1970 · 油尖旺（尖沙咀）
Kowloon Park opens on the former Whitfield Barracks site, the largest park in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Memory Converted from the former Whitfield Barracks, it is Tsim Sha Tsui's largest park, with a bird lake and indoor pool.
Background Kowloon Park opened in 1970 on the site of the former Whitfield Barracks, becoming the largest park in Tsim Sha Tsui. The barracks had served as a British military site; its conversion turned military land into public recreational space, with facilities such as a bird lake and an indoor pool. Once the home of a garrison, the grounds now offer recreation for residents and visitors alike, reflecting the growing demand for public leisure space amid the rapid post-war growth of Kowloon's urban population.
Source GovHK: recreation facilities history（GovHK） · official publication
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1970-07-01
The Legal Aid Department is formally established to provide legal aid services to the public.
Memory The Legal Aid Department provides legal representation to eligible residents in civil and criminal cases.
Background After the war Hong Kong's population grew sharply and social affairs became more complex, yet many residents could not afford legal representation in litigation. On 1 July 1970 the Legal Aid Department was formally established to provide legal representation to eligible residents in both civil and criminal cases. Its creation put legal aid on a formal institutional footing, allowing people of limited means to pursue disputes through the courts. The service gradually became an established part of the territory's justice system.
Source Legal Aid Department 50th: milestones（Legal Aid Department） · official publication
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1971 · 北區
Planning begins for Fanling/Sheung Shui as a second-generation new town.
Memory The plan covered Fanling, Sheung Shui and Luen Wo Hui, matching North District population and industrial growth.
Background In 1971 the government began planning Fanling/Sheung Shui as a new town, one of Hong Kong's second-generation new towns. The plan covered Fanling, Sheung Shui and Luen Wo Hui, matching population growth and industrial-estate development in the North District. By bringing public housing, community facilities and industrial land into one plan, it gradually urbanised a district previously centred on market towns, which later housed a large population and saw its growth shaped for decades to come.
Source PlanD: Fanling/Sheung Shui new town (plan 1971)（Planning Department） · official publication
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1971-08-17 · 香港
Typhoon Rose hits Hong Kong; the No.10 signal is issued.
Memory During Rose, a passenger ferry plying between Hong Kong and Macao sank in the storm with heavy casualties.
Background Typhoon Rose hit Hong Kong on 17 August 1971, and the Observatory issued the No.10 hurricane signal. During the storm a passenger ferry plying between Hong Kong and Macao sank at sea with heavy casualties. Occurring while the highest signal was in force, the disaster underlined the danger typhoons pose to sea crossings and shipping, and made Rose one of the deadliest typhoon episodes in Hong Kong's history. Sea and ferry services are suspended when the signal is raised, since harbour crossings become especially dangerous.
Source Hong Kong Observatory: report on Severe Typhoon Haikui (2311)（Hong Kong Observatory） · official publication
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1972 · 葵青區
Container Terminal No.1 opens, Hong Kong's first dedicated container terminal.
Memory No.1 terminal rose at Gin Drinkers Bay in Kwai Chung; more berths followed, lifting Hong Kong among the world's leading container ports.
Background In 1972 Container Terminal No.1 was completed at Gin Drinkers Bay in Kwai Chung, Hong Kong's first dedicated container terminal; the Marine Department records only the year, and the exact opening date cannot be verified. More berths were added in the years that followed, steadily raising the port's capacity. The shift to containerisation changed the way the port handled cargo and helped lift Hong Kong into the ranks of the world's leading container ports.
Source Marine Dept: History of Port of HK Part 1 Ch.7 (CT1 completed 1972)（Marine Department） · official publication
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1972-06-28
The Hong Kong Government pegs the Hong Kong dollar to the US dollar at HK$5.65 per US dollar, an early form of the linked exchange rate system.
Memory As Britain let sterling float, Hong Kong switched its peg to the US dollar, a key turn in its exchange-rate regime.
