Then & Now | The Caucasian beggars hitting Hong Kong with a vengeance while police turn a blind eye

From Hong Kong’s earliest years as a colony, European adventurers would sometimes arrive without sufficient funds for onward travel. Depending on their skills, some “beachcombers”, as they were known, found temporary work to see them on their way. Others – always a minority – resorted to begging in the streets.

Nineteenth-century newspapers occa­sion­ally carried reports of derelict Euro­peans being prosecuted for vagrancy. A custodial sentence (and, sometimes, corporal punish­ment), followed by summary deportation, was the usual tariff. As in other colonies, British offenders were usually dealt with the most severely – a stern example was made of them for letting the side down so publicly.

In recent months, Caucasian beggars of various nationalities have appeared across Hong Kong. While main tourist beats such as Central and Tsim Sha Tsui are obvious habitats, mendicants can also be spotted squatting beneath under­passes in Tsuen Wan, on Yuen Long back­streets, near road crossings in North Point, and clustered around MTR entrances from Lok Fu to Kwun Tong.

Typically some attempt is made to busk with a guitar, drums or other musical instru­ments, with variable results. One ukulele player, spotted recently in Yau Ma Tei, was so bad that the temptation to pay the wretch to shut up and clear off was almost irresistible.