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HISTORY
The Government has embarked on a large-scale reconstruction of the Colony's road network; more rigorous traffic controls have been introduced in the face of public demand for transport serv- ices and the big increase in the number of private cars. The railway has changed from steam to diesel-electric traction. The airport has a runway 8,340 feet long, built on a promontory reach- ing out into Kowloon Bay and capable of meeting the needs of the biggest aircraft yet in service. Further extensions are planned to cope with the coming Jumbo jets. Airline passengers, many of them tourists from overseas, have in turn created a demand for more and better hotel accommodation, and for sightseeing and shopping facili- ties, and night-time entertainment.
Postal and telecommunication services have set new records in the traffic handled. Wired and wireless radio and television has developed as a principal part of the Colony's entertainment. There are many modern cinemas. Parks, playgrounds and well-supervised bathing beaches are only a few of the outdoor amenities which the public at large enjoy.
A pulsating tempo is apparent in every aspect of Hong Kong's daily life. But it is the growth of local industry, which came into being to replace the traditional entrepôt trade of the Colony, that has been the most significant feature-after population growth— in the Colony's history in the post-war years. Recent developments in this field are detailed in Chapter 1.
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