Kowloon City – Kai Tak Mall ca.1963
360-degree panoramic artwork developed from historical photos
Historical Hotspots:
Runway 13/31
Kai Tak Airport was once regarded as one of the ‘top 10 most dangerous airports in the world’ because of its challenging geographical setting, which was surrounded by hills and high-rise buildings. To land, aircraft had to fly over densely populated residential areas in Kowloon City, with their wings seemingly almost touching the buildings below. A pilot once recounted glimpsing residents dining at home during these precarious landings.
Kai Tak Airport’s distinctive runway featured a two-way system for take-offs and landings. It was designated as Runway 13/31 based on its magnetic orientation of ‘135 degrees’ (Runway 13) and ‘315 degrees’ (Runway 31). The approach to Runway 13, which was used primarily for landings, featured a curved trajectory that required a sharp, 47-degree rightward turn when flying over Checkerboard Hill in Kowloon Tsai to align with the runway, complicated by frequent wind shear. This notoriously demanding landing route was known as the ‘Kai Tak Heart Attack’. Runway 31, conversely, was designed for take-offs, taking the aircraft over Victoria Harbour and the east part of Hong Kong Island.
Before Kai Tak Airport closed in 1998, an average of 450 aircraft took off and landed daily. During peak hours, residents could hear the roar of aircraft every two or three minutes. A shoe shop owner in Kowloon City recalled how the display glass cases in his store would sometimes vibrate from the immense noise of the aircraft overhead. Today, the southeast end of the runway is home to the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, which continues to serve as one of Hong Kong’s primary transport hubs, connecting the city to destinations around the world.
Photo courtesy of Special Collections, The University of Hong Kong Libraries
Far East Flying Training School, Ltd
Kai Tak Airport was not only a prominent aviation hub in East Asia but also a vital aviation education base. Over the years, numerous pilots and aviation engineers received their training there.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the Abbott School of Aviation and the Hong Kong Flying Club were established at Kai Tak to provide pilot training for the air force. Founded in 1933, the Far East Flying Training School (renamed as Far East Flying and Technical School in 1971), offered a range of flying and aviation engineering courses, including training for private and commercial pilot licences, aerobatics, parachuting and ground engineering. It attracted students from Southeast Asia and India.
During the 1940s and 1950s, local students were more likely to enrol in aviation engineering to enter the industry because locals were rarely hired as pilots. In 1964, the Far East Flying Training School ceased offering flying training and focused on subjects like aircraft engineering and aviation communications. In 1983, the Hong Kong Aviation Club acquired the premises of Far East Flying and Technical School, becoming the sole light aircraft club in Hong Kong. The club provides pilot training for light aircraft to its members. Following the closure of Kai Tak Airport, it continues to offer pilot training and youth programmes to promote light aircraft aviation.
Photo courtesy of Special Collections, The University of Hong Kong Libraries
Terminal
In the early days of Kai Tak Airport, with limited passenger volume, the terminal was a single-storey structure adjacent to the seawall, which was connected to the pier for boarding seaplanes. As the civil aviation industry experienced rapid growth, and the existing facilities became increasingly saturated, a modern seven-storey passenger terminal was constructed. Opened in November 1962, this terminal continued to operate until the opening of the new Hong Kong Airport at Chek Lap Kok in 1998.
In the 1960s, air travel was regarded as a luxury, usually undertaken only for special reasons, such as emigration. Consequently, departure ceremonies became important rituals, with family and friends donning formal attire to bid farewell at the terminal. During this period, the airport also emerged as a hotspot for ‘star-chasing’. When international icons like The Beatles, Bruce Lee and Michael Jackson visited Hong Kong in 1964, 1972 and 1987 respectively, throngs of fans flocked to the airport to welcome them. Local Cantonese film stars, such as Connie Chan Po-chu and Josephine Siao Fong-fong, also attracted crowds of fans to the airport to bid them farewell.
As time passed, a number of shops opened within the passenger terminal. A footbridge was constructed to connect the terminal with the nearby Regal Airport Hotel (now the Regal Oriental Hotel), enhancing access from Kowloon City and enabling pedestrians to walk to the airport. The air-conditioned terminal was open to the public, leading to a striking phenomenon: students from nearby schools would visit the airport after classes to study there.
