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From our archives

From our archives
How the South China Morning Post covered occasions, news, happenings and events big and small since its founding in 1903
Upper Lascar Row, better known as Cat Street, in 1974, when the government intended to preserve the street as a tourist attraction under the Western District Urban Renewal Pilot Scheme. Photo: SCMP Archives
Mainland China

In pictures: curios on Hong Kong’s Cat Street market through the decades

Antiques, art and souvenirs attract collectors, tourists and bargain hunters to Upper Lascar Row, as they have done for decades, giving the Central thoroughfare its unique character.

Hong Kong

In pictures: the evolution of school uniforms in Hong Kong

Hong Kong society

On This Day | Tai O rope-ferry in Hong Kong ends service after 100 years – SCMP archive

Cathay Pacific

On This Day | Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific turns 80 – SCMP archive

As Cathay Pacific celebrates 80 years in the skies, we look at how SCMP covered the company’s growth and milestones.

A Cathay Pacific aircraft landing at Kai Tak Airport on June 28, 1998, a week before the airport closed for good. Photo: Garrige Ho
Mid-Autumn Festival

In pictures: the evolution of Hong Kong’s Mid-Autumn mooncake

From instalment plans to chilled ‘snow-skin’ innovations, Hong Kong’s mooncake traditions have continually evolved across decades of Mid-Autumn celebrations.

Chinese history

On This Day | Hong Kong mourns Mao Zedong’s death in 1976 – SCMP archive

Fifty years ago, Mao Zedong’s death sent shock waves around the world.

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United States

On This Day | America faces ‘darkest hour’ as 9/11 attacks unfold in 2001 – SCMP archive

Two hijacked planes destroyed the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, leaving thousands dead and a nation in shock.

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A second hijacked plane approaches the World Trade Centre towers shortly before crashing into the skyscraper on September 11, 2001. Photo: AFP
US Chief of Staff Andy Card informs President Bush about the World Trade Centre attacks while he attends a school visit in Sarasota, Florida, on September 11, 2001. Photo: AP/Doug Mills
The World Trade Centre towers pour smoke across New York City shortly after being struck by two hijacked planes on September 11, 2001. Photo: Reuters
Fire and smoke billows from the north tower of the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001. Photo: AP/Richard Drew
Firefighters work at the scene of the destroyed World Trade Centre in New York City on September 11, 2001. Photo: Reuters/Shannon Stapleton
Hong Kong

In pictures: from factory floors to AI – the evolution of innovation in Hong Kong

A visual journey through the city’s industrial evolution, from 1960s textile factories to AI pioneers such as SenseTime and DJI.

Hong Kong weather

On This Day | Landslide kills 18 people in Hong Kong’s Sau Mau Ping – SCMP archive

The heavy rainfall-induced landslide occurred just four years after another fatal landslide in the area.

Hong Kong

In pictures: from film to smartphone – how Hong Kong has been photographed through the decades

A look back at how locals and visitors alike documented their days in Hong Kong from the age of film to the day of the smartphone.

Louisa Lam (standing), one of the city’s 700 registered tour guides, introduces Hong Kong’s many attractions on a sightseeing bus, in 1973. Photo: SCMP Archives
Hong Kong weather

On This Day | Typhoon Rose capsizes ferry in Hong Kong, killing 88 – SCMP archive

In 1971, Typhoon Rose wreaked extensive damage in Hong Kong, including capsizing a ferry which drowned 88 people onboard.

The Fatshan ferry sunk when Typhoon Rose struck Hong Kong in August 1971, causing 88 people to drown. Photo: Hong Kong Information Services Department
Singapore

On This Day | Singapore wins first ever Olympic gold in 2016 – SCMP archive

On this day 10 years ago, Joseph Schooling outswam Michael Phelps to bring Singapore its first Olympic gold medal.

Hong Kong

In pictures: 50 years of Hong Kong’s yum cha teahouse tradition

Five decades of Hong Kong’s beloved yum cha tradition – steamy dim sum, generational bonds and teahouse charm captured by the South China Morning Post.

Greece

On This Day | ‘Stunning spectacle’: Rio Olympics kicks off in Brazil in 2016 – SCMP archive

The Summer Olympics, held 10 years ago today, were the first Olympic Games ever held in South America.