Background On 28 June 1972 the Hong Kong Government pegged the Hong Kong dollar to the US dollar at HK$5.65 per US dollar, an early form of the linked exchange rate system. As Britain allowed sterling to float, Hong Kong switched its peg to the US dollar, a key turn in its exchange-rate regime. The change ended the long-standing link between the Hong Kong dollar and sterling and was a step towards a more autonomous monetary system for the territory. The peg to the US dollar thus replaced the earlier link with sterling.
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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1972-08 · 紅磡（香港理工大學）
The Hong Kong Polytechnic is established, predecessor of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Memory Roots trace to the 1937 Government Trade School; it gained university status in 1994.
Background In August 1972 the Hong Kong Polytechnic was established in Hung Hom, formed by merging several technical institutes. Its roots trace to the Government Trade School of 1937, and it was dedicated to training industrial and technical manpower. In 1994 it gained university status and became The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, a leading applied higher-education institution. Its growth reflects the demand for vocational and technical education during Hong Kong's industrial take-off, when a skilled workforce was urgently needed.
Source PolyU: History（The Hong Kong Polytechnic University） · official publication
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1972-08-02
The Cross-Harbour (Hung Hom) Tunnel opens — the first road tunnel linking Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Memory Private cars were charged HK$5 at opening; the tunnel permanently reshaped everyday travel between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Background The Cross-Harbour (Hung Hom) Tunnel opened on 2 August 1972 as the first road tunnel linking Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Private cars were charged HK$5 at first, and until then residents had mainly relied on ferries to cross the harbour. By providing a direct road link, the tunnel transformed everyday travel between the two sides, making cross-harbour commuting easier and strengthening ties between the urban areas on either shore.
Source Tunnels and bridges: details and location map（Transport Department） · official publication
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1972-08-03 · 九龍紅磡－港島銅鑼灣
The Cross-Harbour Tunnel opens, the first underwater road tunnel in Hong Kong linking Hung Hom and Causeway Bay.
Memory Built by a private consortium under a build-operate-transfer model, it had manned toll booths when it opened.
Background On 3 August 1972 the Cross-Harbour Tunnel opened as Hong Kong's first underwater road tunnel, linking Hung Hom in Kowloon with Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island. A private consortium built it under a build-operate-transfer arrangement, and it opened with manned toll booths. Before the tunnel, crossing Victoria Harbour depended largely on ferries; the new road link changed how people and vehicles moved between the two sides of the harbour, encouraged further cross-harbour development, and soon became a heavily used artery of the city.
Source Transport Department: cross-harbour tunnel traffic（Transport Department） · official publication
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1973 · 何文田（香港房屋委員會）
The Hong Kong Housing Authority is formally established under the Housing Ordinance to oversee the construction and management of public housing estates.
Memory Established under the Housing Ordinance, the Housing Authority took over earlier resettlement and low-cost housing bodies, unifying public housing.
Background The Hong Kong Housing Authority was formally established in 1973 under the Housing Ordinance to oversee the construction and management of public housing estates. It took over the earlier bodies responsible for resettlement housing and low-cost housing, bringing public housing matters under one organisation. With the authority's creation, the planning, building and management of public housing came to follow a more unified framework. Previously the work had been split among more than one body, and the new authority was intended to coordinate policy and estate management more effectively.
Source Hong Kong Housing Authority (50th anniversary)（Hong Kong Housing Authority） · official publication
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1973 · 黃大仙區（竹園，嗇色園黃大仙祠）
The reconstructed main hall, the Chek Sui Wong Tai Sin Hall, of the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple is completed and opened by Governor Sir Murray MacLehose.
Memory The main hall's reconstruction was opened by Governor MacLehose, a major post-war project for Sik Sik Yuen.
Background The main hall of the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple, known as the Chek Sui Wong Tai Sin Hall, was rebuilt and completed in 1973, and was opened by the then Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose. The reconstruction was one of the temple's major post-war maintenance projects. With the rebuilt hall, the temple's spaces for worship and religious activities were renewed. That the Governor officiated at the opening reflected the temple's standing in the territory at the time, and the temple in Chuk Yuen remains a major place of worship.
