1930
Kai Tak Airport officially opens as Hong Kong's main civilian airport.
Memory On opening, Kai Tak became Hong Kong's main civil airport, its runway and facilities expanded over the years.
Background In the early twentieth century, as civil aviation began to develop, Hong Kong needed fixed airport facilities. In 1930 Kai Tak Airport officially opened and became the territory's main civilian airport. Its runway and facilities were expanded several times to cope with increasingly busy traffic, and for decades it served as a key hub for Hong Kong's air links with the outside world. Its growth over time reflected the rising importance of air travel to the territory's transport and economy.
Source About us (Hong Kong International Airport)（Airport Authority Hong Kong） · official publication
Chinese original & citation →
1931
Hong Kong's population reaches about 878,947, making it one of the major cities in the Far East.
Memory By then a major Far Eastern entrepôt, Hong Kong's population kept rising and the city spread into Kowloon.
Background By the 1930s Hong Kong had become a major Far Eastern entrepôt, with growth in trade, shipping and local commerce. In 1931 its population was about 878,947, and as numbers kept rising the urban area spread into Kowloon. This scale reflected the territory's standing in the region, while also creating fresh demand for housing, sanitation and public facilities. Officials faced the challenge of serving a growing population while the city's infrastructure and urban extent kept expanding. The city’s continued growth would pose lasting questions of planning, housing and public services.
Source Hong Kong Yearbook 2021, Chapter 22: History（Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region） · official publication
Chinese original & citation →
1933 · 赤柱（南區）
The Government relocates Stanley Military Cemetery to its present site on Wong Ma Kok Road.
Memory Its earliest headstone dates to 1843; graded a Grade III historic building in 2010.
Background In 1933 the Government relocated Stanley Military Cemetery to its present site on Wong Ma Kok Road, reinterring soldiers and others previously buried elsewhere in the district. The earliest headstone in the cemetery dates to 1843, recording the garrison and expatriate community of Hong Kong's early colonial years. In 2010 it was graded a Grade III historic building, making it an important historical site in the Stanley area and a physical record for studying Hong Kong's early garrison.
Source Antiquities Advisory Board: Stanley Military Cemetery Appraisal（Antiquities Advisory Board） · official publication
Chinese original & citation →
1933 · 上環（恒生銀行）
Hang Seng Bank is established from a money-changing shop founded in 1933.
Memory HSBC acquired a controlling stake in Hang Seng in 1965, which continues to operate under its local brand.
Background Hang Seng Bank was established in 1933 from a money-changing business in Sheung Wan. Its early trade centred on exchange and gold, serving local merchants and residents, and it grew from such a shop into a major local bank. In 1965 HSBC acquired a controlling stake, and although Hang Seng became part of the HSBC group it kept operating under its local brand with branches reaching deep into communities. Its rise reflects the expansion of Chinese-capital finance and mass deposit banking in post-war Hong Kong.
Source Hang Seng Bank corporate profile（Hang Seng Bank） · official publication
Chinese original & citation →
1933-04-13 · 全港（九龍及新界）
KMB is founded and secures the franchise for Kowloon and the New Territories, starting Hong Kong's franchised bus system.
Memory Founded by Shun Tak-shin and others, initially operating 110 buses.
Background On 13 April 1933, Kowloon Motor Bus (1933) Limited was incorporated and secured the bus franchise for Kowloon and the New Territories, marking the start of Hong Kong's franchised bus system. The company was founded by local businessmen and initially operated a fleet of 110 buses. Under a franchise, an operator holds an exclusive right to run defined routes, and the arrangement became a cornerstone of public transport in the territory. The franchise model later shaped how bus services were organised and regulated across Hong Kong.
Source KMB: milestones（The Kowloon Motor Bus Co.） · official publication
Chinese original & citation →
1933-06-11 · 中環（士丹利街）
Luk Yu Tea House is founded on 11 June 1933 by Ma Chiu Man and Lee Chi Nam, first opening on Wing Kut Street before moving to Stanley Street in 1976.
Memory A century-old Central tea house housing a statue of the Tea Sage Lu Yu, a landmark of Hong Kong dim-sum culture.
