Misplaced Pages

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34-539: Completed in 1846, the first building on the site was the first generation of the Hong Kong Club . After the club moved to its current location at 1 Jackson Road in 1897, the building turned into commercial use, the largest tenant was Yee Sang Fat. In 1928, the building, along with the Coronet Theatre at its back, were demolished to make way for the construction of the air-conditioned King's Theatre (娛樂戲院). It featured

68-407: A ballroom as well as a restaurant. The theatre opened to business on 31 March 1931 with Ernst Lubitsch 's Monte Carlo . The theatre closed on 1 September 1962 with a Walt Disney film and was replaced by the second generation of King's Theatre. The rebuilt King's Theatre opened to business on 21 December 1964. It had 1,302 seats. The theatre was in turn closed on 1 January 1990 and was rebuilt into

102-401: A book entitled Kindred Spirits . Rules of membership were strict: Membership was restricted to British merchants and civil servants, women and people of unsuitable background being banned. Membership remained exclusive to Europeans until the membership rules were eased in the late 1970s. Some parts of the club premises were off-limits to women. One former member is quoted as saying "there

136-544: A crown colony in 1843, the status of Hong Kong was changed effectively under the British Nationality Act 1981 , which came into force on 1 January 1983. The Act renamed all existing British colonies to dependent territories (similar to a current overseas territory). The renaming did not change how the government operated but it affected the nationality status of Hong Kong's then over 5 million inhabitants, most of whom were to become British Dependent Territory citizens –

170-522: A cultural icon. The performing arts received a boost in the 1980s with the opening of numerous new Urban Council performance venues including the Tsuen Wan Town Hall (1980), Tuen Mun Town Hall (1987), Sha Tin Town Hall (1987), Hong Kong Cultural Centre (1989) and Sheung Wan Civic Centre (1989). Domestic movies in the 1980s would put Hong Kong cinema on the international map. Jackie Chan

204-584: A decade previously, inflation would also increase from 5% in the 1970s to 12.7% by 1983. The Modified Initial System, the first line of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR), was officially opened by Princess Alexandra in February 1980. Over the course of the 1980s the MTR expanded rapidly. An extension to Tsuen Wan opened in 1982, while the more technically challenging Island line opened in 1986. The new metro system

238-464: A deficit of HK$ 200,000 after including investment income of HK$ 883,000, and members accused the general committee of poor management. In May 1981, a group of members fighting to preserve the Victorian clubhouse built in 1897 called an emergency general meeting with a motion to wind up the club and distribute its assets. The motion was rejected by a 451–147 vote. In 2016, the club set out its history in

272-569: A period when the territory was known for its wealth and trademark lifestyle. Still a crown colony (later dependent territory) of the United Kingdom , Hong Kong would be recognised internationally for its politics, entertainment and skyrocketing real estate prices. It would also go on to be the subject of intense negotiations between Britain and China, which would be resolved in the Sino-British Joint Declaration . After being made

306-606: A status that could no longer be transmitted by descent. Regardless of the competing claims for sovereignty, China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping recognised that Hong Kong, with its free market economy , could not be assimilated into the People's Republic overnight and that any attempt to do so would not be in the interests of either. He advocated a more pragmatic approach known as the one country, two systems policy, in which Hong Kong (as well as Macau , and potentially also Taiwan ) would be able to retain their economic systems within

340-468: Is a gentlemen's club in Hong Kong, the first in the city. Opened on 26 May 1846, it is a private business and dining club in the heart of Central, Hong Kong . Its members were (and still are) among the most influential people in the city, including such personalities as senior government officials, senior local businessmen, the heads of the major trading firms, and many legal and accounting professionals. It

374-520: Is currently in its third generation, in its second location. Prior to its redevelopment during the 1980s , the Hong Kong Club Building was famous for being one of the last examples of Victorian architecture in Hong Kong. The first clubhouse was constructed on the corner of D'Aguilar St and Queen's Road. The cost of its construction, together with furniture, of £ 15,000 was financed through an issue of shares of £100 each. On 16 February 1895,