Source Sik Sik Yuen official timeline（Sik Sik Yuen） · official publication
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1974 · 葵青區
Tsing Yi Bridge is completed, the island's first road bridge linking it to Kwai Chung and Tsuen Wan.
Memory The first road bridge to leave Tsing Yi Island, it ended reliance on ferries and helped urbanise the island.
Background Tsing Yi Bridge was completed in 1974, linking Tsing Yi Island with Kwai Chung and Tsuen Wan as the island's first road bridge across the sea; the Highways Department records only the year, and the exact opening date cannot be verified. Before then, travel between Tsing Yi and the outside world depended mainly on ferries. With the bridge open, road access to the island improved greatly and its development became steadily more urban.
Source Highways Dept: Roads in the New Territories (Tsing Yi Bridge 1974)（Highways Department） · official publication
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1974 · 大埔區
The Government decides to build Hong Kong's first industrial estate in Tai Po.
Memory Developed by the Hong Kong Industrial Estates Corporation, it offered land for factories and anchored Tai Po new town's industry.
Background In 1974 the government decided to build Hong Kong's first industrial estate in Tai Po, developed by the Hong Kong Industrial Estates Corporation, which offered land for manufacturers to set up factories. Providing sites for industries that needed larger plots, it anchored the industry of the Tai Po new town and reflected the policy of moving industrial activity from the urban core into the New Territories; other new towns later gained industrial estates too.
Source PlanD: Tai Po (first industrial estate decided 1974)（Planning Department） · official publication
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1974-02-15
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is established to fight corruption, independent of the police.
Memory Amid widespread police corruption in the 1970s, Governor MacLehose appoints Jack Cater the first Commissioner; the ICAC begins receiving reports from day one.
Background The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was formally established on 15 February 1974 to fight corruption, operating independently of the police. With police corruption widespread in the 1970s, Governor MacLehose appointed Jack Cater as the first Commissioner, and the ICAC began receiving reports from its first day. Working through investigation, prevention and education, it became a key plank of the city's clean-governance system.
Source ICAC annual report (corruption complaint statistics)（Independent Commission Against Corruption） · official publication
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1974-02-15
The Official Languages Ordinance comes into effect, making both Chinese and English official languages in Hong Kong.
Memory The ordinance made Chinese and English both official, with Chinese progressively introduced in legislative and court proceedings.
Background For a long time Hong Kong's legislative and judicial proceedings were conducted mainly in English, and the status of Chinese was not formally established. On 15 February 1974 the Official Languages Ordinance came into effect, providing that Chinese and English were both official languages of Hong Kong. The ordinance gave a basis for the use of Chinese in legal proceedings, and the government gradually introduced Chinese in legislative and court processes, an important step in the territory's language policy. It also marked a shift towards greater use of Chinese in public administration.
Source Official Languages Ordinance (Cap. 5)（Hong Kong e-Legislation） · official publication
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1974-04
The Consumer Council is established to protect consumer rights.
Memory A statutory body, the Consumer Council protects consumer rights and tests and researches goods and services.
Background In the post-war decades Hong Kong's industry and consumer market expanded quickly, leaving consumers with few strong channels when they faced problems over the quality or price of goods and services. In April 1974 the Consumer Council was established as a statutory body to protect consumer rights. It tests and researches consumer goods and services and promotes consumer education, and it has since become the territory's main body handling consumer affairs. Its reports and studies have informed public debate and policy.
Source Consumer Council history（Consumer Council） · official publication
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1975 · 鰂魚涌（東區）
Taikoo Shing begins construction on the former Taikoo Dockyard site, a large private housing estate.
Memory The first block Tung Ting Mansion went on sale in 1977 on the former dockyard site.
