I was wondering if anyone might have a photo or be able to describe what it was like at the border crossing between Hong Kong and the mainland in the 1950s. I have some idea from Elsie Tu’s book, "Shouting at the Mountain". I gather from her husband’s story that there was a small bridge at the checkpoint on the Shenzhen River at that time. I wondered what it might have looked like. How many guards were there etc.
HK border in the 1950s
My grandma and I crossed the HK border often in the late 1940s and early 1950s. We would take the earliest morning train out of Tsim Sha Tsui, and by the time we reached Guangzhou (Canton) it was after supper time. The wait at the border made the journey long.
Us passengers would wait and follow the very very slow line outside and then inside a crowded building. There were no benches or chairs and even if there were, you wouldn't use them or you would lose your queue. We never were mistreated by the border guards. One time, a female guard made a very quick and superficial search of me when I was about 5 years old to find out if I carried any smuggled goods.
I didn't see any heavily armed guards, at least around us while our entry got processed.
Those were the memorable moments - because the long train ride was fun and I had the company of my beloved grandma.
OldTimer
1950s HK border
We've received a couple of old photos to give you an idea how it looked.
MrB