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408-479: The "touch-base" policy on 23 October 1980. After this date, any illegal immigrants captured would be sent back to their originating countries immediately. There were public outcries in the early 1980s over decreasing wages due to the large influx of mainland immigrants raising supply against demand. On the other hand, citizens of Hong Kong were beginning to emigrate to the UK, Canada and United States in large numbers due to

442-513: The PRC. On 19 December 1984, the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong (The Joint Declaration) was signed between the PRC and UK governments. Under this agreement, Hong Kong would cease to be a British Dependent Territory on 1 July 1997 and would thenceforth be a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the PRC. Citizens who were opposed to the handover and had the means to leave led to

476-465: The club had some 1,400 members, of which 70% are expatriates. At the end of 2023 the club had approximately 1,500 resident members and approximately 240 full-time staff. In 2015 the club established The Hong Kong Club Foundation for charitable purposes to which the club has donated over HK$ 50 million to date. The foundation is separately managed from the club and John Budge has served as its chairman since its establishment. The Hong Kong Club Building

510-454: The club was granted a 999-year lease on the current site, and a new clubhouse was completed there in 1897. The club currently occupies eight floors (LG2, LG1, Ground, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor, and a fitness and health centre on the 6th and 7th floors) of The Hong Kong Club Building. Facilities include a billiard room, a bowling alley, library, card room, and dining and bar facilities. 1980s in Hong Kong 1980s in Hong Kong marks

544-483: The first signs of population ageing , as the number of residents under the age of 25 fell by 1.2%. Households shrank in size from an average of 4.01 occupants in 1982 (the earliest available data) to 3.67 at decade's end. The 1980s were also characterised by the lowest population increase due to net migration (30.1%), as opposed to natural expansion. From 1978 to September 1980, nearly 23,000 illegal immigrants from Mainland China entered Hong Kong. The government abolished

578-437: The first wave of emigration. Hong Kong's population topped five million just at the beginning of the 1980s, and rose at an annual average rate of 1.3% over the next ten years. The additional 700,000 residents raised the population to 5.73 million at the end of the decade. The population of females rose 1.5% per annum, faster than that for males (1.4% p.a.), although females would remain a minority until 1996. The decade also saw

612-517: The handover, sent consumer confidence to an all-time low, causing Black Saturday in 1983. The end result was that Hong Kong adopted a linked exchange rate system. The exchange rate between the Hong Kong dollar and the United States dollar was fixed at HKD $ 7.8 = US$ 1. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority 's exchange fund was responsible for keeping the market rate stable. In the short period from just

646-506: The mainland. Middle-aged men and women who had spent decades in manufacturing were suddenly left with no place to go. In 1960, the University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Technical College were one of the first schools to offer real estate education, but the curriculum was considered a sub program. In 1981, the University of Hong Kong became the first institution to be accredited by the RICS . It

680-408: The old premises became a home for the short-lived 'New Club', a residential club whose members were almost entirely master mariners. Governor Sir Cecil Clementi (1925–1930) believed the club to be too exclusive, and suggested abolishing it and replacing it with a club whose membership would be open to all races. In the late 1970s, the club was said to be running at a deficit. In 1978, it recorded

714-470: The opportunity to capitalise on realty sales. Areas like Lan Kwai Fong were improving at the time and became an "alternative" or "open" avenue to attract people who wanted things to be different. If construction was not open before, many areas found themselves redeveloping. The lack of foreign-exchange control, and low tax, contributed to the competitiveness of Hong Kong's economy. Though a floating rate, coupled with panic about intensified political talk of

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748-473: The present building. In November 1996, Hysan Development Holdings agreed to buy the building from Chinese Estates Holdings, for $ 3.64 billion, an average price of about $ 17,300 per sq ft. In 2005, Hysan announced that it would sell the building for $ 2.7 billion. This article about a Hong Kong building or structure is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Hong Kong Club The Hong Kong Club ( Chinese : 香港會 )

782-687: The public. More than one million residents demonstrated to express their sorrow. In the early 1980s, younger Hong Kong workers began avoiding the manufacturing industry entirely. Hong Kong's on-going evolution away from manufacturing picked up steam during the decade, as production's share of the economy fell from 22.8% in 1980 to 16.7% ten years later. Replacing it was a greater reliance on services, which rose from 68.3% to 75.4% of GDP. The fastest growing sectors were foreign trade, logistics and communications and general personal and community services. The lack of investment in domestic industry, along with China's economic reform , began opening up manufacturing to

