colonial times, sedan chairs were the only form of public conveyance. Public chairs were licensed, and charged according to tariffs which would be prominently displayed. Chair stands were found at all hotels, wharves, and major crossroads, and the sturdy chair bearers would clamor for regular patronage.

Much the same as motor cars nowadays, private chairs existed, and were an important marker of a person's status. A Civil officer's status was denoted by the number of bearers attached to his chair.　Their numbers peaked in about 1920, when 1,215 registered sedan chairs were on the road.

The rickshaw was first imported from Japan in 1870 by an American businessman. They were a popular form of transport for many years, peaking at more than 7,000 in the early part of the 20th century. Rickshaws competed with sedan chairs for customers depending on their budget, haste, or terrain to be negotiated. The rickshaw was more rapid, but was not suited to climbing the steep terrain of Hong Kong Island. Before Hong Kong's Peak Tram went into service in 1888, wealthy residents of The Peak were carried on sedan chairs by coolies up the steep paths to their residence, including former Governor Sir Richard MacDonnell's summer home, where they could take advantage of the cooler climate.

However, the popularity of rickshaws waned after World War II. No new licenses for rickshaws have been issued since 1975, and licenses became non-transferable. Thus, a dying breed of only a few old men still ply their trade at the Edinburgh Place Ferry Pier, mainly for tourists. The rickshaw drawers charged HK$300 to go around the block. There were about eight in 1998, and only four left in 2002, and two in 2011.

The last sedan chair was reportedly abandoned in 1965, and since the relocation of the Central Star Ferry pier at the end of 2006 the rickshaws have disappeared.”

http://oceandeeop3000.blogspot.jp/2013_05_01_archive.html

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