The Extraordinary Black and White Photography by Nancy Sheung

Nancy Sheung (1914–1979) was a Hong Kong photographer renowned for her distinctive black and white images that often featured bold lines, geometric patterns, and female subjects. She began her photographic journey in her mid-forties after attending an exhibition of European photography in 1958, which inspired her to purchase a Rolleiflex camera and delve into the art form.

Her work is characterized by meticulous composition, harmonizing stripes, diamond shapes, and curves with feminine figures. One of her notable pieces, “The Pigtail” (1966), features her 13-year-old daughter in a carefully staged setting dominated by black and white stripes, creating a striking visual effect.

Sheung was an active member of the Photographic Society of Hong Kong, eventually becoming its vice-president in the 1970s. She also achieved a Fellowship with the Royal Photographic Society in 1971, reflecting her international recognition.

Nancy Sheung’s legacy endures through her evocative images that capture the essence of Hong Kong life in the 1960s and 1970s, blending architectural elements with human subjects to create compelling compositions.

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Hong Kong in the 1950s Through Fascinating Color Photos

Life in Hong Kong during the 1950s was marked by rapid growth, a blend of cultures, and significant social change. Following the end of World War II and the Chinese Civil War, the city saw an influx of refugees from mainland China, dramatically increasing its population. This created a bustling, multicultural environment where Cantonese traditions coexisted with Western influences under British colonial rule.

For many, daily life revolved around crowded streets, open-air markets, and small, family-run businesses. The economy began to shift towards industrialization, with manufacturing—especially in textiles and garments—becoming the backbone of the economy. The city was also known for its vibrant street life, with busy markets, hawkers, and a growing consumer culture.

The 1950s also saw the rise of Hong Kong cinema, which became a key part of the city’s cultural identity, and the early beginnings of what would become a strong middle class. For many, life in the 1950s was a time of hard work and survival, but also opportunity, as Hong Kong slowly emerged as an economic hub in Asia.

These fascinating color photos were found by m20wc51 that taken in Hong Kong by an unknown Officer aboard the USS Princeton, CV-37, in 1957.

Johnston Road, the Connaught Aerated Water Company Limited at Queen's Road East, the alley is Li Chit Street, Hong Kong, 1957

At the Star Ferry, Hong Kong, 1957

Bank of China, Hong Kong, 1957

Entrance to Tiger Balm Garden, Hong Kong, 1957

Hong Kong Harbor from the Tiger Balm Garden, 1957

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The Queen of Canto-Pop: 30 Nostalgic Photos Show Faye Wong’s Style During the 1990s

Hailed as “the Queen of Canto-Pop,” Faye Wong (born 1969) is not only one of China’s most successful musicians, but one of the country’s most-beloved celebrities. Over the course of her three decade-long career, the singer has forged her own unwaveringly unique brand of Canto-pop, incorporating elements of alternative sub-genres, from dream pop to trip-hop, and, of course, her set of distinctively sweet vocals.

One of the biggest pop stars in the Chinese-speaking world, Wong has also gained followings in Japan and Southeast Asia. In the West she is perhaps best known for starring in Wong Kar-wai’s films Chungking Express (1994) and 2046 (2004). While she has collaborated with international acts such as Cocteau Twins, Wong has recorded only a few songs in English, including “Eyes on Me” (1999), the theme song of the video game Final Fantasy VIII (1999).

Also distinct about Faye is her singular personal style, from her ultra avant-garde stage outfits (which take in directional garments from Vivienne Westwood to the Antwerp Six) to her so-90s-it-hurts off-duty looks. While Faye is known for her unconventional stage style, her off-duty looks are chock full of some of the 1990s most recognizable trends.

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30 Fascinating Photos Capture Street Scenes of Hong Kong in 1980

1980s in Hong Kong marks a period when the territory was known for its wealth and trademark lifestyle.

Still a crown colony (later dependent territory) of the United Kingdom, Hong Kong would be recognised internationally for its politics, entertainment and skyrocketing real estate prices. It would also go on to be the subject of intense negotiations between Britain and China, which would be resolved in the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

These fascinating photos were taken by Torfaen Corvine that show street scenes of Hong Kong in late 1980.

