212
In 1914, the opium concession had been taken over by the Hong Kong Government and a policy for the discontinuance of the trade was pursued. But its use was not fully prohibited until after World War II,
It must be stressed that much of the information recorded in this short paper was by word of mouth. Over time facts can, of course, become distorted.
Hong Kong was affected directly but little by the First World War. 'But there were great celebrations, a two-day public holiday, a victory parade and a fireworks display (which cost HK$2,000) when it was over,' Mr. Lee told me.
'We lived on the first floor of a three-storey building in Pottinger Street. There was a printing workshop on the ground floor.'
According to Mr. Lee, his home was not far from the old Victoria Theatre, which stood in Pottinger Street. This was sometimes attended by Sir Francis May, the then Governor of Hong Kong (1912 to 1919). There were more street traders in those days, shouting out and advertising their wares.
To give a further idea of what Hong Kong was like in 1920, during World War One, the number of sedan chairs peaked at 1,215; whereas the number of rickshaws did not peak until 1924, with 3,411. In 1920, private cars numbered 351, up from 24 in 1914.
I have always complimented Mr. Lee on his English. He, in turn, gives credit to his Chinese primary school teacher in Hong Kong. 'He was strict. But I learned my English grammar from him. Americans do not teach grammar,' he insists.
‘I used to delight in taking a sentence to pieces and analysing it. We also studied the 'Four (Chinese) Books.'
Because his father, as a businessman in the fields of jewellery and cosmetics, spent 10 years in Australia as a young man, there was only one other child, Mr. Lee's elder sister. Mr. Lee's father was one of the two founders of the Sincere Department Store in Hong Kong. Father died at the age of 36, and filial Mr. Lee gives great credit to his mother, ‘a remarkably capable woman. She brought us up. I owe her a lot,' he told me.
212
In 1914, the opium concession had been taken over by the Hong Kong Government and a policy for the discontinuance of the trade was pursued. But its use was not fully prohibited until after World War II,
It must be stressed that much of the information recorded in this short paper was by word of mouth. Over time facts can, of course, become distorted.
Hong Kong was affected directly but little by the First World War. 'But there were great celebrations, a two-day public holiday, a victory parade and a fireworks display (which cost HK$2,000) when it was over,' Mr. Lee told me.
'We lived on the first floor of a three-storey building in Pottinger Street There was a printing workshop on the ground floor."
According to Mr. Lee his home was not far from the old Victoria Theatre which stood in Pottinger Street. This was sometimes attended by Sir Francis May, the then Governor of Hong Kong (1912 to 1919). There were more street trades in those days, shouting out, advertising their wares.
To give a further idea what World War One Hong Kong was like in 1920, the number of sedan charis peaked at 1,215; whereas the number of richshaws did not peak until 1924, with 3,411. In 1920 private cars numbered 351, up from 24 in 1914.
I have always complimented Mr. Lee on his English. He, in turn, gives credit to his Chinese primary school teacher in Hong Kong. 'He was strict. But I learned my English grammar from him. Americans do not teach grammar,' he insists.
‘I used to delight in taking a sentence to pieces and analysing it. We also studied the 'Four (Chinese) Books.'
Because father, as a businessman in the fields of jewellery and cosmetics, spent 10 years in Australia as a young man, there was only one other child Mr. Lee's elder sister. Mr. Lee's father was one of the two founders of the Sincere Department Store, in Hong Kong. Father died at the age of 36, and filial Mr. Lee gives great credit to his mother, ‘a remarkably capable woman. She brought us up. I owe her a lot,' he told
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