Streetcar Sunday - Hong Kong, China

I'm hooked on the double-deck trams, so I had to show a card from Hong Kong, where they have a fabulous tram system and beautiful double-deck cars.

This card is probably only thirty years old, but the trams have changed since then. The one shown here is the same one that had been used since the 1930s. Hong Kong has had a tramway system since 1904, when it was set up by the British. The double-deck tram was introduced in 1912, with first-class seating on the open-air upper deck. Although it was great during fair weather, when it rained, the open-air seating didn't seem like such a benefit, so canvas tops were added by 1913. By 1925, the upper deck was fully enclosed.

Although service expanded and improved over the years, it was severely curtailed during the Japanese occupation in the early 1940s. After the occupation, only 15 cars were operational, but that number quickly rose to 63 by 1946. Eventually the first class fare was eliminated. Hong Kong trams have used advertising banners for a long time and continue to do so, generating  additional income for the system.

Hong Kong Tramway now operates six main routes with trams departing every 1.5 minutes during peak hours. You can also hire trams for private tram parties.  For more information, check out Hong Kong Tramways, Limited.

And here, courtesy of Susi, who has been hanging out in Hong Kong while her husband is in the hospital, is a current photo of the Hong Kong tram.