From the Archive

Rediscover stories from Hong Kong’s industrial past, published on this date in previous years.

Sky Shuttle Helicopters Limited

Sky Shuttle Helicopters Black + White Helicopter From HK High IDJ

Sky Shuttle Helicopters Limited ( 空中快線直升機公司) is a helicopter service operator based in Macau.  Formerly known as Helicopters Hong Kong Limited and before that as East Asia Helicopters, it operates helicopter routes between Macau, Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Sky Shuttle employs over 250 people. East Asia Airlines Limited was established in July 1988 and Macau-Hong Kong services commenced in November 1990 by using two Bell 222  helicopters with six […]

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World War Two -1945 BAAG report on occupied Hong Kong – gas supply

Elizabeth Ride has sent a British Army Aid Group (BAAG) report from 1st March 1945, An Outline of Conditions in Occupied Hong Kong which was compiled in early 1945 for use by the Civil Affairs Committee which was to take on the rehabilitation of HK after the planned allied invasion. HF: The report is lengthy so I am going to divide it […]

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Fourseas Bowling Centre and Whimsy

Fourseas Bowling And Whimsy Detail Image 1 York Lo

York Lo: Fourseas Bowling Centre and Whimsy Fourseas Bowling Centre and the Wonderful World of Whimsy are two family entertainment venues which have left a mark in two different generations of Hong Kong people and both enterprises were founded by the family of Daniel C. Go (吳文卿), a Filipino Chinese financier. The Go Family and Paramount Insurance in the Philippines […]

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Proposed world-wide radio-telephonic system for Hong Kong, newspaper article 1938

World Wide Radion System For H.K. HK Telegraph Dec 9 1938 From IDJ

HF: Thanks to IDJ for sending the following newspaper article in. I am presuming the system never got started and it would be of interest to learn why not. The article was a little difficult to read so I have retyped it. Thanks to SCT for proofreading the retyped version. The offer to establish the chain of wireless stations was […]

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Zippers – YKK Hong Kong Ltd

The Yoshida Kōgyō Kabushiki gaisha (YKK Group)  is a Japanese group of manufacturing companies. It’s the world’s largest largest zipper/zip manufacturerer but also produces other fastening products, architectural products and industrial machinery. What would later become YKK operated initially as San-es Shokai and was founded by Tadao Yoshida in Higashi Nihonbashi, Tokyo in January 1934. The company was renamed YKK in 1945. YKK has manufacturing facilities […]

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Messrs. Shewan, Tomes & Co – further information

HF: Shewan, Tomes & Co. was one of the leading trading companies in Hong Kong and China during the late 19th and early 20th century. When Russell & Co., then one of the largest mercantile firms in the Far East, went out of business in 1891, former employees Scotsman Robert Shewan and Englishman Charles Alexander Tomes took over the remains of the operation and changed […]

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Recently Published

NEW Henry Charles Forde 1894 superintended cable telegraph from Singapore to Hong Kong

In his introduction to the article 1871 Singapore – Hong Kong Cable on his website, History of the Atlantic Cable & Undersea Communications, linked below, Bill Burns writes:- The China Submarine Telegraph Company was set up by John Pender in 1869 to link Hong Kong into his growing network of cable companies. Telcon manufactured the cable and used CS Agnes, Kangaroo, Belgian and Minia to lay […]

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Wo Fat Hing Distillery production of 玉冰燒酒 (Juk Bing Siu Zau) or 肉醪燒 (Juk Lou Siu)

Mike T: Regarding the Wo Fat Hing Distillery I’m guessing the type of wine specifically made there was  玉冰燒酒 (Juk Bing Siu Zau) or 肉醪燒 (Juk Lou Siu), as they mention pork being placed in the wine as part of the process. Wikipedia says that it’s, “…a Cantonese rice liquor with over 100 years of history, made with steamed rice. After distillation, […]

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Henry Charles Forde 1894 superintended cable telegraph from Singapore to Hong Kong

In his introduction to the article 1871 Singapore – Hong Kong Cable on his website, History of the Atlantic Cable & Undersea Communications, linked below, Bill Burns writes:- The China Submarine Telegraph Company was set up by John Pender in 1869 to link Hong Kong into his growing network of cable companies. Telcon manufactured the cable and used CS Agnes, Kangaroo, Belgian and Minia to lay […]

» Read more