What question did this study set out to answer?

To explore how noise regulation shaped perceptions of Chinese and European communities in Hong Kong.

November 11, 2025Urban HistoryOpen Access

Civilizing the colonial soundscape: space and the regulation of Chinese street noise in nineteenth-century Hong Kong

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Historical analysis reveals noise regulation differentiated Chinese and European communities in urban spaces, suggesting societal implications.

To explore how noise regulation shaped perceptions of Chinese and European communities in Hong Kong.
Historical analysis of ordinances and legal documents
Examination of English-language newspaper discourse
Comparison of colonial attitudes towards noise in Hong Kong and London
Analysis of the spatial regulation of street noise
Ordinance prohibited hawkers from making noise in European areas
Constructed narrative of Chinese people as noisy and Europeans as noise averse
Differential treatment established a privileged European zone
Created social and cultural constructs around noise and civilization

L. Nicole Vaughan (2025) studied this question.

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Historical analysis reveals noise regulation differentiated Chinese and European communities in urban spaces, suggesting societal implications.