Photo courtesy of Government Photo Store, Information Services Department
Apron
During the early days of limited air travel, when a friend or family member flew abroad, it might be difficult to see them again. So after bidding farewell at the departure area of Kai Tak Airport, people would go up to the observation deck on the terminal’s roof, catch a final glimpse of their loved ones at the apron by the use of binoculars and wave a final goodbye.
As Kai Tak Airport developed, the apron’s berth capacity expanded in tandem. By the 1960s, the airport’s traffic surge necessitated apron expansion to meet the growing demand for parking spaces. In 1963, the airport served 20 international airlines, but the apron could park only 10 aircrafts simultaneously. At its peak, however, it was reported that as many as 17 aircrafts were parked on the apron at the same time. In response, the Civil Aviation Department implemented an apron expansion plan in 1965, boosting the apron’s berth capacity to 16 aircrafts by the end of decade.
Further expansions continued until the early 1990s, when both the east and south aprons were completed, allowing for approximately 60 berths and enabling the docking of the wide-body aircraft like the Boeing 747. Owing to spatial constraints, certain berths were designated for specific aircraft types and directions. As a result, air traffic controllers were required to coordinate aircraft movements in real time and issue timely and precise instructions for each flight.
Photo courtesy of Government Photo Store, Information Services Department
Movie Hotspot:
CITY IN TIME incorporates cinematic elements at designated locations. Check out these filming locations of Hong Kong movies, where you can revisit classic Hong Kong movie clips on-site or stills on the website:
Love Unto Wastes
Love Unto Wastes, starring Irene Wan and Tony Leung, was released in 1986. At the 6th Hong Kong Film Awards, the film received 8 nominations and won Best Screenplay (Lai Kit, Yau Tai On-ping), Best Supporting Actress (Elaine Jin) and Ten Best Chinese Films award.
Billie (Irene Wan), a beautiful model, and her two friends, Ping (Elaine Jin), an up and coming starlet, and Ling (Tsai Chin) a singer, meet Tony (Tony Leung), the playboy son of a wealthy rice merchant. When Ling is found murdered, the methodical Detective Lan (Chow Yun-fat) is assigned to investigate the case, putting the remaining survivors under scrutiny. Lan goes into their complicated relationship in order to unravel the twisted case.
The footage shows Billie taking Tony to view a rental property, from which the old Kai Tak Airport can be seen in the distance.
Courtesy of Fortune Star Media Limited
With the support of Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency
The Killer
The Killer, starring Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Sau Yin Lee and Sally Yeh, was released in 1989. The film received 6 nominations at the 9th Hong Kong Film Awards, winning Best Director (John Woo), Best Film Editing (Fan Kung-wing) and the Ten Best Chinese Films award. In 1999, it was selected by Time Magazine as one of the “Top Ten Asian Films of the 20th Century”.
Ah Jong (Chow Yun-fat), a professional killer who has decided to retire, accidentally injuries a young lounge singer, Jennie (Sally Yeh). Police inspector Li Ying (Danny Lee), in the process of investigating Ah Jong, became a close friend to Ah Jong. The two, initially on opposing sides, begin to form an unlikely bond of life and death.
The footage shows Ah Jong and Jennie being chased at the Kai Tak Airport.
Courtesy of Fortune Star Media Limited and Shout! Studios, a Radial Entertainment Company
With the support of Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency
Animation:
Since the dawn of aviation, civil aviation technology has undergone several significant revolutions. From the late 1950s to the late 1960s, jet aircraft gradually replaced conventional propeller aircraft because of their higher flight altitudes, increased speeds and greater passenger capacity.
By early 1963, Cathay Pacific, for example, acquired one medium-sized, medium-range jetliner and two turbo-engine jets. However, the engines, designed and manufactured in the temperate and arid climate of California, proved incapable of adapting to the hot and humid conditions prevalent in Southeast Asia. After numerous modifications, Cathay Pacific and the manufacturer ultimately overcame the major technical challenges and developed aircraft capable of flying in hot and humid conditions. The breakthrough allowed Cathay Pacific to introduce a total of eight Convair jets, expanding its operations and enhancing Hong Kong’s air connectivity to the world.