Background The Taikoo Dockyard had operated at Quarry Bay since the late nineteenth century, but shipbuilding there declined after the Second World War, and the cleared site was taken up by Swire Properties for housing. Construction began in 1975, with the first block, Tung Ting Mansion, going on sale in 1977. Planned as an integrated estate that combined homes, shops and open space, Taikoo Shing offered a degree of self-containment then unusual for private housing and became a reference for later Hong Kong estates.
Source Swire Properties: History & Milestones — Taikoo Shing（Swire Properties） · official publication
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1975 · 油尖旺（旺角通菜街）
The Urban Council establishes a hawker permitted zone on Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok, nicknamed the "Ladies Market".
Memory The permitted hawker zone runs along a stretch of Tung Choi Street and, dominated by women's clothing and accessories, ranks with Temple Street as one of Hong Kong's signature open-air markets.
Background In 1975 the Urban Council set up a hawker permitted zone on Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok, grouping street hawkers under regulation and forming the Tung Choi Street market. As it mainly sold women's clothing and accessories in its early years, it became popularly known as the Ladies Market. Creating permitted zones responded to widespread street hawking and brought the open-air market under supervision, and the site ranks with Temple Street as one of Hong Kong's signature open-air markets.
Source LegCo: hawker permitted zones (Ladies Market / Temple Street)（Legislative Council of Hong Kong） · official publication
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1975 · 油尖旺（油麻地廟街）
The Government designates a hawker permitted zone on Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei, nicknamed the "poor man's night club".
Memory The licensed hawker area on Temple Street became a night market famed for fortune-telling, songs and snacks, dubbed the poor man's nightclub.
Background In 1975 the government designated a hawker permitted zone on Temple Street in Yau Ma Tei, bringing street hawking there under regulation and forming the Temple Street night market. The market became famed for fortune-telling, singing and snacks, and because of its low prices and lively evenings it was nicknamed the poor man's night club. Setting up permitted zones continued the Urban Council's hawker policy of the time and made Temple Street, like the Ladies Market, one of Hong Kong's signature open-air markets.
Source LegCo: hawker permitted zones (Ladies Market / Temple Street)（Legislative Council of Hong Kong） · official publication
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1975 · 葵青
Princess Margaret Hospital is established in 1975, a key hospital and infectious-disease centre of the Kowloon West cluster.
Memory Located in Kwai Tsing, it played a central role in infectious-disease care during outbreaks.
Background Princess Margaret Hospital was established in 1975 in the Kwai Tsing area as a key hospital of the Kowloon West cluster under the Hospital Authority and one of its infectious-disease centres. It played a central role in the concentrated treatment of patients during infectious-disease outbreaks, including the COVID-19 pandemic. As a large public hospital, it provides acute and specialist services to residents of Kwai Tsing and the surrounding districts of the western New Territories. The Hospital Authority records only the year 1975.
Source HA Kowloon West Cluster: Princess Margaret Hospital（Hospital Authority） · official publication
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1976
The Country Parks Ordinance is enacted, establishing the statutory framework for country parks and special areas.
Memory The ordinance gave a legal basis for country and special areas, under which parks such as Shing Mun and Lion Rock were designated.
Background In 1976 the Country Parks Ordinance was enacted, formally establishing the statutory framework for country parks and special areas. The ordinance gave a legal basis for country and special areas, allowing the government to designate and protect countryside areas in law. Hong Kong subsequently designated parks such as Shing Mun and Lion Rock, giving countryside conservation a stable institutional footing. A LegCo research paper records this year as the starting point of Hong Kong's protected-areas system.
Source LegCo research: Country parks and protected areas in Hong Kong（Legislative Council） · official publication
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1976-03-28 · 灣仔區
The inaugural Hong Kong International Rugby Sevens takes place at the Government Stadium.
Memory Starting with a handful of teams, it grew into an internationally known sevens tournament held each March.
