Hong Kong Archives and Libraries

Hong Kong was a British Protectorate until 1997, when it was handed back to the Peoples' Republic of China. Its present Government organization still follows the basic British format. Presently it is known as the Hong Kong Special Autonomous Region (SAR).

It should be noted that many Hong Kong records were destroyed during the Japanese aggression of WWII. While records in English were lost, many Cantonese records were preserved, and can be accessed.

Libraries are generally the repositories of published materials such as books, maps, newspapers, and microfilm.

Archives collect and preserve original documents of such organizations as private societies, religious bodies, and Government records such as BMD records, etc.

Most Libraries and archives in Hong Kong are available to the general public for review. In some instances appointments need to be made. A few sources require approval from the relevant Management Board.

Libraries
Hong Kong has an extensive library system, under the control of the Central Government. Branches can be found in most major cities and towns within the Hong Kong SAR. The link for the main library system follows:


 * Hong Kong Public Libraries

IN addition to the central public library system, the major Hong Kong Universities have considerable library records of their own. A listing of the links to the major University Libraries follow:


 * The Hong Kong University Libraries


 * The Hong Kong Chinese University Library


 * The Open University of Hong Kong Library


 * The Hong Kong Baptist University Library

Archives
The following are links to various archives for the Hong Kong SAR:


 * Hong Kong Archives Society


 * Hong Kong Free Press Archives


 * Hong Kong OMF archives


 * Hong Kong Government Records Archives