early shipping in Hong Kong
HF: From 1757 up to the outbreak of the Opium War, Guangzhou was China’s only trading port.
» Read moreFamous HK Tailors (Part Four): the Shanghainese Tailors – Loa Hai Shing, H. Baromon, Ying Tai, Jimmy Chen, W.W. Chan, Ascot Chang and William Yu
York Lo: Famous HK Tailors (Part Four): the Shanghainese Tailors – Loa Hai Shing, H. Baromon, Ying Tai, Jimmy Chen, W.W. Chan, Ascot Chang and William Yu In the late 1940s and early 1950s, a large number of Shanghainese tailors relocated from Shanghai to HK and became a major force in the HK tailoring industry with their excellent craftsmanship […]
» Read moreLeung Man Kwong (梁文廣) – clearance of HK harbour post WW2 and founder of Universal Dockyards
Stephen Davies: The founder of Universal Dockyards (now within the UDL Group) was Mr Leung Man Kwong (梁文廣, b. unknown-d.1966), who I’ve been trying to track down for ages and have at last managed to via this website. Mr Leung was the boss of 80 divers, shipwrights, blacksmiths and other salvage workers, who were on hand in late 1945/early 1946 (they’d […]
» Read morePlanned helicopter service HK to Macau 1962, Stanley Ho
Many thanks to IDJ for sending the article below. It announces that following Stanley Ho being awarded the Macau gambling franchise which took effect from 1st January 1962 he planned to introduce a helicopter service between Hong Kong and Macau. There are no further details about these proposals regarding locations, timetables, costs, helicopters etc. IDJ says the helicopter plan was […]
» Read moreBeryl Mining at Devil’s Peak
Tymon Mellor: In 1955 mineral prices were on the rise and there was a large influx of new population into Hong Kong, mineral extraction and mine development was a growth industry. Sensational mining stories and corruption were not uncommon. In April, 1955 an amateur geologist, Corporal William Bruce Harries, of the Royal Army Educational Corps discovered a deposit of Beryl […]
» Read moreKiu Fung Investment (僑豐建業) and the Trio behind the Firm
York Lo: Kiu Fung Investment (僑豐建業) and the Trio behind the Firm 1962 ad for Kiu Fung Investment covering 4 of its properties – Kiu Fung Mansion, Kiu Kin Mansion, Hing Wong Mansion and Hong Kiu Mansion When it comes to partnerships in the HK real estate industry, the first name which came to most people’s mind is probably Sun Hung […]
» Read moreThe Rope Making Industry in Hong Kong, 1957 Trade Bulletin article
Rope-Making Twine, halliards, cables – if what you need can be classified under the general heading of ‘rope’, it is almost certainly made in Hong Kong. One of the Colony’s earliest industries was ship-building from which a natural offshoot was rope-making. In 1883 Hong Kong’s first rope-making was opened with a capital of HK$150,000.[HF: this was The Hongkong Rope Manufacturing […]
» Read moreOf gods, diamonds and brothels – quarrying questions
Hugh Farmer: Researching my recent Quarrying in Hong Hong article brought up lots of place names with quarrying associations. And even more questions. Can you help answer any? A Kung Ngam Quarry: “A Kung literally means maternal grandfather or old man in Cantonese while Ngam means rock, but in the case of this place name, “A Kung” refers to Tam Kung, sea god, who the […]
» Read moreHong Kong United Dockyards (HUD)
James Chan: Hong Kong United Dockyards often abbreviated to United Dockyards or HUD was formed from the merger of the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock (founded 1863) and Taikoo Dockyard (1902). The Whampoa Dock was located in Hung Hom, West Kowloon and Taikoo Dockyard in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong Island. In 1973 in part to meet the container revolution in […]
» Read moreG Falconer & Company, Watchmakers & Jewellers – HK agent for Ross Optical Ltd, Clapham, London and Kelvin & Hughes, marine instruments, London
HF: G Falconer appear to have had a presence in Hong Kong since 1885, according to the company website, and currently have a shop in the Peninsula Hotel. This article provides initial information about the Falconer and two British companies it was the Hong Kong agent for. As the above says: G Falconer & Company (Hong Kong Limited, Watchmakers, […]
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