Here are the ten most popular pages on Gwulo in 2013:
10. "A guided walk around Mount Davis", viewed 1,441 times
This was one of the first pages I wrote, way back in 2006. It's a nice surprise to see people still read it! If you fancy a gentle walk after eating too much turkey this Christmas, please click here to visit the page.
9. "c.1961 Cine-film of Hong Kong", viewed 1,653 times
Tania Scott uploaded these films, taken by her father in the early 1960s. Here's a sample:
Click here to see the full list of films from Tania.
8. "1972 Po Shan Road landslide / Kotewall Road disaster", viewed 1,657 times
The page starts with this photo:
Then carries on with comments from readers who remember the incident. Click here to view.
7. "Inscriptions for cemetery sections 17-47", viewed 1,749 times
This page lists inscriptions on the gravestones in the Hong Kong Cemetery, painstakingly collected by Patricia Lim. They're a glimpse into the lives of previous residents of old Hong Kong, who might otherwise have been forgotten. They're also a great tool for anyone researching their ancestors who lived and died here.
Here are a couple of extracts from the list that caught my eye. First a lady who'd survived the war years, only to die shortly after liberation:
Sacred to the memory
of Helen
the beloved wife of D. C. W. Fitches
who ascended from this transitory abode
on 15th October 1945
aged 41 years
And while she lies in peaceful sleep
her memory we shall always keep
While this one is a reminder of how unhealthy a place Hong Kong was to live in earlier years, and how that often meant re-marriages:
Agnes Mary wife of
William B.A. Moore
died 6th December 1914
and of
Ethel Eileen his second wife
died February 28th 1923
I will never leave thee nor forsake thee
Click here to view the full list.
6. "1845 Map of Hong Kong", viewed 1,779 times
This is one of the pages I'm proudest of. It combines a beautiful old map, the use of modern technology to overlay it on a modern map, and the many Places that Gwulo's contributors have created over the years. Click here to view.
5. "Royal Hong Kong Police", viewed 1,783 times
A useful list of resources about the history of Hong Kong's Police Force, compiled by Gwulo's contributors. Click here to view.
4. "Kai Tak Airport History", viewed 1,823 times
Though it has been closed for over fifteen years, Kai Tak remains a popular topic. The hair-raising descent into Kai Tak was certainly unforgettable. Click here to view the page.
3. "Hong Kong under Japanese rule", viewed 2,276 times
This is the most popular page in Andrew Craig-Bennett's excellent series: A simple history of Hong Kong. This page covers the dark "3 years, 8 months" period in the Second World War. Click here to view.
2. "Hong Kong 1960s & 70s : Mike Cussans' photos", viewed 4,965 times
Mike Cussans has generously scanned and uploaded over 200 colour photos of Hong Kong taken by Mike and his father. Here are a few samples:
Click here to see the full set.
1. "Who is Bruce Lee's biology maternal grandmother what's his German blood come from ?", viewed 6,397 times
6,397 times... so on average this page gets viewed 17 times a day! Who knew that the identity of Bruce Lee's grandmother was such a burning issue? Click here to join in the discussion.
Hopefully the list includes some of your favourite pages on Gwulo?
Regards, David
* The "viewed N,NNN times" number comes from Google Analytics. It counts the number of times the page has been viewed in a web browser between January 1 and December 15, 2013.
As one person could view the page more than once, the number of unique individuals who have viewed the page is smaller, typically 75-80% of the numbers shown above.