How did Hong Kong’s public transport system become so celebrated?
As the city has grown into the global metropolis we recognise today, its transport systems have similarly evolved with it
Hong Kong is known globally for the ease, efficiency and convenience of its celebrated public transport system which carries millions of people every day across islands, countryside and dense urban areas.
As the city grew from its earliest origins as a secluded fishing village into the global metropolis we recognise today, its transport systems have similarly evolved with it.
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For centuries, Hong Kong was a major entrepôt of the east, acting as a stopping point and exchange hub for ships coming from far and wide. But as for transportation around the city, people mostly relied on unsophisticated methods such as rickshaws and sedan chairs until the introduction of the Peak Tram in 1888, which was followed by other forms of mass public transit.
Over the years, numerous developments in transport have showcased the resourcefulness and creativity of Hongkongers. City Weekend takes a look at some.
Rickshaws and sedan chairs
Sedan chairs, carried by two people on their shoulders, were a common way of getting around the steep stair-laden streets of colonial Hong Kong, and continued being in use until the late 1950s. However, their popularity waned when man-pulled rickshaws were first introduced from Japan in the last decades of the 19th century. Since they only needed one person instead of two to operate, rickshaws proved to be a cheaper and more efficient mode of transport for ordinary citizens. As a result, they were regarded as that time period’s equivalent of a modern-day taxi.