HKBU presents exhibition of Kowloon Peninsula aerial photos during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Spatial History Project under the Department of History at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) presents the "Warscape from Above: Kowloon Peninsula in Wartime Aerial Photographs, 1941-1945" exhibition from 25 September to 10 December in three venues in Kowloon. The exhibition showcases around 100 valuable aerial photos taken by the Allied forces over Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City and Yau Tsim Mong during the Japanese occupation for the first time. The exhibition also displays the models of related historical buildings, to recreate the landscape and scenery of wartime Hong Kong.

This collection of aerial photos was gathered by a team from the HKBU Department of History from places including the US and Japan. The photos, taken by Allied reconnaissance aircraft during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in World War II, i.e. from 25 December 1941 to 30 August 1945, were used to survey the landscape before air raids on Japanese military facilities and to confirm whether targets had been hit afterwards. The team has deliberately selected three historical buildings in Hong Kong, namely the Jao Tsung-I Academy in the Sham Shui Po district, the CLP Pulse in the Kowloon City district, and the ground floor atrium of the Kwong Wah Hospital in the Yau Tsim Mong district, to exhibit the wartime aerial photos featuring their respective districts.

Professor Kwong Chi-man, Chair of the Department of History at HKBU and Principal Investigator of the Hong Kong Spatial History Project, said: "This newly discovered collection of wartime aerial photos is of exceptional value for understanding what Hong Kong has experienced during World War II, the city's urban development, and its historic buildings. The photos fill a gap in Hong Kong's spatial historical data and enable us to study the concrete impact of war on the urban landscape and even the daily lives of its people. They also bring back to life many buildings and landscapes that were constructed before the war but destroyed during the conflict."

Although the Allied forces originally captured these photos for military purposes, the images have preserved valuable records of the urban landscape and buildings at the time. For example, in the case of the Jao Tsung-I Academy, formerly the Lai Chi Kok Hospital, the aerial photos show Blocks A to K and Block N inside the complex in 1945, including the buildings now used as an art gallery and a conservation centre. The aerial photos also clearly distinguish the Sham Shui Po Police Station, which was used as the base for the Sham Shui Po Kempeitai District Headquarters during the war, and indicate which parts of the complex were pre-war structures.

Professor Kwong said: "A large amount of information was lost and many buildings were destroyed during World War II. The aerial photos taken by the Allied forces provide a comprehensive record of different districts during the Japanese occupation, serving as an invaluable resource for studying Hong Kong's wartime history, remnants of war, regional development, and historic buildings. These photos are also highly valuable for supporting related conservation efforts."

Funded by the Built Heritage Conservation Fund, the exhibition aims to present the changes in Hong Kong's urban landscape and scenery during the Japanese occupation. It also seeks to help the public understand the significance of aerial photos for historical research and conservation, and showcases the research achievements of the Hong Kong Spatial History Project team of HKBU's Department of History.

In addition to photos, the exhibition features around 15-cubic-centimetre 3D models recreating the wartime appearance of iconic historic buildings on the Kowloon Peninsula, such as Heep Yunn School, 192 Prince Edward Road West, Yee Kuk Street in Sham Shui Po, Lui Seng Chun, and the Nam Cheong Pawn Shop. These models were produced by the Hong Kong Spatial History Project team of the Department of History in collaboration with partners including HKBU Art Tech Incubation Hub CHRYSALIS. The exhibition also features a large-scale map of the Kowloon district, measuring two by three metres and composed of numerous valuable aerial photos, allowing visitors to locate the historic buildings.

The exhibitions at all three venues are open to the public free of charge. Please see the appendix for details about the dates, times, and activities.

Since 2011, the Hong Kong Spatial History Project team has been researching Hong Kong's history during World War II. Over the years, the project has received funding from the University and a number of external organisations to develop interactive urban maps that reflect the social environment, livelihood, and military conditions in Hong Kong and even the Pearl River Delta during that period. Professor Kwong's "Hong Kong Historical Spatial Data Platform" research project has been awarded HK$5.2 million from the Research Impact Fund 2024/25 of the Research Grants Council. The research team utilises geographic information technology and artificial intelligence to build a data platform covering Hong Kong's history from the 18th to 20th centuries, which will be freely available for use by researchers, educators, urban planners, conservationists, the tourism sector, and the general public.