Do you know that people’s living environment is so different from 500 years and 50 years ago? On this webpage, you are going to know more about people’s homes in the past. You may compare these with your own home to see the differences.

1. Living environment:
Past and present
Do you know that people’s living environment is so different
from 500 years and 50 years ago? On this webpage, you are
going to know more about people’s homes in the past. You may
compare these with your own home to see the differences.

2. 500 years ago

3. Housing 500 years ago
Homes in ancient China were much bigger. The king lived in the largest place
called the ‘Forbidden City’. It covers 0.72 km2 of land area and has 980
buildings with more than 8,700 rooms. About 20,000 people lived there,
including the king and all his servants. You know it is so big from the name
‘city’!
Let me help you understand how big the Forbidden City is.
Fuk Tak Education Society Primary School covers only 0.005 km2 of land
area with about 12 classrooms, 2 playgrounds and 2 libraries. The
Forbidden City is about 144 our school’s size!

4. The Forbidden City
View from above The King’s seat
A defensive tower One of the many statues in the palace

5. 50 years ago

6. Housing 50 years ago
People in Hong Kong lived in much smaller flats. In 1960s, there were
about 4 million people in Hong Kong. Most families with 4-5 people lived
in public housing estates with flats of about 11 m2. However, some of
these flats are also home to bigger families up to 6-7 people! To give
you an idea, an average Hong Kong classroom is about 67 m2, about five
times the size of a public housing flat.

7. Public Housing in the 1960s
Playground in a housing estate The inside view of Lai Tak Tsuen, Wan Chai
Fountain in Lek Yuen Estate, Shatin Clock tower in Kwong Yuen Estate, Shatin

8. Now

9. Housing nowadays
Nowadays, people in Hong Kong live in larger flats than they did in
1960s. The average Hong Kong flat in 2017 is about 43 m2 with 3 rooms
(including living room, dining room and bedroom(s)). The average family
has 3-4 people and about half of them live in private housing. Hong Kong
flats are most expensive in the world!