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From our archives

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From our archives
How the South China Morning Post covered occasions, news, happenings and events big and small since its founding in 1903
Ship ahoy ... the Sail Training Association of Japan’s full-masted brigantine, the Kaisei, visits Hong Kong to drum up support for an Asian society of novice sailors, in 1994. Photo: SCMP Archives
History

In Pictures: majestic sailing ships that made Hong Kong a port of call

Hong Kong waters have long attracted some of the world’s most impressive sailing boats, harking back to the days when wind power ruled the waves.

Netflix

On This Day | Netflix launches in Hong Kong in 2016 – from the SCMP archive

Mainland China

On This Day | ‘No mission impossible’: first Hongkonger to reach North, South Poles – SCMP archive

Swimming

Hong Kong swimmers braving the cold on New Year’s Day, from the 1970s to 2000s

A perennial test of courage, the city’s New Year Winter Swimming Lifesaving Championships race celebrates its 50th year in 2026.

Young participants in the 1978 New Year Winter Swimming Lifesaving Championships organised by the Hong Kong Life Guard Club, now called the Hong Kong Life Saving Society. Photo: SCMP Archives
Christmas

In pictures: Hong Kong’s parties of Christmas (and New Year’s) past

The festive season is a good excuse to let your hair down – and Hongkongers do love to party.

Christmas

In pictures: Hong Kong’s Christmas festivities, from the 1970s to 90s

In the late 20th century, Hong Kong transformed into a hub of festive cheer with bright lights, seasonal decor and plenty of Christmas treats.

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Hong Kong society

On This Day | Hong Kong’s Mandatory Provident Fund launches in 2000 – from the SCMP archive

On this day 25 years ago, Hong Kong implemented its Mandatory Provident Fund scheme, requiring employees and employers to make monthly contributions.

Hong Kong’s MPF scheme was implemented on December 1, 2000. Photo: Eugene Lee
Princess Diana

On This Day | ‘I knew about Charles’ lover’: Princess Diana’s 1995 admission – SCMP archive

Thirty years ago, Princess Diana made the revelation on national TV: ‘There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded’.

Hong Kong

In pictures: when textiles drove the golden age of ‘Made in Hong Kong’

The textile and garment industry was the engine that drove Hong Kong’s economic rise from backwater to boomtown.

Hong Kong transport

On This Day | Hong Kong discontinues trial all-night tram service in 1990 – SCMP archive

On November 10, 1990, Hong Kong Tramways put a stop to the trial service after receiving noise complaints from district boards.

A tram passes Lee Theatre on Percival Street, Causeway Bay, in March 1991. Photo: Robert Ng
Photography

In pictures: sports icons in Hong Kong, from Pelé to Serena Williams

From Kobe Bryant to Diego Maradona, these global sports stars found inspiration, fans and unforgettable moments in Hong Kong.

Football legend Pele in action for his team Santos in an exhibition game against British side Newcastle at the Hongkong Stadium in 1972. Photo: SCMP Archives
Halloween

In pictures: how Hong Kong made Halloween its own

From street parties to theme park parades, Hong Kong has transformed Halloween into a night of playful spectacle.

China’s one-child policy

On This Day | In 2015, China announces end to one-child policy – from the SCMP archive

Ten years ago, Chinese officials revealed they were ending the controversial one-child policy in a bid to reverse slowing population growth.

History

In pictures: When 40,000 people queued for stamps in Hong Kong

From Queen Elizabeth’s 60th birthday to the 1997 handover, limited-edition stamps captured the city’s history in miniature.

Eager philatelists in Hong Kong carefully stick a set of stamps onto first-day covers inside a post office in 1986. The stamps were issued to commemorate the Queen’s 60th birthday. Photo: SCMP Archives
Hong Kong

In pictures: Sheung Wan’s Tai Tat Tei, or ‘Poor Man’s Nightclub’

Before Sheung Wan’s Tai Tat Tei was cleared for reclamation, it was where fortune-tellers, opera singers and hawkers gathered nightly.

Hungry tourists at one of Tai Tat Tei’s lively open-air restaurants in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, in 1986. Photo: SCMP Archives
Hong Kong

On This Day | Awe and wonder as Hong Kong Space Museum opens in 1980 – SCMP archive

On October 7, 1980, the landmark Tsim Sha Tsui building with its distinctive egg-shaped dome was officially opened.

Mid-Autumn Festival

In pictures: Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations from the 1970s to 90s

Mooncakes, lanterns and fire dragon dances have long been hallmarks of this festival marking the full moon at the end of harvest season.

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Hong Kong

In pictures: when Ocean Terminal welcomed the world, from the 1960s to the 90s

Ocean Terminal was visited by Queen Elizabeth, with the most luxurious cruise liners and navy ships alike docking at the pier.

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip tour Ocean Terminal in 1975. Immediately behind them is Governor Murray MacLehose. Photo: SCMP Archives
Hong Kong entertainment

On This Day | Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love opens in Hong Kong in 2000 – SCMP archive

On September 29, 2000, the Hong Kong director’s celebrated cinematic love story was screened in theatres across the city for the first time.

First Mention

When the London Philharmonic Orchestra came to Hong Kong and Asia

The LPO performed in Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila, Seoul and Tokyo, with John Pritchard and Jerzy Semkow taking turns conducting.

Hong Kong weather

On This Day | When Typhoon Wanda wreaked havoc on Hong Kong in 1962 – SCMP archive

On September 1, 1962, Hong Kong experienced one of its deadliest typhoons, which killed 130 people and left 52 missing.

Flooded Queen’s Road after Typhoon Wanda hit Hong Kong on September 1, 1962. Photo: Information Services Department
Hong Kong weather

On This Day | Super Typhoon Rose claims 110 lives in Hong Kong in 1971 – SCMP archive

Super Typhoon Rose hit Hong Kong in August 1971, killing 110 people and causing the collapse of a housing estate.

Typhoon Rose plunged Kowloon into blackness for more than two hours, on August 16, 1971 causing houses to collapse and threatening extensive flooding in low-lying areas. Eighty-six people were hurt in the typhoon. Photo: Chan Kiu
Hong Kong weather

On This Day | When Typhoon Hope battered Hong Kong in 1979, killing 12 people – SCMP archive

Hong Kong was hit by Typhoon Hope in August 1979, resulting in 12 deaths and widespread economic damage across the city.

History

In pictures: what Hong Kong’s mobile phones of the 1980s and 90s looked like

Oversized, aspirational and impossible to ignore. First-gen mobile phones in Hong Kong were, most of all, status symbols.

Hong Kong

In pictures: when the Light Rail Transit system transformed transport

The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) opened the LRT in 1988, providing the New Territories with more convenient transport besides buses or minibuses.

People wait to board the Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Yuen Long on its first day of operation, September 18, 1988. Photo: SCMP Archives
First Mention

When a sculptor designed a first-of-its-kind playground for Hong Kong kids

American artist Paul Selinger created huge sculptures for children to climb on and explore in the 1960s.

Shek Lei Playground in Kwai Chung, Hong Kong, in 1970, designed by American artist Paul Selinger. Photo: courtesy Information Services Department
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

In pictures: when Disneyland opened in Hong Kong in 2005

Jacky Cheung goofed around with Mickey Mouse at the park’s castle topping ceremony, and fans queued for the Orbitron ride on opening day on September 12, 2005.

Hong Kong culture

In pictures: the underworld’s gates open for Hungry Ghost Festival

Incense fills the streets and bamboo theatres are erected ... here’s a look at how Hong Kong has marked the return of the spirits over the years.

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