Background On 28 March 1976 the inaugural Hong Kong International Rugby Sevens was held at the Government Stadium. Starting with only a handful of teams and a modest scale, it grew into an internationally known sevens tournament held every March in Hong Kong. Drawing teams from around the world, the Hong Kong Sevens is one of the city's traditional sporting fixtures and a leading example of Hong Kong hosting an international event.
Source Hong Kong China Rugby: HK Sevens 50th (inaugural 28 Mar 1976)（Hong Kong China Rugby） · official publication
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1976-08-11
The new General Post Office opens; three months later the old GPO building is demolished.
Memory The old 1911 building was demolished and the World-Wide House built on the site.
Background The new General Post Office opened on 11 August 1976, taking over from the old building completed in 1911 at the corner of Pedder Street and Des Voeux Road. About three months after the new building began operating, the old GPO was demolished and the World-Wide House was later built on the site. The move reflected a reorganisation of Central's core functions and served the needs of MTR Central station construction; the surrounding area of Central continued to be rebuilt with commercial towers and railway works.
Source History of the old General Post Office（Hongkong Post） · official publication
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1977 · 灣仔
The Hong Kong Arts Centre is established in Wan Chai, a multi-disciplinary venue dedicated to contemporary arts.
Memory Founded by local cultural figures with theatres, galleries and a cinema, it has been a launchpad for many local artists.
Background The Hong Kong Arts Centre was established in Wan Chai in 1977 as Hong Kong's first multi-venue institution devoted to promoting contemporary arts. Organised by local cultural figures, it houses theatres, galleries and a cinema that provide space for display and performance across art forms. Over the years it has been a launchpad for many local artists and has played a role in nurturing and exchanging ideas within the local arts scene. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department's Hong Kong fact sheet confirms its 1977 establishment, though the exact date is unverified.
Source LCSD: Hong Kong Fact Sheet — Arts and Culture（Leisure and Cultural Services Department） · official publication
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1977 · 大嶼山（離島區）
The Government grants the Discovery Bay land on Lantau to a developer for a large residential complex.
Memory Executive Council was briefed in Dec 1973, land granted 1977, Master Layout Plan approved Jan 1978.
Background In 1977 the Government granted land at Discovery Bay on Lantau to a developer for a large residential complex. The Executive Council had been briefed on the basic concept as early as December 1973, and a Master Layout Plan was approved in January 1978. The land grant was later examined by the Audit Commission, showing that Discovery Bay's development involved arrangements between the Government and the developer from the planning stage onwards.
Source Audit Commission: Discovery Bay Land Grant（Audit Commission） · official publication
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1977 · 灣仔
The Hong Kong Arts Centre is founded as a non-profit arts venue and organisation.
Memory On Harbour Road in Wan Chai, it is a non-profit body promoting contemporary art and nurturing local artists.
Background In 1977 the Hong Kong Arts Centre was founded on Harbour Road in Wan Chai as a non-profit arts organisation combining performance and exhibition venues with wider programmes. Its stated aims are to promote contemporary art and to nurture local artists. As a non-profit body, it provided a dedicated space for exhibitions, performances and exchange, supporting the growth of the arts in Hong Kong and bringing venues, an organisation and a platform together under one roof for artists and audiences alike.
Source Hong Kong Arts Centre: History（Hong Kong Arts Centre） · official publication
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1977 · 黃竹坑（南區）
Ocean Park officially opens in January 1977, Hong Kong's first major theme park.
Memory Built at HK$150m funded by the Jockey Club on free government land, with further funds allocated for a second phase.
Background Ocean Park officially opened in January 1977, with the Governor presiding at the ceremony, becoming Hong Kong's first major theme park. It was built at a cost of HK$150 million, funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club on land provided free of charge by the government. Further funds were later allocated for a second phase of expansion. As the city's first large-scale theme park, it opened up a new model for local entertainment and tourism, and it has since remained a major attraction for residents and visitors.
Source Ocean Park Corporation: General Facts（Ocean Park Corporation） · official publication
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1977 · 中環（香港大會堂）
The inaugural Hong Kong International Film Festival is held in 1977 at Hong Kong City Hall, among Asia's oldest international film festivals.
