The Kowloon Canton Railway (British Section) Part 1 – The Beginning, Three Possible Routes…
Tymon Mellor: At the end of the nineteenth century, the great world powers were all trying to expand their spheres of influence within China. The approach of the British was to use Hong Kong as a marine trading hub, enhanced with the provision of a railway network thus extending the Colony’s commercial reach into the Chinese hinterland and connecting with […]
» Read moreThe Norman Electric Light Company – 1886 Hong Kong swindle?
James Chan: This advert from the Hongkong Government Gazette of 9th January 1886 caught my eye. Further investigation brought up the announcement shown below the advert, published in Australia and New Zealand, warning readers that Norman Electric was an “unmitigated fraud and swindle” and exposing one Emil Bassett of New York who was operating under the alias Marsh Bassett. I […]
» Read moreThe Hong Kong Excavation, Pile Driving and Construction Company Ltd and the Charles L Shank photograph album
Tymon Mellor: The question was, “Who is Charles L Shank and what was his connection to the Shek Lai Pui Reservoir?”. A rather open question, but one that has led to an interesting journey. The questioner had acquired a large format book with 122 professional photographs of pre-war Hong Kong construction sites. Sample photographs provided documented the construction of the […]
» Read moreFei Fei Photo Engravers, advert 1940
James Chan: Can anyone provide more information about this company? This article was first posted on 8th April 2017. Related Indhhk articles: Chak Wai Leung – HK photographer of the “common people” Lai Afong 赖阿芳 and Afong Studio, early HK photographic studio
» Read moreWilliam MacGregor Smith (Wahee, Smith & Co.) c1831- c1907
York Lo has sent the following information about William MacGregor Smith. He was the Smith in Wahee, Smith & Co which in turn became The China Sugar Refinery. Smith is buried in HK cemetery – the tombstone states he was 76 (and was erected in 1907) and was from Scotland. On page 50 of Carl Smith’s book Chinese Christians there is […]
» Read moreKwong Luen Tai Garment (廣聯泰)
York Lo: Kwong Luen Tai Garment (廣聯泰) Left: Kwong Luen Tai Garment founder Lee Cheung; right: contract signing ceremony between the Enping local government and Kwong Luen Tai for the establishment of the JV between the two in the early 1980s Kwong Luen Tai Garment Factory was one of the largest garment manufacturers in Hong Kong and was briefly mentioned […]
» Read moreSir John Douglas Clague – connected to a wide array of Hong Kong businesses and lobbyist for the first Cross Harbour tunnel
The following article has been extracted from the Dictionary of Hong Kong Biography. The publisher HK University Press, has given permission for it to be posted here. The article about Sir John Douglas Clague was written by Jason Wordie and first published in the Dictionary of Hong Kong Biography, edited by May Holdsworth and Christopher Munn. The publisher, HK University Press, has […]
» Read morePublic housing in Hong Kong
HF: Public housing in Hong Kong is a set of mass housing programmes through which the Government of Hong Kong provides affordable housing for lower income residents. It is a major component of housing in Hong Kong, with nearly half the population now residing in some form of public housing. The public housing policy dates to 1954, after a fire […]
» Read moreSingnam Choy (蔡星南) – Founder of the HK Chinese Godown Association
York Lo: Singnam Choy (蔡星南) – Founder of the HK Chinese Godown Association Left: Singnam Choy (right) with Lam Hau-tak (see Lam Yuen Fong article) and Chau Cham-kwong as heads of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals in 1948 (WKYP, 1948- 6-19); Right: notice issued by The Ching Hua Co in 1947 to clarify that it had no relations with […]
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