Hong Kong Stories - Centennial Stories (English Version) Series 51：Milk Bottle

Collector Simon CHEUNG collected a variety of glass milk bottles of different eras over the years. The most precious one is a double-headed glass milk bottle that he found in a deserted village in Lung Kwu Tan, Tuen Mun. It was made in Hong Kong approximately 100 years ago. Simon will tell us in detail about the history of the appearance of glass milk bottles in Hong Kong, and how it reflects the social conditions at that time.

At the beginning of the last century, due to material deprivation, most people did not have an easy life. As such, parents’ expectations for their children were often the simplest – to grow up. LO, Ah-heung, a 94-year-old lady, doesn’t recall that her parents have ever told her about their expectations on her, and they only hoped that she could have the ability to survive by herself. Therefore, LO also raised her children in the same way, and she trained them to take care of themselves since they were small, hoping that they would have enough will and perseverance to face different adversities in their lives.

As a mother of two daughters, Carin was once very stressful when her eldest daughter was born. She always put her daughter’s safety first. Although Carin began to learn to relax after the birth of her youngest daughter, the living environment and education system of Hong Kong put a lot of pressure on her, and she even felt a bit lost. Carin hopes to go back to her original wish for her daughters: she only wants her daughters to grow up healthily and happily. On the other hand, there is Jamie, who believes that she should let her children try on their own. Even if they fail or get hurt, it is part of their growth. She believes that it is more important to accompany their children to grow up and provide them with support and encouragement.

Over the past century, how much has the way of parenting in Hong Kong changed?