Royal Hong Kong Police Land Rover, Fanling, New Territories, Hong Kong, 1980

Royal Hong Kong Police vehicle, Fanling, New Territories, Hong Kong, 1980

A boy of the Tanka People, boat dwelling fishermen often referred to by the Chinese and the British as "sea gypsies", Aberdeen Harbour, Hong Kong, 1980

Aberdeen Harbour with its famous floating restaurants, Hong Kong, 1980

Canon Jade Princess, Ocean Terminal, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 1980

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Behold These Airplanes Flying Low Over Hong Kong in the 1990s

Hong Kong’s Kai Tak airport has a special place in aviation history and memories. It was located in the central built-up city area, with large widebody aircraft making a dramatic and challenging approach to land. It closed in 1998, but the memory of 747s and other large aircraft flying low over the city remains.

There may not be two other words that carry the same weight among aviation geeks as “Kai Tak.” Speak the name of Hong Kong’s old airport to anybody who fancies themselves a commercial aviation expert, and you'll inevitably hear back some version of “Oh, that landing!”

Closed in 1998 to make way for a bigger — and way easier to land at — airport, Kai Tak was famous for a fiendishly difficult approach to a runway in the middle of Kowloon Bay that forced pilots to maneuver steeply, just above the roofs of a heavily populated city, before hitting the brakes hard to avoid ending up in the water.

Think New York’s notoriously tough LaGuardia, surrounded by water and with short runways — but with mountains on one side, skyscrapers on the other, sometimes a typhoon to contend with, and with much bigger and heavier airplanes. The place was a haunt for AvGeeks who came to photograph 747s making the last turn to align with the runway, right over buildings housing thousands of people.

Kai Tak closed in July 1998, and its operations were transferred to the new Chek Lap Kok airport that inherited its three-letter HKG code, as well as its four-letter VHHH identifier. The new airport did not inherit, though, any of the problems of the old HKG. Getting in doesn’t require the same finesse while hand-flying a double-decker with 400 people in it.

Today, Kai Tak is a cruise ship terminal. Many captains who flew into it are retiring. But the images survive — taken during the last days of film photography, they are grainy look at an AvGeek wonder that went away two decades ago.

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Bruce Lee Was a Passionate Cha-Cha Dancer and in 1958, He Was the Winner of the Hong Kong Cha-Cha Championship

We all know Bruce Lee for his iconic martial arts scenes in Fists of Fury and Enter the Dragon. But before he became known for his quick movements, did you know he also had formidable dance moves?

It’s rumored that Lee’s dance career began because of his interest in girls, but it quickly led to a deeper commitment. He studied dancing as industriously as he did martial arts. Wherever he went, he carried a list of 108 different cha cha steps in a notebook. In 1958, Lee won Hong Kong’s Crown Colony Cha-Cha Championship at the age of 18. He also won Hong Kong’s inter-school boxing tournament the very same year. Talk about having a diverse range of moves!

However, Lee soon found himself in trouble fighting and facing a lack of academic progress. In 1959 with just US$100 in his pocket, he boarded a steamship and headed to San Francisco. After a brief stint of teaching Kung Fu independently, he soon opened a school for Kung Fu teaching the martial arts to anyone regardless of race or gender.

In the mid-60s, Lee was discovered while giving a martial art demonstration, kickstarting his acting career in Hollywood. As a pop culture icon, Lee not only paved the way for martial arts in the west but also helped changed the way Asians were portrayed in American films.

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The Wreckage of China Airlines Flight 605 Floating in Victoria Harbor on November 4, 1993

On November 4, 1993, China Airlines Flight 605 (nicknamed “Dynasty 605”) was carrying 374 passengers and 22 crew members on a 75-minute flight from Taipei (TPE) to Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport (HKG), using a brand-new Boeing 747-400. The aircraft (B-165) was built in June of that year and had only accumulated 1,960 flight hours at the time.

The cockpit crew comprised of two pilots; a captain with nearly 12,500 flight hours under his belt and a first officer, having just over 5,700 flight hours logged. Due to a heavy storm on approach, the aircraft steered off at the end of the runway, before ditching into Victoria Harbor. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated, with 23 people facing minor injuries.

