1957 Trade Fair TST – Chinese company names translated and indexed
Hugh Farmer: This article is a joint effort of Thomas Ngan, IDJ, Neil Morris and myself.
Thomas has done a fantastic job in first translating the Chinese company names and products. And secondly by inserting arrows into the two photos below to link the advertising signs to the index. A lot of work Thomas, thanks very much.
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The first trade fair to promote local products was in 1938 under the auspices of the Chinese Manufacturers Association of Hong Kong. 40 industrial enterprises took part and 200 products were displayed. From then on the HK Industrial Products Exhibition was held annually unil 1974 apart from 1942-1947. These 31 annual events reached a peak in 1968-1969 when almost two million people visited the venue.
IDJ: Industry trade fairs used to be an annual event for HK manufacturers to show their wares. I remember going to one in the early 1970s on the then new Wanchai reclamation. The event seemed to move around regularly and use whatever piece of vacant ground was available at the time.
Hugh Farmer: I asked Neil Morris about these photos. Neil worked for the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) for many years. He thinks they might be from a Chinese Manufacturers’ Association event as there seem to be no signs in English.
He asked a retired HK civil servant friend of his who worked for years in the Resettlement Dept who confirms that the large white building on the left was later on that Dept’s HQ. He remembers going round a trade fair put up by the Chinese Mfrs’ Assn sometime in the 1950’s but can’t recall if this was it. He was asked to go round pretending to be a businessman from UK!
Many thanks Neil and to your friend.
1957 TST industry fair
Holts Godown and the old rail track are seen here on the top right.
1957 TST industry fair
A very clear view of the Industry Fair located at the same place where the Sheraton Hotel now stands.
Thomas Ngan has researched the companies indicated in these two photos in this index:
| Chinese Name | English Name (if present) | Romanization (in Cantonese) | Orientation of sign – Top down, RTL or LTR | Business Type | |
| A | 陽光公司 | Nil | Yeung Kwong Company | Top down | Unknown |
| B | 時來遮 | Nil | Si Loi Umbrellas | Top down | Umbrellas |
| C | 白花油/和與公司/白花油大药廠 | Pak Fah Yeow International Limited (http://www.whiteflower.com.hk/eng/) | RTL | See corporate website | |
| D | 哥倫比亞領帶公司 | Columbia Neck Tie | RTL | Neck Tie | |
| E | 開達公司塑膠XX | Kader Group of companies (http://www.kader.com.hk/) | Top down | See corporate website | |
| F | 安樂園雪糕 | On Lok Yuen Ice Cream | Top down | Ice Cream | |
| G | 振興(餅家) | Unknown (folded in 1970’s. Last known location of shop Wanchai in the Pawns’ block, last known factory, Sau Kei Wan) | Chun Hing Bakery | Top down | Biscuits, bakery, etc |
| H | Union | LTR | Shirts, men’s ware | ||
| I | 甄沾記 | Unknown,( folded. There is a Yan’s building in Wong Chuk Hang.) | Yan Chim Kee | Top down | Coconut candies |
| J | 先施雪蕊 | Unknown | Unknown |
| K | 斧標驅風油 | Axe Brand Universal Old – LKF Medical (http://www.lkfmedical.cn/english/index.asp) | Top down | See corporate website for history and products | |
| L | 余均益辣椒醬 | Yu Kwen Yick Chilli Sauce (http://www.yukwenyick.com.hk/home_eng.html) | Top down & RTL | See corporate website for history and products | |
| M | 左顯記蠔油 | Tso Hin Kee Limited (http://www.thk.com.hk/pages/big5/about.html) | Tso Hin Kee | Top down | Sauces, see corporate website for more info. Unfortunately seemed to be Chinese only as for the time being. |
| N | 粱蘇記遮 | Leung So Kee Umbrella Factory (since 1885) (http://www.leungsokee.com.hk/) | RTL | Umbrellas | |
| O | 555 線衫 | Uncertain. Product still available today but was reported by local newspapers to be struggling for business. Yue Hua still have it (http://www.yuehwa.com/onlineshop_listing.php?cid=8&pid=28&page=2) | LTR | Male under shirt | |
| P | 泰昌書店 | Unknown | Tai Cheung Book Store | Books | |
| Q | 葉牌恤 | Yips | Yips Shirt | Top down | Shirts |
Hugh Farmer: From 1938 to 1974, the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong (CMA) organized 31 exhibitions of locally made products, to promote the industrial products manufactured in Hong Kong to local citizens and overseas buyers.
This article was first posted on 10th April 2015.
Source: http://www.hkmemory.hk/collections/hong_kong_products_exhibition/about/index.html
See: 1968 Trade Exhibition – Hung Hom
*As an aside Holts Godown shown in the background of the first photo is of great interest. Holt’s Wharf and the Godown were set up in 1910 and jointly owned by the Swire Group and Blue Funnel Line. Together they formed a railway and freight hub in Tsim Sha Tsui. Separate article to follow.
Related Indhhk articles:
Hi there,
There are quite a lot of brand names in the two photos. Some of the brands might not even have a proper English name so I think we would have to make do with Romanization of sort. Some of the brand names are likely gone, but many of them still exist today.
Might take a while.
Thanks & Best Regards,
T
Thomas
Any help you can offer in translating at least some of the names would be very useful.
Thanks in advance for what you can do.