1953 Guide Book | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

1953 Guide Book

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Submitted by Herostratus on Tue, 2018-01-23 21:22

A small Guide Book published by the Hong Kong Government in 1953:

More books can be found here

01 HK Guide Book Front Cover
01 HK Guide Book Front Cover, by Herostratus
02 HK Guide Book Inside Front Cover Map
02 HK Guide Book Inside Front Cover Map, by Herostratus
03 HK Guide Book Inside Front Cover Page 1
03 HK Guide Book Inside Front Cover Page 1, by Herostratus
04 HK Guide Book Page 2&3 Introducing Hong Kong
04 HK Guide Book Page 2&3 Introducing Hong Kong, by Herostratus
05 HK Guide Book Page 4&5 Hong Kong History
05 HK Guide Book Page 4&5 Hong Kong History, by Herostratus
06 HK Guide Book Page 6&7 Port of Hong Kong 1
06 HK Guide Book Page 6&7 Port of Hong Kong 1, by Herostratus
07 HK Guide Book Page 8&9 Port of Hong Kong 2
07 HK Guide Book Page 8&9 Port of Hong Kong 2, by Herostratus
08 HK Guide Book Page 10&11 Commerce & Banking
08 HK Guide Book Page 10&11 Commerce & Banking, by Herostratus
09 HK Guide Book Page 12&13 Industrial Expansion 1
09 HK Guide Book Page 12&13 Industrial Expansion 1, by Herostratus
10 HK Guide Book Page 14&15 Industrial Expansion 2
10 HK Guide Book Page 14&15 Industrial Expansion 2, by Herostratus
11 HK Guide Book Page 16&17 Industrial Expansion 3
11 HK Guide Book Page 16&17 Industrial Expansion 3, by Herostratus
12 HK Guide Book Page 18&19 How Hong Kong is Governed 1
12 HK Guide Book Page 18&19 How Hong Kong is Governed 1, by Herostratus
13 HK Guide Book Page 20&21 How Hong Kong is Governed 2
13 HK Guide Book Page 20&21 How Hong Kong is Governed 2, by Herostratus
14 HK Guide Book Page 22&23 2.25 Million People 1
14 HK Guide Book Page 22&23 2.25 Million People 1, by Herostratus
15 HK Guide Book Page 24&25 2.25 Million People 2
15 HK Guide Book Page 24&25 2.25 Million People 2, by Herostratus
16 HK Guide Book Page 26&27 The Good Earth 1
16 HK Guide Book Page 26&27 The Good Earth 1, by Herostratus
17 HK Guide Book Page 28&29 The Good Earth 2
17 HK Guide Book Page 28&29 The Good Earth 2, by Herostratus
18 HK Guide Book Page 30&31 The Water People 1
18 HK Guide Book Page 30&31 The Water People 1, by Herostratus
19 HK Guide Book Page 32&33 The Water People 2
19 HK Guide Book Page 32&33 The Water People 2, by Herostratus
20 HK Guide Book Page 34&35 New Land from the Sea
20 HK Guide Book Page 34&35 New Land from the Sea, by Herostratus
21 HK Guide Book Page 36&37 Around Hong Kong 1
21 HK Guide Book Page 36&37 Around Hong Kong 1, by Herostratus
22 HK Guide Book Page 38&39 Around Hong Kong 2
22 HK Guide Book Page 38&39 Around Hong Kong 2, by Herostratus
23 HK Guide Book Page 40&41 Around Hong Kong 3
23 HK Guide Book Page 40&41 Around Hong Kong 3, by Herostratus
24 HK Guide Book Page 42&43 Sport & Recreations
24 HK Guide Book Page 42&43 Sport & Recreations, by Herostratus
25 HK Guide Book Page 44&45 Chinese Festivals
25 HK Guide Book Page 44&45 Chinese Festivals, by Herostratus
26 HK Guide Book Page 46&47 Useful Information
26 HK Guide Book Page 46&47 Useful Information, by Herostratus
27 HK Guide Book Page 48 & Inside Back Cover
27 HK Guide Book Page 48 & Inside Back Cover, by Herostratus
28 HK Guide Book Page Map Inside Back Cover
28 HK Guide Book Page Map Inside Back Cover, by Herostratus
29 HK Guide Book Back Cover
29 HK Guide Book Back Cover, by Herostratus
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1953 Hong Kong Guide Book
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Submitted by Klaus on Wed, 2018-01-24 04:32.

An interesting and striking fact is the absense of advertising and sales promotion. In my Hong Kong Guidebook from 1980 about 50% of it's content is related to advertising - mainly (topless) bars, resaturants, and taylors.

Submitted by Herostratus on Wed, 2018-01-24 13:35.

I have another guide book form the early 1900s that has a lot of adverts in (Although no topless bars). Perhaps as the 1953 guide book was produced by the HK Government there was no adverts allowed/necessary to cover the costs of printing. 

Submitted by mike on Wed, 2018-01-24 15:53.

Not quite as compact as the later guide books that were produced in the 60s,they had the adverts and glossy

pictures.Nevertheless it has some interesting old photos and descriptions....pleased that I have this copy.

Submitted by moddsey on Wed, 2018-01-24 16:39.

Given the year 1953, I guess the booklet produced by the Government Information Service was intended to showcase Hong Kong as a colony prior to the Queen’s Coronation.

Submitted by Klaus on Thu, 2018-01-25 17:43.

There is one page in the guidebook that I find very remarkable. It's the one on reclamation (p. 34). I've never seen a crane like this dropping rocks into the water. Has anyone more photos on similar cranes or reclamation works?

Regards, Klaus

Submitted by moddsey on Fri, 2018-01-26 10:52.

I think I have a scanned image of a similar crane at the ‘new’ Star Ferry during the 1950s Central Reclamation. Will post it next week.

Submitted by Herostratus on Fri, 2018-01-26 12:32.

I think the crane is actually a/on a barge building the new breakwater in Causeway Bay. 

Submitted by moddsey on Sat, 2018-01-27 09:15.

A larger photo of the crane has been posted by IDJ here

Submitted by Klaus on Sat, 2018-01-27 17:35.

Hi moddsey, thank you for finding a larger copy of the crane photo. I looked on Flickr and found a similar photo, posted by eternal1966 (who else).

1956 Operation reclamation
1956 Operation reclamation, by Eternal1966

Regards, Klaus 

Submitted by moddsey on Sat, 2018-01-27 17:49.

Nice one of the Kai Tak crane. Appears that cranes involved in reclamation projects in the 50s were rather elongated!

Submitted by moddsey on Wed, 2018-01-31 23:12.
1950s Central Reclamation
1950s Central Reclamation, by Moddsey