Before Hong Kong became the glitzy international finance hub it is today, abject poverty was the status quo.
This video, apparently filmed in the 50s in Hong Kong, shows both children and the elderly going about their lives in dilapidated makeshift huts.
The archival footage was just posted to YouTube by the Huntley Film Archives, which claims to be one of the largest independent film libraries in the UK.
What an incredible glimpse into the past, when Hong Kong is barely recognizable to us 21st century folk.
Below are some other videos they posted from the same decade that also show what daily life looked like for your average Hongkonger.
This one shows a bustling market, seemingly a timeless feature of the city:
This one shows large apartment blocks:
This one shows people in their homes:
And here’s how the other half lived at the time:
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