Before the Rules: Daily Life in Colonial Hong Kong 1970s

What was everyday life like in colonial Hong Kong before the rules arrived? In the 1960s and 70s, firemen asked for "tea money" before turning on their hoses, firecrackers filled the streets at Lunar New Year, and people smoked on trams, in cinemas and at wedding banquets. All of it was completely normal. In this episode of Hong Kong Files: Streets, we open the file on 8 everyday habits from old Hong Kong that would be unthinkable today, and uncover why they were normal in the first place. From the Godber corruption scandal and the birth of the ICAC, to the 1967 riots, the illegal minibuses that became the red public light bus, the unlicensed dentists of Kowloon Walled City and the Cross-Harbour swim in Victoria Harbour. This is the story of a refugee city that grew from 600,000 people to over 3 million in just 16 years, and learned to live in its own way. If you grew up in Hong Kong, or your parents did, we'd love to hear which of these you remember. Tell us in the comments. 📖 Coming soon: The Hong Kong We Remember, our book with all the stories, details and memories that never fit into a video. Subscribe so you don't miss the launch. 🔔 Subscribe to Hong Kong Files: Streets for more stories of old Hong Kong: the streets, the food, the people and the everyday life of the 1950s to the 1990s. #HongKong #OldHongKong #HongKongHistory