Travelling from Hong Kong to San Francisco in 2025 is a straightforward journey. It takes about 12 hours, with four direct flights every day.
However, 170 years ago, in 1848, the journey was very different. Travelling from Hong Kong, on the southern edge of China, to the city on Americaโs west coast meant boarding a ship for a gruelling voyage across the Pacific Ocean. The trip could take up to 60 days.
Despite the hardship, San Francisco was an attractive destination for Chinese men hoping to make their fortunes abroad.
The allure stemmed from the discovery of gold in California in 1848. โLetโs go gold digging in Gold Mountainโ became a commonly used phrase in Hong Kong.
In the mid 19th century, the US welcomed immigrants; the gold rush and the construction of Americaโs transcontinental railways created demand for cheap labour, as did the abolition of slavery in 1863.