Memory Launched under the Urban Council, marking the start of Hong Kong's film culture and international exchange.
Background The inaugural Hong Kong International Film Festival was held in 1977 at Hong Kong City Hall under the Urban Council, and it is among Asia's oldest international film festivals (its first year is inferred from the organiser's own description and the number of editions). The festival brought films from around the world to local audiences and created a platform for Hong Kong's film culture and international exchange. It has continued annually and is now organised by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, remaining a fixture for the local film industry and audiences.
Source Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS)（Hong Kong International Film Festival Society） · official publication
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1977-01-10 · 南區
Ocean Park officially opens, becoming Hong Kong's most iconic theme park.
Memory Built with government and Jockey Club support, it opened with an ocean theatre and cable car as Hong Kong's first large theme park.
Background Officially opened in January 1977, Ocean Park was built with government and Jockey Club support and was Hong Kong's first large theme park. Early draws included an ocean theatre and a cable car, attracting local and overseas visitors. Located in the Southern District and combining animal displays, education and rides, it has long been Hong Kong's most iconic theme park and a key local tourist attraction for residents and visitors alike.
Source Ocean Park: 40th anniversary release (opened 10 Jan 1977)（Ocean Park Corporation） · official publication
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1978 · 屯門區
Tuen Mun Road opens in phases, Hong Kong's first grade-separated rural expressway.
Memory The first phase carried only three lanes shared both ways until full three-lane dual carriageway opened in May 1983.
Background Tuen Mun Road was Hong Kong's first rural expressway designed with grade-separated limited access, opening in phases from May 1978 to link the Tuen Mun new town with the urban area. Its first phase carried only three lanes shared in both directions, and full three-lane dual carriageway came only in May 1983. The road sharply cut travelling time between Tuen Mun, Tsuen Wan and Kowloon; as new-town residents moved in, traffic kept rising and it became a key artery for the north-west New Territories.
Source Highways Dept: Tuen Mun Road (partially opened May 1978)（Highways Department） · official publication
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1978 · 沙田區
The Sha Tin Racecourse opens as the main venue for modern horse racing.
Memory Replacing Happy Valley as the main racing venue with grandstands and tracks, it became the heart of Hong Kong racing.
Background Opened in 1978, the Sha Tin Racecourse replaced Happy Valley as the main venue for modern horse racing in Hong Kong. With large grandstands and tracks and operated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, it became the heart of local racing. The new course allowed races to be held in a much larger space as the sport grew, while Happy Valley continued to stage racing, including evening meetings, and remains in use today.
Source HKJC history (Sha Tin Racecourse opened 1978)（The Hong Kong Jockey Club） · official publication
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1978 · 西貢（萬宜）
High Island Reservoir completes with a capacity over 280 million cubic metres, the largest reservoir in Hong Kong.
Memory Built in Sai Kung by damming a bay, it is Hong Kong's largest reservoir by capacity.
Background High Island Reservoir was completed in 1978 in Sai Kung, formed by damming a bay, and has a capacity of more than 280 million cubic metres, making it the largest reservoir in Hong Kong. Its capacity exceeded that of earlier reservoirs, and it became one of the city's main water storage facilities, helping to meet the steadily growing demand for water in the urban areas and the New Territories. Its completion also marked the achievements of a series of large post-war water supply projects.
Source Waterworks milestones and heritage（Water Supplies Department） · official publication
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1978 · 全港（居者有其屋）
The Housing Authority launches the first phase of the Home Ownership Scheme in 1978, opening up home purchase for public housing tenants.
Memory The first batch included six courts such as Sui Wo Court, helping tenants and middle-income families buy homes.
