Preserving Hong Kong’s Industrial Heritage
Rediscover stories from Hong Kong’s industrial past, published on this date in previous years.
Tymon Mellor: Implementation of the Plover Cove scheme was intended to be undertaken in a number of stages. The first stage captured available water resources in the New Territories and a new treatment plant at Shatin. The second stage would cover the construction of the main reservoir with subsequent stages capturing water resources within the Sai Kung peninsula. With the […]
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IDJ: When Hong Kong was liberated in September 1945, one of the military groups diverted to assist restoring the city’s electricity, gas and water utilities and railway was the Royal Air Force’s No. 5358 Airfield Construction Wing that was part of Shield Force. This fleet of Royal Navy Cruisers and Aircraft Carriers plus their support ships were transporting 3000 airman […]
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“The French merchant Auguste Raphael Marty (1841–1914) established his own trading house, A. R. Marty et Cie, in Hong Kong in 1874. Information about this Hong Kong company appears thin on the ground – further details would be gratefully received. Stephen Davies suggests that Marty in HK was only ever a shipping company office. Following the acquisition of northern Indochina […]
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Our article about Harry Long working for the Kung Lee Steam Ship Company mentioned that “he was a superintendent and engineer on boats taking cargo upriver from Canton. It was a dangerous job and he often had to use firearms to fend off pirates.” This prompted Stephen Davies to recall an incident near Samsui (aka Samshui) where the HK, Canton & […]
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York Lo: Famous HK Tailors (5) – Other Notable Chinese Firms (James S. Lee, Tung Sun, Tung Hing, British Textiles, Maiwo Yang, Tom Bros, James Lau, Smiley Chow and Kwun Kee) The final part of this series covers 9 notable firms in the HK tailor industry – James S. Lee which was once the largest custom tailoring concern in HK; […]
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HF: This lengthy report was “Presented to the Legaslative Council by the Command of His Excellency the Governor”, on the 1st November 1885. I present it with no further comment except that I hope it may be of value to anyone studying the early history of public water supply in Hong Kong. The contemporary photograph added to the original report […]
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HF: We have several articles about the Asiatic Petroleum Company (linked below) which was based in China. This was a joint venture between the Shell and Royal Dutch oil companies and was founded in 1903. It operated in Asia in the early 20th century with its corporate headquarters on The Bund, in Shanghai. Here is the Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company’s […]
» Read moreHF: This is one of the most early-built factory estates in Hong Kong. It was built between 1960 and 1965. From 1973 onwards it was managed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority.(1) Sources: The Hong Kong Memory Project
» Read moreContact the company? Founded in Hong Kong in 1874, Leigh & Orange (L&O) has continued to thrive as a significant force in the markets it serves for nearly a century and a half by providing its clients with a consistent focus on quality. With an unsurpassed depth of experience in a wide variety of building types, the firm prides itself […]
» Read moreHF: Kin Hip Metal and Plastic Factory manufactured metal molds. A key customer was Gold Coin Brand vacuum flask factories. Mrs. Sun took charge of the accounts while taking care of the children at the factory. In doing so, she used an abacus to calculate costs and prepare invoices. On one occasion she undercharged $600 when calculating product prices for […]
» Read moreHF: In the middle third of the 19th century, the clippers which carried cargoes of tea from China to Britain would compete in informal races to be the first ship in London with the new crop of each season. A painting of Ariel and Taeping. Source: wikipedia Tea was introduced from China to Europe in the 17th century, but, as […]
» Read moreHF: Source no 86 http://www.aab.gov.hk/form/new_items_history.pdf [Bonnie Manson: Four years ago I made a journey to visit the grave of Ko Ming Fan who ran the Flat Hill Quarry.] Old Quarry Site Structures Lei Yue Mun, Kwun Tong, Kowloon Hong Kong has been well favoured with its building stones. The high quality, fine-grained granite was commonly used in construction by the time […]
» Read moreHF: Mandarin Oriental is a member of the Jardine Matheson Group, a conglomerate with strong expertise and heritage in Hong Kong and Asia, which was founded in Canton in 1832 by Scottish traders William Jardine and James Matheson.
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