25/3/2009 – 29/6/2009

1/F Lobby, Hong Kong Museum of History

Soon after the cession of Hong Kong Island in 1842, various projects of urban infrastructure got underway. After the territory's first road, Queen's Road, was completed on the north coast of Hong Kong Island, the area along the coast of Victoria Harbour was developed, and in the late 19th century the urbanised area that included present-day Sai Wan, Sheung Wan, Central and Wan Chai (formerly Ha Wan) was named City of Victoria. Central was the heart of political and economic life in Hong Kong at the time ; European-styled buildings were constructed next to the sea and on the hills. Most Chinese people lived in Sai Wan and Sheung Wan, in Chinese-styled buildings called "tenement houses". Decent residential development, as well as warehouses, could be found near the coast in Ha Wan. City of Victoria was then known to Chinese people as "Four Wan and Nine Yeuk". By introducing our museum's photo collection with captions, we showed you the development of these places from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century.