The Hong Kong I Knew: Scenes and Stories from a Childhood in Kowloon

Returning to Hong Kong in 1947 after the Japanese occupation, seven-year-old Mark Isaac-Williams had the whole of Tsim Sha Tsui as his playground. Billeted with his family in the once-grand but now dilapidated Peninsula hotel, his life was replete with adventure from the rooftop to the basement, he knew the hotel’s every inch. Roller-skating and horseback riding in Kowloon’s streets and paddling in the hotel’s fountain were a child’s dream after the privations of war. From rickshaws to firecrackers and ladies with bound feet to the ever-present rat problem and smelly beancurd vendors, the mystique of Hong Kong in the 1940s and 50s is brought colourfully to life by Mark’s captivating and richly illustrated story.