"Vicissitudes of History : Early Development of Yau Ma Tei" in Talk Series of "Traces of Yau Ma Tei: Life of the Early Chinese People"

Organised by Tung Wah Museum and In assoication with Hong Kong Museum of History

"Traces of Yau Ma Tei: Life of the Early Chinese People" Talk Series

As early as the 1870s, many Chinese people lived in Yau Ma Tei, most of them working class and boat people. The population continued to grow at the turn of the 20th century, driving the development of Yau Ma Tei and nearby areas. In 1904, Tung Wah Hospital established a free school in Temple Street to provide education for school-age children; subsequently in 1911, Kwong Wah Hospital, the first hospital in Kowloon, was founded in Yau Ma Tei in response to the government's proposal to provide Chinese and Western medical services to Chinese people. Over time, the area has changed substantially as the government’s urban planning efforts called for reclamation works in Yau Ma Tei – its landscape today is much different from the past. Making use of invaluable historical images and archives, this talk series will explore the development of mass education and healthcare services in Yau Ma Tei, share stories of the area, and examine the life of the Chinese people.

First talk: "Vicissitudes of History: Early Development of Yau Ma Tei" (Delivered in hybrid mode)

The development of Yau Ma Tei began in the 1860s. After the devastating typhoon in 1874, the government redeveloped the area and Yau Ma Tei was the first town on the Kowloon peninsula built using modern urban planning concepts. Through historical maps and photographs, the speaker will narrate the rise of this Chinese community.

Speaker : Mr KO Tim Keung (Researcher on Hong Kong History)

* The talk is held in Hong Kong Museum of History on 20 May 2023 (Sat).

* The lecture will be conducted in Cantonese and delivered in hybrid mode on Hong Kong Museum of History Youtube Channel . For details, please visit the website of Hong Kong Museum of History. 

* Subject to the consent from the speakers, video archive will be available on Hong Kong Museum of History online platform "Talking History, e-GO!", please press here for further details.