The Streets of Hong Kong - Wintertime 1936

Christmas decorations jostle for attention among thousands of street signs in this amateur exploration of Hong Kong Island’s busy streets.

If you think your local high street gets busy at Christmas, this striking amateur film is sure to be an eye-opener. Keen amateur filmmaker Edwin G. Phillips spent some time in Hong Kong in the 30s, but his camera retains a tourist's fascination with novelty and difference. Whether it's a curious shop sign or the “picturesque oriental costumes” of Chinese women, little escapes his acquisitive gaze.

Other sights encountered during this amateur travelogue include a newly built Chinese Methodist church, a street market, a lavish wedding procession, and a sword-swallowing street entertainer.