Activities to explore Hong Kong’s transport history

Difficulty: Explorer (Level 1)

Hong Kong may be known today for its skyscrapers and bustling MTR stations, but its history is full of stories that shape the city we live in.

A hundred years ago, ferries and fishing boats filled Victoria Harbour. Street hawkers sold produce in open markets, and trams rattled down Hong Kong Island.

These parts of Hong Kong didn’t disappear; many still exist, reminding us how rapidly the city has changed while carrying traces of the past.

Exploring history doesn’t always mean visiting a museum. You can learn a lot by comparing how places once looked with how they are now.

How might Hong Kong look in the future?

Old and new

Take a look at the photos showing the old and current versions of Hong Kong’s airport, trams and Star Ferry. What has changed and what has stayed the same? Compare and contrast the images. Is there anything that surprises you about transport from the past?

Star Ferry

One of the first Star Ferry boats makes its way across Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour in this photo, circa 1900s. Photo: AFP

The Star Ferry today. Photo: Sun Yeung

Trams

First and second-generation trams on Arsenal Street, Admiralty, in 1910. Photo: SCMP

A tram on Des Voeux Road Central in Central. Photo: Jelly Tse

Hong Kong’s airport

A Swissair plane landing at Kai Tak Airport around 1979. Photo: P.Y. Tang

A view of Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok now. Photo: Edmond So

Design Hong Kong’s future transport

Now that you’ve seen how the city’s airport, trams and ferries have changed, use your imagination to think about how they could look in 50 years. Choose one to draw and explain how you think technology will change.