“Hong Kong and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals during the Japanese Occupation Period from a Spatial History Perspective” Public Thematic Talk

Publication Date: 2025-03-25

Organised by TWGHs Records and Heritage Office

Speaker: Dr Kwong Chi Man (Associate Professor, Department of History, Hong Kong Baptist University)

Date: 22 February 2025 (Saturday)

“Hong Kong and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals during the Japanese Occupation Period from a Spatial History Perspective” Public Thematic Talk

On 8 December 1941, Japan invaded Hong Kong, and just 17 days later, on 25 December, the city fell, ushering in the “Three Years and Eight Months” Japanese Occupation period. This period brought profound disruption to Hong Kong, with its political, social and economic fabric severely shaken. In the midst of these trying times, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, the region's largest Chinese charity, faced unprecedented difficulties. Relying solely on Tung Wah Hospital and Kwong Wah Hospital, it struggled to maintain even limited medical and social services and stood in solidarity with Hong Kong to weather the crisis.

In 2022, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals funded a project led by Dr Kwong Chi Man, Associate Professor in the Department of History at Hong Kong Baptist University, to initiate the "Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong 1942-1945 Spatial History Research Project". The outcome, an online geospatial map now publicly available at https://digital.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/japanese_occupation_of_hongkong/, integrates a rich collection of historical records from the Japanese Occupation period. Covering Hong Kong's politics, economy, society, public health and the pivotal role of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, the map is an essential tool for understanding wartime Hong Kong. To further illustrate this history, TWGHs Records and Heritage Office invited Dr Kwong Chi Man to give a public lecture on Saturday, 22 February 2025.