First proposed in the late 19th century and opening in 1904, the tramway is now operated by more than 160 double-deck trams, making the system one of the few outside the United Kingdom on which such vehicles operate – and the only one in Asia. Indeed, Hong Kong is now the only tramway in the world operated exclusively by double-deck trams, following the withdrawal in the 1980s of the system’s last single-deck trailer cars.

This volume pays tribute to the Hong Kong trams from their earliest days, when they were served by British-built single-decks trams, through to the modern era. It features almost 100 images, most of which have never been published before, to reflect the changing face of the tramway and of the street scenes through which it operates. It is thus a vivid reminder of how much Hong Kong island – and its tramway – has changed over the last 100 years.

This volume appears in our Unique Archives series, denoting the very best in unseen transport photography.