Background In 1978 the Housing Authority launched the first phase of the Home Ownership Scheme, offering six courts for sale, including Sui Wo Court in Sha Tin. The scheme created a ladder to home ownership for public housing tenants and middle-income families. It allowed eligible households to buy subsidised flats for their own occupation, bridging the gap between rented public housing and the private market. The Home Ownership Scheme has since become an important part of Hong Kong's housing policy in the decades that followed.
Source HA: 50th anniversary commemorative publication (Home Ownership Scheme)（Hong Kong Housing Authority） · official publication
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1978-05 · 荃灣／屯門
The first section of Tuen Mun Road opens linking Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun; the full route is completed in May 1983.
Memory Running along the western New Territories coast between Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun, it became the new town's main link once completed.
Background In May 1978 the first section of Tuen Mun Road opened, linking Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun, with the full route completed in May 1983. Running along the western coast of the New Territories, the road became the main link between the Tuen Mun new town and the rest of the territory. For residents of the new town it long served as the principal route to and from urban Kowloon, supporting the growth of Tuen Mun by giving it a direct road connection.
Source HyD: New Territories roads（Highways Department） · official publication
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1978-10-20 · 南區（大浪灣·石澳）
The Big Wave Bay rock carving is declared a monument on 20 Oct 1978, an ancient carving of coastal inhabitants.
Memory At Big Wave Bay in Shek O, it is an ancient rock carving left by early coastal dwellers on the Island.
Background The Big Wave Bay rock carving was declared a monument on 20 October 1978. Located on the coast of Hong Kong Island at Shek O, it is an ancient carving left by early inhabitants and offers a clue to life by the sea. Such carvings are among the few traces of the territory's earliest inhabitants. The Antiquities and Monuments Office has placed a number of such carvings in the territory under statutory protection, and this is one of them. Big Wave Bay lies on the Island's southern coast near Shek O.
Source AMO: ancient rock carvings（Antiquities and Monuments Office） · official publication
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1979 · 旺角（油尖旺）
The first section of the MTR "Modified Initial System" (forerunner of the Kwun Tong Line) enters passenger service, passing through Mong Kok.
Memory Covering only urban Kowloon at first, it drew crowds queuing overnight for tickets as Hong Kong's first underground railway.
Background The first section of the MTR 'Modified Initial System', the forerunner of the Kwun Tong Line, entered passenger service at the end of 1979, passing through Mong Kok. As Hong Kong's first underground railway, it initially covered only parts of urban Kowloon, and crowds queued overnight to buy tickets. The railway changed how Kowloon residents travelled around the city, and Mong Kok's position as a hub of foot traffic was reinforced by the line running through it. The precise opening date of Mong Kok station has not been confirmed by a first-hand official source.
Source Transport and Logistics Bureau: Brief History of the MTR（Transport and Logistics Bureau） · official publication
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1979 · 中西區（中環都爹利街）
The Duddell Street steps and gas lamps are declared a monument in 1979, the last working gas street lamps in Hong Kong.
Memory The gas lamps beside the Duddell Street steps are Hong Kong's only working gas street lamps, hence the name Gas Lamp Street.
Background The Duddell Street steps and their gas lamps were declared a monument in 1979. The steps were built around 1883, and the gas lamps beside them are Hong Kong's only working gas street lamps, which is why the spot is known as Gas Lamp Street. Gas lighting was once common in the city before electric lighting took over, and the lamps are still lit daily, a rare survival of nineteenth-century street furniture. Their protection under the law kept this set of street features in place.
Source AMO: Duddell Street steps and gas lamps (declared monument)（Antiquities and Monuments Office） · official publication
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1979-01 · 大埔區
Tai Po is upgraded to a new town, one of Hong Kong's second-generation new towns.
Memory Centred on Tai Po town and the Tai Po Industrial Estate, it marked Tai Po's shift from market town to new town.
Background In January 1979 Tai Po was upgraded to a new town, one of Hong Kong's second-generation new towns. Centred on Tai Po town and the Tai Po Industrial Estate, it integrated housing, industry and community facilities in a single plan. This marked Tai Po's shift from a traditional market town to a new town, matching local population growth and industrial development and gradually shaping the town as it is today.
