The "Spatial History Research of Japanese-occupied Hong Kong, 1941-1945" team received funding from Tung Wah Group of Hospitals from August 2022 to January 2025 to conduct research on the history of Hong Kong and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals during the Japanese occupation period (25 December 1941 to 30 August 1945). This interactive map is one of the research project's outcomes. The Principal Investigator (PI) of the research project is Dr. Kwong Chi Man from the Department of History, Hong Kong Baptist University, and team members can be found at (link).

In recent years, historians have begun using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to process historical data. GIS allows researchers to visualize and cross-reference different types of quantitative and qualitative historical materials in the same space, revealing perspectives difficult to obtain through textual narratives alone. Additionally, through methods such as georeferencing and photogrammetry, researchers can repurpose historical maps and aerial photographs to reconstruct historical spaces, making discussions more concrete and three-dimensional.

"Occupation" is the seizure and control of space, thus studying the successes and failures of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong naturally requires a spatial perspective. The Japanese spatial planning and management of Hong Kong reflects the city's function for Japan during this period, as well as the interactions, tensions, competitions, and battles between different factions and forces. Hong Kong's geographical location explains its experience during the Pacific War and its strategic value to various parties.

While previous research on Japanese-occupied Hong Kong has largely focused on the Japanese military's brutal rule and the suffering of civilians and prisoners of war, these descriptions often lack spatial context. This research project uses GIS, historical maps, aerial photographs, and various documentary and memorial materials to reconstruct the urban space of Japanese-occupied Hong Kong, allowing researchers and readers to understand the military, governance, economic, and civilian life during the "three years and eight months" from a spatial perspective.

Since 2022, the research team has collected historical materials in Chinese, English, American, and Japanese languages to establish databases using GIS regarding the Japanese military government's administrative planning, various economic activities, military and political facility locations, public health conditions, resistance force deployments, and information about various individuals who experienced the war during this period.