Tropical Storm Ira had surrounded the Hong Kong airport with heavy rain and strong winds. As Dynasty 605 approached HKG, 25-knot (29 mph, 46 kph) crosswinds were recorded at the runway. A few miles out, the pilots had received multiple cockpit warnings pertaining to fluctuating wind shear and glide-slope deviations.

At about 1,500 ft (152 m), the pilots noticed a discrepancy in the true airspeed, indicated by the cockpit monitor. As a result, the captain disconnected the autopilot as well as the auto-throttle and decided to manually control the heading and the speed through the remaining flight path.

Moreover, as part of the landing checklist, the pilots armed the spoilers and positioned the auto-brakes to level “2”. Despite severe crosswinds, the captain managed to land the airplane on runway 13. Shortly after touchdown, the first officer took over the controls to keep the drifting plane on the centerline.

Meanwhile, the captain intended to activate the thrust reversers but inadvertently increased the throttle. As a result, the auto-brakes got turned off, and the speed brakes got retracted, allowing the airplane to “float” down the runway. The first officer noticed the lack of thrust reversers and reacted immediately to deploy the reverse thrust and arm the speed brakes.

As the end of the runway was in sight, both pilots realized that the remaining distance was insufficient for a safe stop. To prevent a potential collision with the Approach Lighting System (ALS) of runway 31 (in the reciprocal direction), both pilots steered the aircraft towards the left, ditching the jumbo-jet into Victoria Harbor.

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Hong Kong in the Late 1950s Through Fascinating Photos

The 1950s in Hong Kong began against the chaotic backdrop of the resumption of British sovereignty after the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong ended in 1945, and the renewal of the Nationalist-Communist Civil War in mainland China. It prompted a large influx of refugees from the mainland, causing a huge population surge: from 1945 to 1951, the population grew from 600,000 to 2.1 million. The government struggled to accommodate these immigrants.

Unrest in China also prompted businesses to relocate their assets and capital from Shanghai to Hong Kong. Together with the cheap labour of the immigrants, the seeds of Hong Kong’s economic miracle in the second half of the 20th century were sown.

E. Reed was an American Engineer who had been working in Japan, installing American Equipment in Japanese powerplants. He passed through Hong Kong at least twice during 1958 to 1959. These photos were taken by E. Reed that show street scenes of Hong Kong in 1958-59.

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40 Fascinating Photographs Capture Everyday Life in Hong Hong From the Early 1970s

Hong Kong in the 1970s underwent many changes that shaped its future, led for most of the decade by its longest-serving and reform-minded Governor, Murray MacLehose. Economically, it reinvented itself from a manufacturing base into a financial centre.

People grew richer entering the 1970s. Not surprisingly, people started to look for some means of investment.

Many factors contributed to the decline of manufacturing in Hong Kong. The late 1970s saw increases in land prices. Along with the opening up of global trade with China via the 1978 economic reforms, factories were gradually relocated to the mainland, where labour costs were lower.

These fascinating photos were taken by Nick DeWolf that documented everyday life in Hong Kong in 1972.

Schoolgirls, Hong Kong, 1972

Schoolgirl, Hong Kong, 1972

Advertising posters, Hong Kong, 1972

Apartments, Hong Kong, 1972

Apartments, Hong Kong, 1972

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Hong Kong in the 1930s Through Rare Vintage Photos

Hong Kong is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta in South China. It is one of the most densely populated places in the world, and is also one of the three global financial centers and one of the most developed cities in the world.

Hong Kong in the 1930s

Originally a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages, the territory has become one of the world’s most significant financial centers and commercial ports. It is the world’s tenth-largest exporter and ninth-largest importer. Although the city has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, severe income inequality exists among the population.

Hong Kong is a highly developed territory and ranks fourth on the UN Human Development Index. The city has the largest number of skyscrapers of any city in the world, and its residents have some of the highest life expectancies in the world. The dense space has led to a highly developed transportation network with public transport rates exceeding 90%. Hong Kong is ranked 3rd in the Global Financial Centres Index.

Take a look at these rare and amazing photos to see what Hong Kong looked like in the 1930s.

Central waterfront. The old City Hall building can still be seen right behind the Supreme Court building, Hong Kong, 1930

Chater Road, Hong Kong, 1930

Connaught Road, Hong Kong, 1930

Sincere Department Store, Hong Kong, 1930

Water rationing, Hong Kong, 1930

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