1950
Hong Kong's population surges to about 2.2 million as large numbers of refugees arrive from the mainland.
Memory With refugees arriving after the war and during the civil war, Hong Kong's population surged, spurring public housing and industry.
Background After the Second World War Hong Kong's population recovered, and when civil war broke out on the mainland large numbers of refugees arrived. By 1950 the population surged to about 2.2 million. This sudden increase placed heavy pressure on housing, employment and social services, and it spurred the growth of public housing and local industry, reshaping Hong Kong's society in the longer term. The influx of labour and skills also helped lay the groundwork for the territory's later industrialisation. The newcomers would shape Hong Kong’s workforce and neighbourhoods for decades to come.
Source Hong Kong Yearbook 2021, Chapter 22: History（Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region） · official publication
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1951 · 粉嶺聯和墟（北區）
The Luen Wo Market at Fanling Luen Wo Hui opens in 1951, the most substantial market in the postwar New Territories.
Memory Held thrice weekly (1st, 4th, 7th lunar days) until the 1980s; closed 2002, revitalised 2024.
Background The Luen Wo Market stands in Luen Wo Hui, Fanling, and opened in 1951. It was built with funds raised by issuing shares and was the most substantial market in the postwar New Territories. It first opened for trading three times a month, on the first, fourth and seventh lunar days, and only changed to daily opening in the 1980s. The market closed in 2002 and was revitalised in 2024 as Luen Wo Market, turning a market building into a new community space.
Source Antiquities Advisory Board: Results of the Assessment of 1,444 Historic Buildings（Antiquities Advisory Board） · official publication
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1952-12-11 · 北角（皇都戲院，前身璇宮戲院）
The Empire Theatre (later the State Theatre) opens in North Point as a major post-war cultural venue.
Memory Later rebuilt as the State Theatre, its distinctive parabolic roof made it a North Point landmark.
Background The Empire Theatre opened in North Point on 11 December 1952, with its opening presided over by Sir Arthur Morse. It served as an important post-war venue for films and stage performances at a time when cinema-going was a leading form of mass entertainment. The cinema was later rebuilt as the State Theatre, whose distinctive parabolic roof made it a landmark in North Point. An assessment by the Antiquities and Monuments Office records its historical and architectural value, and the building is noted among the district's surviving mid-century entertainment venues.
Source AMO: Former State Theatre building appraisal N46（Antiquities and Monuments Office） · official publication
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1953-07-01
Emergency ambulance services are merged into the Fire Services Department, unifying ambulance services.
Memory Ambulance service was unified under the Fire Services Department, a turning point for Hong Kong's emergency care.
Background In July 1953 emergency ambulance services were merged into the fire brigade, which then provided them under a single department, marking a turning point for Hong Kong's emergency care. Before the merger, ambulance services were not the responsibility of the fire brigade. Afterwards, firefighting and emergency ambulance work were coordinated by the same department, so that the deployment of resources and service standards were brought together. The change set the pattern of the Fire Services Department providing both fire and ambulance services.
Source Fire Services Department: history（Fire Services Department） · official publication
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1953-12-25 · 深水埗（石硤尾）
A fire in the Shek Kip Mei squatter area leaves more than 50,000 residents homeless overnight.
Memory The fire prompted the Government to adopt resettlement and public housing policies, the start of the public housing system.
Background On 25 December 1953 a fire in the Shek Kip Mei squatter area of Sham Shui Po left more than 50,000 residents homeless overnight. The Housing Authority records that the blaze occurred on Christmas night, and the exact date is consistent with several secondary sources. The fire prompted the Government to adopt resettlement and public housing policies and is regarded as the start of Hong Kong's public housing system; immediately afterwards the government began rehousing victims, building temporary shelters and planning resettlement estates.
Source Public housing development timeline（Housing Authority） · official publication
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1954 · 深水埗（石硤尾）
Shek Kip Mei Estate, the first resettlement estate in Hong Kong, is completed to house fire victims.
Memory Completed in 1954 as Hong Kong’s first resettlement estate, it was rebuilt several times, with only Mei Ho House retained and reopened in 2013 as a youth hostel.
Background In 1954 Shek Kip Mei Estate in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong's first resettlement estate, was completed to house victims of the 1953 squatter fire. The estate was rebuilt several times, and only Mei Ho House was retained, reopening in 2013 as a youth hostel. The estate's arrival embodies the government's approach of using resettlement estates to respond to squatter and housing problems in the urban area; the estates were simple and practical, providing residents with basic living units.
Source Public housing development timeline（Housing Authority） · official publication
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1954 · 啟德（九龍城區）
The Government approves the Kai Tak Airport development master plan.
Memory The plan provided for a new runway and terminal building, laying the basis for Kai Tak's later role as an international airport.
