ness ". ▁It ▁is ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁invest ors ▁during ▁this ▁period ▁number ed ▁to ▁ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁H ang ▁S eng ▁Index ▁kept ▁so aring , ▁but ▁then ▁crash ed ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁leaving ▁many ▁people ▁bank rupt . ▁The ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁economy ▁recovered ▁only ▁slowly ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁few ▁years . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁a ▁" Dep os it - t aking ▁Comp an ies ▁Ord in ance " ▁was ▁also ▁passed ▁to ▁en force ▁non - lic ensed ▁bank ▁institutions ▁to ▁register ▁with ▁the ▁government . ▁A ▁minimum ▁paid ▁up ▁capital ▁requirement ▁of ▁H K $ 2 . 5   mill ion ▁was ▁also ▁required . ▁The ▁strategy ▁was ▁to ▁mirror ▁the ▁De pos it ▁Trust ▁concept ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁Resource ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁water ▁shut - down ▁by ▁main land ▁China ▁during ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Revolution ▁ri ots ▁in ▁Hong ▁Kong , ▁the ▁government ▁respond ed ▁with ▁a ▁des al ination ▁plant ▁at ▁Lok ▁On ▁P ai , ▁Castle ▁Pe ak ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 . ▁The ▁High ▁Island ▁Res er voir ▁construction ▁went ▁from ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁ ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁and ▁was ▁expected ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁same ▁size ▁as ▁P lo ver ▁C ove . ▁The ▁construction , ▁contract ed ▁by ▁a ▁Japanese ▁company ▁cost ▁more ▁than ▁H K $ 4 0 0   mill ion . ▁