Background Luk Yu Tea House was founded on 11 June 1933 by Ma Chiu Man and Lee Chi Nam, first opening on Wing Kut Street in Central before moving to its present Stanley Street premises in 1976. A statue of Lu Yu, the Chinese Tea Sage, is kept on the upper floor, and the tea house is known for traditional dim sum and tea service, making it a landmark of Hong Kong's yum cha culture within the Central business district. In a core commercial area where Chinese and Western communities mixed early on, it served local tea drinkers and witnessed the rise and shifts of the city's tea-house trade.
Source Luk Yu Tea House: About us（Luk Yu Tea House） · official publication
Chinese original & citation →
1934 · 黃大仙（鑽石山）
Chi Lin Nunnery is established in Diamond Hill in 1934, later renowned for its Tang-style timber architecture.
Memory Founded from a donated villa as a Buddhist retreat, it was later rebuilt as a Tang-style timber complex.
Background Chi Lin Nunnery was established in Diamond Hill, Wong Tai Sin, in 1934. According to its official history, lay Buddhists donated a villa which was converted into a retreat for Buddhist teaching and practice. The nunnery was later rebuilt as a complex in Tang dynasty timber style, known for its traditional wooden structures and courtyards. It has since become one of Hong Kong's better-known Buddhist monasteries, reflecting the role of lay supporters in the growth of local Buddhist institutions.
Source Chi Lin Nunnery: historical overview（Chi Lin Nunnery） · official publication
Chinese original & citation →
1935-05-17 · 灣仔（跑馬地）
Tung Lin Kok Yuen opens on 17 May 1935, the first Buddhist temple on Hong Kong Island, founded by Madame Ho Tung and declared a monument in 2017.
Memory Built by Lady Clara Ho Tung on Shan Kwong Road, Happy Valley, it also ran a girls' school in its early years and remains an active Buddhist institute.
Background Tung Lin Kok Yuen opened on 17 May 1935 as the first Buddhist temple on Hong Kong Island, built with funds donated by Lady Clara Ho Tung. On Shan Kwong Road in Happy Valley, it also ran a girls' school in its early years, combining Buddhist teaching with education. Its work in welfare and schooling was part of a wider pattern of religious bodies providing social services in the colony. It remains an active Buddhist institute today and was declared a monument in 2017.
Source AMO: Tung Lin Kok Yuen（Antiquities and Monuments Office） · official publication
Chinese original & citation →
1935-11-09
Following China's abandonment of the silver standard, Hong Kong pegs the dollar to sterling at 16 to the pound and establishes the Exchange Fund under the Currency Ordinance to support note issue.
Memory Hong Kong left the silver standard in step with Britain; silver coins were withdrawn and the Exchange Fund backed note issue with silver and sterling assets.
Background On 9 November 1935 the Hong Kong Government declared the Hong Kong dollar the local currency unit and, as China abandoned the silver standard, pegged it to sterling at one dollar to one shilling and threepence, or sixteen dollars to the pound. The government also set up the Exchange Fund under the Currency Ordinance to support note issue. Hong Kong joined Britain in leaving the silver standard, so silver coins were progressively withdrawn. Backed by silver and sterling assets, the fund marked a key shift from a silver standard to a sterling link.
Source Monetary Systems in Hong Kong’s History（Hong Kong Monetary Authority） · official publication
Chinese original & citation →
1936 · 荃灣（城門谷）
Shing Mun (Jubilee) Reservoir completes, among the largest pre-war water storage works in Hong Kong.
Memory Built in the Shing Mun valley between 1935 and 1937 and named the Jubilee Reservoir to mark George V's silver jubilee, it was later enlarged in the 1970s.
Background Shing Mun Reservoir was completed in 1936 and ranked among the largest water storage works in pre-war Hong Kong. Built in the Shing Mun valley between 1935 and 1937, it was named the Jubilee Reservoir to mark the silver jubilee of King George V. Later enlarged to meet rising demand, it became an important source of supply for Kowloon and the New Territories, reflecting the expansion of Hong Kong's water supply system before the war in a city whose population was growing steadily.