Background In 1954 the Government approved a master plan for the development of Kai Tak Airport, setting out a major expansion. The plan provided for a new runway and a terminal building and responded to the growth of air traffic after the Second World War; the Civil Aviation Department treats this as a key stage in Kai Tak's development. The expansion laid the basis for Kai Tak's later role as an international airport and spurred growth in the Kowloon City area and later reclamation.
Source CAD: Kai Tak Airport 1925–1998（Civil Aviation Department） · official publication
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1955 · 深水埗（李鄭屋）
A brick-chamber tomb, identified as Eastern Han, is discovered during construction of the Lei Cheng Uk estate.
Memory It is Hong Kong’s only Han brick tomb; a museum was later built over it for preservation.
Background In 1955, during construction of the Lei Cheng Uk resettlement estate in Sham Shui Po, a brick-chamber tomb was discovered and identified as an Eastern Han burial. It is Hong Kong's only Han brick tomb and yielded Han pottery and bronze, making it a key Eastern Han archaeological site. A museum was later built over the tomb for its permanent preservation, and the discovery also provides material for studying Han-era burial forms in South China.
Source Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum（Leisure and Cultural Services Department） · official publication
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1956 · 九龍城（九龍城區）
The Sung Wong Toi rock inscription is relocated to Sung Wong Toi Garden after the sacred hill was levelled for Kai Tak expansion.
Memory Originally a seaside boulder, it was cut up and moved into today's Sung Wong Toi Garden during airport expansion; legend links it to the last Song emperor.
Background The Sung Wong Toi inscription was originally a large boulder on the Kowloon City waterfront, traditionally linked to the last emperor of the Southern Song. In 1956 the hill on which it stood was levelled for the expansion of Kai Tak Airport, and the carved rock was cut up and moved into what is now Sung Wong Toi Garden for preservation and display. The relocation made way for the airport while keeping the legendary stone, now an important historical marker in Kowloon City.
Source Antiquities and Monuments Office: Sung Wong Toi（Antiquities and Monuments Office） · official publication
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1956 · 黃大仙區（竹園，嗇色園黃大仙祠）
The Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple receives government approval to officially open to the public.
Memory After gaining government approval to open, Wong Tai Sin Temple became one of Hong Kong's most visited and is famed for its fortune sticks.
Background The Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple stands in Chuk Yuen, in the Wong Tai Sin district. In 1956 it received government approval to open officially to the public, a step that required official consent. After opening it became one of Hong Kong's most heavily visited temples, known especially for its fortune sticks. It has since grown into an important religious and community site for the district, drawing worshippers from across the territory and remaining a landmark of the area.
Source Sik Sik Yuen official timeline（Sik Sik Yuen） · official publication
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1956-10-10
The Double Tenth Riots break out across Kowloon, causing casualties and property damage.
Memory Triggered by a dispute over displaying flags, it escalated into rioting across Kowloon.
Background On 10 October 1956 the Double Tenth Riots broke out, with unrest in several districts of Kowloon causing casualties and property damage. The rioting was triggered by a dispute over displaying flags and escalated into disturbances across Kowloon. Coming after the large post-war influx of population into Hong Kong, the events reflected tensions within local society at the time and led the authorities to pay closer attention to maintaining public order. Order was eventually restored, and the riots stood out as a serious episode of civil disturbance in post-war Hong Kong.
Source Hong Kong Chronicles: Overview and Chronology (c. 5000 BC–2017, over 6,500 events)（Hong Kong Chronicles Institute） · official publication
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1957 · 灣仔（軍器廠街）
Rediffusion Television, Hong Kong's first television station, launches its wired-cable service in 1957.
Memory A subscription wired-cable broadcaster and one of the earliest Chinese-language TV stations, opening the first page of Hong Kong television history.
Background In 1957 Hong Kong's first television station, Rediffusion Television, began broadcasting by cable from Arsenal Street in Wan Chai; viewers paid a monthly subscription and received the signal through cables, an early form of pay television. It was among the first television stations in the Chinese-speaking world and opened the first page of Hong Kong's broadcasting history. Before it, people relied mainly on radio and newspapers for information and entertainment; the arrival of television changed how households spent their leisure and paved the way for later free-to-air stations such as TVB.
Source RTHK 90th anniversary photo album (milestones history)（Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK)） · official publication
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1957-06 · 深水埗東京街
The Lei Cheng Uk tomb, identified as an Eastern Han burial, opens as a museum in June 1957.
Memory Discovered in 1955 during construction, the tomb has four chambers with pottery and bronze; graded a declared monument in 1988.
Background The Lei Cheng Uk tomb was preserved in situ and opened as a museum in June 1957. Discovered in 1955 during construction of a resettlement estate, it was identified as an Eastern Han burial with four chambers containing pottery and bronze burial objects. The tomb was later transferred to the Urban Council in 1969 and became a declared monument in 1988. It remains one of Hong Kong's significant archaeological finds, preserving a historic site within the post-war urban growth of Sham Shui Po. The museum's official article records only June 1957.
