23/04/2021
How Epidemics Shaped Hong Kong, Part I: The “Fatal City”
Today, people in Hong Kong live longer than those anywhere else in the world, with an average life expectancy of just under 85 years. But it’s impossible to escape the legacy of disease, which is evident in the city’s culture, lifestyle and the very shape of its urban form. The Covid-19 pandemic is just the latest in a series of epidemics that have shaped Hong Kong. Malaria, influenza, cholera, the bubonic plague, SARS – all have left their mark on the city.
Today's Hong Kong is a reflection of the epidemics it has faced. We look at the legacy of the plague, malaria and the flu.