From the Archive

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

The film The Sand Pebbles – replica of the USS San Pablo built at Vaughan & Yung Engineering Co Ltd

York Lo’s recent article, J.H. Vaughan – An American Shipbuilder in Hong Kong, mentions that the yard built the replica of the USS San Pablo for the well known film The Sand Pebbles. The article has prompted IDJ to send the following: The Sand Pebbles – Production Notes THE BACKGROUND When the late Richard McKenna’s first and only novel, “The Sand Pebbles,” […]

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BAAG records of shipping in HK during 1944-45 – the Arashijitsu Maru

Elizabeth Ride has British Army Aid Group (BAAG) records of shipping movements for 1944-45 in Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation in World War Two. These provide information not only about the ships themselves but what cargo was being brought into and out of Hong Kong during the latter stages of WW2, passengers carried, and of godowns, docks etc that were […]

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Recently Published

FER, The Hongkong-Canton Railway

Peter Crush THE HONGKONG-CANTON RAILWAY The report of Mr. G. W. Eves, Chief Resident Engineer of the Hongkong-Canton Railway construction, on the progress of the work up to December 31st, 1907, concludes with the an­nouncement that barring accident and unex­pected delays the line would be completed by December 1909, so far as the contract work was involved and the line […]

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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