Chung Wai Ming recalls his childhood in Wanchai

Clip3-Life Under Japanese Occupation

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In December 1941, the Japanese attacked Hong Kong and I could no longer go to school. With the family’s financial situation getting worse, it was impossible for my parents to pay my school fees. Also, out of nationalistic feelings, I was unwilling to go to a Japanese school, so I stayed home and read over my old school books. Later, some friends brought several books of classical Chinese literature such as “The Water Margin”, “Dream of the Red Chamber” and “Journey to the West”. I wasn’t very impressed by them at the beginning, but later, I became quite captivated. As our finances got worse and worse, I had to do what the eldest son must do and find work even though I was still a child. This helped some, and it was not easy to survive the 3 years and 8 months of Japanese occupation.

Life was hard and one was always hungry. We had to eat sweet potato vines and tapioca to supplement our diet. Whenever we had rice for supper, we were overjoyed. We would make a hole in the middle of the bowl of rice and put in a piece of lard, and then relish the taste. People today think that lard is unhealthy, but at the time, it smelt so fragrant to us. I was a growing child at the time, but I managed to pull through.

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