The opening ceremony gave Brazilians a respite from months of bad publicity, a chance to belt out bossa nova and dance the samba as the 17-day party kicked off at the Maracana Stadium with a scaled-down but colourful, high-energy opening ceremony. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong cinema

On This Day | John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow turns 40 – SCMP archive

As A Better Tomorrow celebrates its 40th anniversary, we look back at how the film redefined the Hong Kong action genre.

Film still of A Better Tomorrow (1986) starring (from left) Ti Lung, Ming Leung, and Chow Yun-fat. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong weather

On This Day | Anger in Hong Kong over low signal during 2006 Typhoon Prapiroon – SCMP archive

20 years ago, Typhoon Prapiroon sparked outrage when the Hong Kong Observatory did not raise the No 8 signal despite risk, chaos.

Hong Kong society

On This Day | 2016 Pokemon Go fever sends Hongkongers on citywide hunt – SCMP archive

10 years ago, Hong Kong became the second place in Asia to get Pokemon Go, sparking a citywide craze and trespassing warnings.

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Hong Kong sports

On This Day | Windsurfer wins Hong Kong’s first Olympic gold in 1996 – SCMP archive

On this day 30 years ago, Hong Kong won its first Olympic gold. It would take almost exactly 25 years to win another one.

Lee Lai-shan raises her fist in triumph after winning a gold medal in the Olympic women’s windsurfing competition on July 29, 1996. Photo: David Wong
Accidents and disasters in China

On This Day | 1976 earthquake in China’s Tangshan kills over 240,000 people – SCMP archive

On this day 50 years ago, the deadliest earthquake in recorded history razed the mining town of Tangshan in China’s Hebei province.

Mainland China

In pictures: how generations of Hongkongers beat the summer

Locals have long swapped concrete for coastline, heading to the city’s coolest locations – our numerous accessible beaches.

NBA

On This Day | Chinese NBA star Yao Ming retires from basketball in 2011 – SCMP archive

On this day 15 years ago, one of China’s first global sports stars retired from basketball but insisted he would not completely leave it.

Yao Ming, then playing for the Houston Rockets, makes a free throw during an NBA China Games match against the New Jersey Nets on October 13, 2010. File photo: AFP
Hong Kong society

On This Day | In 1986, Cafe de Coral is first Hong Kong food chain to go public – SCMP archive

On this day 40 years ago, Cafe de Coral became the first Hong Kong restaurant group to list on the city’s stock exchange.

A Cafe de Coral mini-store pictured in 1989. The company was the first Hong Kong restaurant group to go public. Photo: SCMP
Hong Kong

In pictures: ‘Made in Hong Kong’ - craft industries that built the city

See Hong Kong’s past through the lens of the craftsmanship, from mahjong tiles to shipbuilding, that laid the foundation for its growth.

Hong Kong International Airport

On This Day | ‘Goodbye and thank you’: Hong Kong’s old Kai Tak Airport closes - SCMP archive

Lights go out for the last time as army of staff works overnight on move to Chek Lap Kok.

Hong Kong economy

On This Day | Hong Kong pivots to a 5-day civil service work week in 2006 – SCMP archive

On this day 20 years ago, Hong Kong reduced the working week from 5.5 days to 5 for the city’s government staff.

Pictured on May 15, 2006: Civil Service Secretary Denise Yue Chung-yee at RTHK’s phone-in programme in Broadcasting House, Kowloon Tong. Photo: SCMP
Tibet

On This Day | World’s highest railway begins operation in 2006 – SCMP archive

The first trains on a rail route connecting China’s capital to the Tibetan Plateau began their journey 20 years ago today.

Passengers settle in the 48-hour journey to Beijing via the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Photo: SCMP
Hong Kong

On This Day | ‘New era’: Hong Kong returns to Chinese rule in 1997 – SCMP archive

The handover ceremony 29 years ago marked the end of over 150 years of British colonial rule in the city.

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China Railway

On This Day | Shanghai-Beijing high-speed rail link officially began operations in 2011 – SCMP archive

The landmark Shanghai–to–Beijing rail link marks a new era for Chinese transit.

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