Source Waterworks milestones and heritage（Water Supplies Department） · official publication
Chinese original & citation →
1936 · 大坑（灣仔區）
The Haw Par Mansion in Tai Hang, built by Aw Boon-haw, is completed in 1936, graded a Grade I historic building in 2009.
Memory Noted for the neighbouring Haw Par Gardens (demolished 2004); activated for new uses from 2019.
Background The Haw Par Mansion in Tai Hang was built by Aw Boon-haw and completed in 1936, originally accompanied by the neighbouring Haw Par Gardens. In 2009 it was graded a Grade I historic building, the highest category in Hong Kong's grading system. The gardens were demolished in 2004, while the mansion itself has been activated for new uses from 2019. A Grade I grading reflects the building's architectural and historical importance, and the mansion remains a notable landmark in the district.
Source AMO: Haw Par Mansion (Grade I historic building)（Antiquities and Monuments Office） · official publication
Chinese original & citation →
1936-03-24
The first commercial passenger flight arrives at Kai Tak, opening a new era of scheduled air service.
Memory The first scheduled passenger flight arrived from Penang, after which airlines opened routes across South China and Southeast Asia.
Background On 24 March 1936 the first commercial passenger flight arrived at Kai Tak from Penang, which the Civil Aviation Department regards as the beginning of public transport service there. Airlines subsequently opened routes across South China and Southeast Asia, and Kai Tak grew from a flying ground into an airport handling scheduled flights. The arrival of scheduled passenger service matched the era's commercial and personal travel between Hong Kong and the region.
Source CAD: Kai Tak Airport 1925–1998（Civil Aviation Department） · official publication
Chinese original & citation →
1937 · 薄扶林（瑪麗醫院）
Queen Mary Hospital is established as a major acute hospital on Hong Kong Island and the teaching hospital of the University of Hong Kong.
Memory In Pok Fu Lam, Queen Mary Hospital is a major acute hospital on the Island and the teaching hospital of HKU's medical school.
Background Queen Mary Hospital was established in 1937 in Pok Fu Lam as a major acute hospital on Hong Kong Island. It also became the teaching hospital of the University of Hong Kong, providing clinical training for medical students. As a teaching hospital it combined patient care with medical education and research. Situated in Pok Fu Lam, it handles a wide range of emergency and specialist cases, and alongside its role in treating patients it serves as a centre where new generations of doctors are trained.
Source HA: Queen Mary Hospital（Hospital Authority (Queen Mary Hospital)） · official publication
Chinese original & citation →
1937-01
Stanley Prison (then known as Hong Kong Prison) begins operation, replacing Victoria Prison as the main prison.
Memory Located on Stanley Peninsula, the prison included workshops and was used by the Japanese as an internment camp during the Second World War.
Background Stanley Prison, then known as Hong Kong Prison, began operation in January 1937, replacing Victoria Prison as the main prison; official records give only the month and year. Located on the Stanley Peninsula, it contained workshops as well as cell blocks. During the Second World War it was used by the Japanese as an internment camp, and after the war it resumed service as a correctional facility, remaining a key part of Hong Kong's correctional system.
Source CSD history: early period（Correctional Services Department） · official publication
Chinese original & citation →
1937-07-07
The Marco Polo Bridge Incident marks the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War; large numbers of refugees flee south to Hong Kong, causing rapid population growth.
Memory After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident full-scale war began, and many mainland refugees moved south, swelling Hong Kong's population.
Background On 7 July 1937 the Marco Polo Bridge Incident broke out, and the Second Sino-Japanese War began in full. After the incident, large numbers of refugees from the mainland moved south to Hong Kong, causing the population to rise sharply. This influx brought labour as well as pressure on housing and social services, and it forms an important background to changes in Hong Kong's social conditions over the following years. Population growth also added to demand for housing and public services.
Source Government Records Service online exhibition: “Unyielding Spirit, Everlasting Valour” — 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance（Government Records Service, HKSAR Government） · official publication
Chinese original & citation →
