The birth of the Hong Kong Island family

In 1946, Hong Kong's population rapidly increased from 600,000 in the early post-war period to 1.5 million. Hong Kong already had a housing shortage, and the Japanese army bombed many houses, so many people were forced to sleep on the streets. At first glance, the street sleepers appear poor and dirty, but upon closer inspection, we find that they live in an orderly manner and show no signs of giving up in despair.

They placed their personal belongings on the ground and on the outer walls: straw mats, bamboo baskets, bamboo brooms, cooking utensils, and tin cans. Environmental objects were put to good use, and children still had space to play. The influx of cheap labor will only wait for the influx of countless funds and technology. The combination of the three will achieve Hong Kong's glorious industrialization in the next three to forty years.

In 1946, the tallest building in Hong Kong was the "Third Generation HSBC Building", with a height of 70 meters and a total of 13 floors. It was the largest building in the Far East at that time and the first air-conditioned building in Hong Kong.

The HSBC Bank Building was used as the government headquarters during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. Later, due to shortage of supplies, the Japanese army transported the bronze lion at the door to RB to be refurbished for copper. After RB surrendered, the two lions were discovered by the US military and transported back to Hong Kong under MacArthur's order. The pair of bronze lions have been in use until later generations.

In Hong Kong in 1946, the law stipulated that "ordinary private houses" could not exceed five floors, and residential houses in Hong Kong were generally of the "tenement house" and "arcade" style. At this time, property sales were based on units of "buildings" and "buildings". As for "strata sales" and "installment pre-construction properties," no one has yet proposed it. (Later generations, in 1948, Wu Duotai proposed strata sales, and in 1954, Airship Tai proposed installment payments, off-plan properties, and public shares)

In Hong Kong in 1946, housing rents began to rise. With the influx of a large number of wealthy people and factory owners, rents would reach an extremely exaggerated level in 1949. If you want to rent a house, you must first pay a 'top fee' to the landlord, and then pay the monthly rent. It only takes a few years for the landlord to earn back the value of the property itself. (According to records, the Ningbo Bao family leased a property with more than 1,000 square feet on one floor in 1948, with a top fee of HK$20,000 and a monthly rent of HK$450)

In Hong Kong in 1946, 1 pound was fixed at 16 Hong Kong dollars, and 1 US dollar was fixed at 4 Hong Kong dollars. The police salary in Hong Kong is HK$120/month, and the salary of ordinary bank employees is HK$100/month. However, the salary of most people is far less than that of these two professions.

For 3 cents you can ride the Hong Kong Island Tram, for 5 cents you can take the Star Ferry across Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, for 3 cents a piece of bread, and for 30 cents you can eat a bowl of fried rice noodles from Yung Kee Restaurant in Central. Remember the restaurant's porridge has risen to 80 cents. (Hao = horn, cent = cent)

In Hong Kong in 1946, most factory workers had to work 16 hours a day, all year round, and their wages were very cheap. In the range of 30 to 100 Hong Kong dollars, the money they earned was only enough for food and clothing. It is precisely with the help of these cheap labor that those entrepreneurs have brought Hong Kong's plastic industry, garment industry, textile industry, toys, flashlights, umbrellas and other products to the world.

It is precisely because labor is so cheap that many young people prefer to be a policeman when looking for a job, followed by joining a club (also a dock laborer), and finally entering a factory. Even girls have this view when choosing a partner, and some girls even She would rather be the concubine of a rich man than marry a poor man. This was still an era when the laws of the Qing Dynasty and the laws of the United Kingdom coexisted. Xiangjiang was a highly capitalized society, and everything was focused on money and wealth.

In Hong Kong in 1946, people on the streets wore a combination of Chinese and Western clothing. Many women wore white shirts and black trousers with long braids. Most of the women also tied their children with cloth belts behind their backs; occasionally a few young women wore long gowns or cheongsams. , outlines a graceful figure, which is particularly eye-catching.

Some men wear T-shirts and trousers, while others wear shirts and trousers, paired with pomades and watches. These are almost the attire of two classes. The rush of passers-by proves that Hong Kong is full of vitality after the war.