816-498: The seat of real power in Hong Kong. It was a place where the governor and senior civil servants would hold discussions with business elites. In 1877, the club witnessed an intrusion by a British soldier who was enraged by the privileges of the official and merchant classes. The lone assailant wandered into the club brandishing a sword, swinging it at the lamps and chandeliers, and menacing members saying "You're one of them". The club moved into new premises on Jackson Road in 1897, and

850-432: The standard for triad films like A Better Tomorrow and The Killer . Some of the most famous movies of the decade were films like Police Story , A Better Tomorrow , Aces Go Places , Winners & Sinners , and Project A . In the 1980s, there were 10 Typhoons which had a signal of number 8 and 1 Typhoon 10, The 3 worst typhoons were Typhoon Ellen , Typhoon Gordon and Typhoon Joe . The longest typhoon 8

884-431: The uncertainty of the handover in 1997. From 1980 to 1986, an estimated 21,000 people left Hong Kong permanently every year. Beginning in 1987, the numbers rose sharply to 48,000 people a year. In the early 1980s, Hong Kong's education system could only accommodate 2% of the youth who wanted to seek higher education. It was not until 1989 that the government decided to expand the programmes domestically. Prior to this, it

918-543: Was Severe Tropical Storm Lynn which had Typhoon 8 status for 28 hours and 45 Minutes. In response to China's Tiananmen Square protests on 27 May 1989, over 300,000 people gathered at Victoria Park for a gathering called "Democratic songs dedicated for China". Many famous Hong Kong and Taiwan artists performed and expressed their support for the students in Beijing. The massacre in Tiananmen Square on 4 June 1989 shocked

952-420: Was an exclusive gentlemen's club set up by British merchants and civil servants, to "create a greater community of feeling among these classes". At the outset, an entrance fee of HK$ 30 was payable, and monthly subscription fees of $ 4 were charged quarterly in advance. Facilities included guest rooms charged at $ 1 per night, dining rooms and bars, and a billiards room The club was historically described as

986-511: Was expected that higher education should be gained abroad. Two special institutes opened to train young athletes and performers, respectively. The Jubilee Sports Centre opened in 1982 while the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts was founded in 1984 to educate students of the performing arts, music, and related technical professions. The mid-1980s saw the popularising of the Walkman . It

1020-421: Was nothing in the rules to say that Chinese couldn't join. It had simply been understood that you didn't put a Chinese up for membership". There were reportedly only a few Chinese members as recently as in the early 1980s. The Sex Discrimination Ordinance, which came into force in 1996, eventually forced its doors open to women. The club reportedly had 1,218 members on its membership register in 1981. In 2007,

1054-451: Was often referred to simply as " The Club ". The club's first premises were situated on Queen's Road at the junction with D'Aguilar Street . The 2023-24 Chairman was Michael McCoy who succeeded Paul J Brough. On 9 May 2024 Nicholas BT Gall was appointed chairman and Anthony Souza was appointed vice-chairman for the forthcoming year. The general manager of the Club is Patrick Behrens. The club

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1088-471: Was one of the key factors in contributing to the rise of the cantopop culture. Leslie Cheung , Anita Mui and Alan Tam were among the biggest pop stars. Other shows related to Super Sentai and Transformers were translated and broadcast regularly. The franchising of toy stores such as Toys "R" Us flooded the malls of Hong Kong. Japanese import stores like Sogo in Causeway Bay also made Hello Kitty

1122-446: Was recognized for his acrobatic displays and his stunts, along with his Peking Opera friends, who were also some of the heaviest hitters in the industry, Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung . Hong Kong stunts were some of the greatest trademarks the industry had. The comedy genres were also popular with actors such as Michael Hui , Richard Ng , Eric Tsang , and John Shum . Chow Yun-fat was known for his collaborations with John Woo which set

1156-408: Was the first step in connecting real estate education and the industry itself. By 1983, 61% of capital investments belonged to the real estate sector. The amount of money entering the communities for infrastructure expenses in the 1980s eclipsed the sum of all real estate investments from 1940 to 1979. An up-to-date understanding of the industry along with the high-density population provided many with

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