Source Hong Kong Museum of History: role in heritage education（Hong Kong Museum of History） · official publication
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1957-10 · 銅鑼灣（東區）
Victoria Park opens, the major public park of Hong Kong Island, built on reclaimed land at Causeway Bay.
Memory Built on Causeway Bay reclamation with pitches, a pool and a central lawn, Victoria Park is the Island's largest park and a major gathering ground.
Background Victoria Park opened in October 1957 on reclaimed land at Causeway Bay as Hong Kong Island's major public park. With pitches, a swimming pool and a central lawn, it is the largest park on the Island. The park serves residents for daily leisure and sport and is also a site for large public gatherings and events, while its reclaimed land reflects the northward movement of Causeway Bay's shoreline in post-war urban development.
Source Victoria Park, C&W（Leisure and Cultural Services Department） · official publication
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1958
Kai Tak’s new runway on the Kowloon Bay waterfront is completed, formally establishing the international airport.
Memory Built on reclaimed land projecting into Kowloon Bay, it became Kai Tak’s sole runway until the airport moved to Chek Lap Kok in 1998.
Background In 1958 a new runway at Kai Tak was completed on the Kowloon Bay waterfront, formally making the airfield Hong Kong's international airport. Built on reclaimed land projecting into Kowloon Bay, it became Kai Tak's sole runway. It remained in use until the airport moved to Chek Lap Kok in 1998, and was the core facility of an international airport set within the urban area, shaping decades of aviation operations.
Source CAD: Kai Tak Airport 1925–1998（Civil Aviation Department） · official publication
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1958 · 啟德（九龍城區）
A 2,529 m runway completed at Kowloon Bay in 1958 makes Kai Tak formally the Hong Kong International Airport.
Memory The seaward extension cements Kai Tak as an international airport.
Background Kai Tak's early facilities were limited, so in 1958 a new 2,529-metre runway was completed on the Kowloon Bay waterfront, extending out into the harbour on reclaimed ground. Its completion made Kai Tak formally the Hong Kong International Airport, strengthening the airport's standing as an aviation hub for the region. The longer seaward runway also prepared Kai Tak for the coming jet age, allowing larger and faster aircraft to use the airport as air travel to and from Hong Kong grew steadily.
Source CAD: Kai Tak Airport 1925–1998（Civil Aviation Department） · official publication
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1959 · 九龍塘（商業電台）
Commercial Radio Hong Kong launches, becoming the city's first commercial radio station.
Memory CRHK was Hong Kong's first commercial radio station, broadcasting initially in Chinese and English.
Background Commercial Radio Hong Kong began broadcasting in 1959, becoming the city's first commercial radio station and initially broadcasting on Chinese and English channels. Its arrival introduced a commercially operated broadcaster alongside the government station, opening the way for commercial broadcasting in the territory. Radio later became a widely used mass medium in Hong Kong. Commercial broadcasters have since formed a regular part of the territory's radio landscape. The official photo album records only the year of launch, without a specific date.
Source RTHK: 90th anniversary photo album (history)（Radio Television Hong Kong） · official publication
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1959 · 沙田（大老山）
The Hong Kong Observatory commissions its first weather radar at Tate's Cairn, adding Doppler radar in 1994 to enhance typhoon and rainstorm monitoring.
Memory Sited on high ground at Tate's Cairn, the radar became a key post for monitoring weather along the South China coast.
Background The Hong Kong Observatory commissioned its first weather radar at Tate's Cairn in 1959, and the high ground made the station a key post for monitoring weather along the South China coast. A first Doppler radar followed in 1994, further improving the ability to monitor typhoons and rainstorms. Radar can detect the movement and intensity of rain areas, making up for ground observation that alone could not show how storms were developing, and the site's elevation gave the radar a wide view over the region.
Source HKO: radar image gallery historical pictures（Hong Kong Observatory） · official publication
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1959-05-20 · 香港
Ming Pao, founded by Louis Cha (Jin Yong) and Shen Baoxin, is first published on 20 May 1959.
Memory Founded by Jin Yong, Ming Pao becomes a major Hong Kong Chinese newspaper known for its commentary and serialised fiction.
Background Ming Pao was first published on 20 May 1959 by Louis Cha (Jin Yong) and Shen Baoxin. Its co-founder Cha was known for martial-arts novels, whose serialisation drew readers to the paper, while its editorials gradually built influence, helping Ming Pao grow into a major Hong Kong Chinese newspaper. Competition in the local press was intense at the time, and Ming Pao was established and took root within it, reflecting both the vitality of the post-war publishing industry and a model that combined literary founders with popular serialised fiction.
Source Ming Pao Culture Museum: Launch of Ming Pao（Ming Pao Culture Museum） · official publication
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