In Hong Kong in 1946, rickshaws were one of the most common means of transportation in this era, competing for business with the clanking Hong Kong trams and emerging cars and buses. As for taxis, there are less than 200 taxis in Hong Kong at this time. In addition, there are about 1,400 licensed cars and 1,100 trucks.

The rickshaw pullers are the best portrayal of the hard life of the Chinese in Hong Kong in this era. The rickshaw pullers are from the extremely poor class, and they only focus on picking up customers. They have strong muscles but are prematurely senile. They wear straw hats on their heads, or wear patchwork clothes, or bare upper body. , bare feet, with a worn and yellowed sweat towel on the dark shoulders.

At this time, the fare for a rickshaw trip is around 5 minutes, but it is still inevitable that it will be abandoned by the times. (In order to fight against the new means of transportation, in the early 1950s, rickshaws launched a five-cent trip to Hong Kong and Kowloon. They used both feet to fight against cars. In the end, they forced the Hong Kong government to stop issuing rickshaw license plates and restrict the driving routes of rickshaws. In the end, it was a failure. In front of capital.)

In Hong Kong in 1946, the sea surface of Victoria Harbor was empty and wide, and the coastline was completely different from that of later generations. The "East Tsim Sha Tsui" had not yet been reclaimed, and there was no large-scale reclamation and widening in Central and Wan Chai.

There is a small naval fleet in the middle of Victoria Harbor, including a cruise fleet and two aircraft carriers. There are also warships staying at the 'Tamar Naval Base' not far away. This is a characteristic of this era. Since Britain is worried about the future of Hong Kong, it can also be regarded as Heavily guarded.

In Hong Kong in 1946, the Star Pier was at the narrowest point of Victoria Bay, opposite the Central Pier. The green and white Star Ferry shuttled back and forth between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, transporting all kinds of people across the sea.

In the early 1970s, when the Hung Hom Tunnel was not in operation, and in the 1980s, when the subway was not in operation, the Star Ferry was the only way to connect Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, with tens of thousands of people passing by every day. The fare of the Star Ferry is 5 cents. The ticket is like a small book, with orange red and white obliquely on the front, Chinese and English on each side, with the year and month on it, and the note 'must be submitted for inspection (inspection) before it can pass 'wait. Later, the fare of the Star Ferry increased several times. In the 1960s, it was already 2 cents (third-class seat), and because of a price increase of 5 cents (cents), a big incident happened.

In Hong Kong in 1946, the first "Miss Hong Kong" was held in late June. The official name was "International Charity Swimming Competition". Chi Nightclub is the property of Li Caifa, who is nicknamed "Uncle Caifa" and "Hong Kong Du Yuesheng".

The beauty pageants of this era were to arrange for a few young girls to wear sexy bikinis and walk around in front of Chinese and foreign judges. The purpose is to respond to the call of the "British Hong Kong Government" at this time - Hong Kong people urgently need a form of mass entertainment to divert the "sequelae" of the war. Therefore, the charity Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant came into being amid the depression.

As for the 'Li Caifa', he is the boss of the Hong Kong Youth Gang, and his 'Lichi Nightclub' is considered to be the best entertainment venue in Hong Kong in recent years. However, Li Caifa was later 'deported' by the British Hong Kong government for various crimes. Illegal activities.

In Hong Kong in 1946, children could be seen everywhere on many streets with their children, without adults to take care of them. At a young age, they had learned to share the burden with their parents and take care of their younger siblings. These children were ragged and slovenly, but they seemed to have no problem with food and clothing, and they were generally surrounded by An iron pot is placed in the lunch prepared by their parents; in this way, the adults can devote themselves to work, saving one person from taking care of the children, and avoiding the delay in earning an extra share of work. In this era, there are no human traffickers and no kidneys.

In Hong Kong in 1946, a young man named "Lin Chichao" came to Hong Kong from Guangdong Province. He only had 50 Hong Kong dollars in his pocket, which was supported by his widowed mother selling jewelry. Before Lin Zhichao left, he vowed to his widowed mother and sister that he would bring them to live in Hong Kong within two years.

Lin Zhichao has no grand ambitions because he knows that without background and backing, it will take time to get ahead in Hong Kong. So within two years, he could only say that he would bring his mother and sister to Hong Kong, but he could not say that he could help them live a prosperous life. After all, the first pot of gold is often the most important.