Source PlanD: Tai Po (upgraded to a new town Jan 1979)（Planning Department） · official publication
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1979-01-26 · 西貢（東龍洲）
The Tung Lung Chau rock carving is declared a monument on 26 Jan 1979, the largest existing ancient carving in Hong Kong.
Memory On Tung Lung Chau in Sai Kung, it is Hong Kong's largest surviving ancient rock carving, with brush-like motifs.
Background The Tung Lung Chau rock carving was declared a monument on 26 January 1979. On Tung Lung Chau in Sai Kung, it is the largest surviving ancient carving in Hong Kong, with brush-like motifs. It was already recorded in the 1819 Xin'an County Gazetteer, showing that the site was known long ago. The announcement was made under the law as Legal Notice L.N. 34/1979, and the declaration gave this early relic statutory protection. Tung Lung Chau lies in the eastern waters of Hong Kong.
Source AMO: ancient rock carvings（Antiquities and Monuments Office） · official publication
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1979-04-27 · 離島（蒲台島西南岸）
The Po Toi Island rock carvings are declared a monument on 27 Apr 1979, ancient carvings left by coastal inhabitants.
Memory On the southwest shore of Po Toi, its geometric motifs reflect the maritime life of early inhabitants.
Background The rock carvings on the southwest shore of Po Toi Island were declared a monument on 27 April 1979. Their geometric and animal-like motifs reflect the maritime life of early inhabitants, and they lie on the island's southwest coast. Po Toi lies off the southern tip of Hong Kong, an area long used by coastal communities. Their declaration brought them within the territory's system of statutory protection, and they are among several ancient carvings protected in Hong Kong. Such carvings are rare records of the area's earliest inhabitants.
Source AMO: ancient rock carvings（Antiquities and Monuments Office） · official publication
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1979-08-02 · 香港
Typhoon Hope hits Hong Kong; the No.10 signal is issued.
Memory Hope tracked close to Hong Kong and brought a No.10 signal, a rare event in the 1970s.
Background Typhoon Hope struck Hong Kong on 2 August 1979 and brought the No.10 hurricane signal, a rare event in the 1970s. Hope tracked close to Hong Kong, so the territory was directly affected by hurricane-force winds. While the No.10 signal was in force, people had to stay off the streets and public transport and ferry services were adjusted, disrupting the day's normal activity. The 1979 storm is remembered for its close approach and the widespread disruption it caused.
Source Hong Kong Observatory: report on Severe Typhoon Haikui (2311)（Hong Kong Observatory） · official publication
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1979-10-01 · 觀塘區
The first MTR line, the Modified Initial System, enters service with Kwun Tong as the eastern terminus.
Memory The first section ran from Shek Kip Mei to Kwun Tong and was extended year by year, crossing the harbour to Central in 1980.
Background On 1 October 1979 Hong Kong's first metro line, the Modified Initial System, entered service, with Kwun Tong as its eastern terminus and an initial section running from Shek Kip Mei to Kwun Tong. It was the territory's first mass-transit railway and changed how residents of eastern Kowloon travelled, away from reliance on buses and ferries. The system was extended year by year and crossed the harbour to Central in 1980.
Source MTR annual report: Modified Initial System opens 1 Oct 1979（MTR Corporation） · official publication
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1979-10-12
Governor Murray MacLehose announces the Ten-Year Housing Programme, aiming to provide housing for 1.8 million people within a decade.
Memory The plan drove large-scale new-town and public housing construction and reshaped Hong Kong's housing.
Background On 12 October 1979 Governor Murray MacLehose announced the Ten-Year Housing Programme, which aimed to provide housing for 1.8 million people within a decade. The programme drove large-scale construction of new towns and public housing and reshaped Hong Kong's housing landscape. It was a major policy response to the housing needs of the time and helped to push forward the development of new towns in the years that followed. The programme set out a clear target and timeframe for building homes for a large share of the population.
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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