Preserving Hong Kong’s Industrial Heritage
Rediscover stories from Hong Kong’s industrial past, published on this date in previous years.
York Lo: Paramount: Ad Agency and Interior Decorator Although it is largely forgotten today, Paramount Advertising Agency (百樂門廣告) was one of the leading Chinese-owned ad agencies in Hong Kong which was also involved in interior design and neon lights. The firm which counted many Japanese clients and business partners was responsible for interior decorations for major hotels in HK and […]
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James Chan: I was out walking during Christmas time around the Aberdeen reservoirs on Hong Kong island. I saw an AFC Department sign which said, “Aberdeen Lower reservoir was built in 1890 by Tai Shing Paper Mill. It was taken over and reconstructed by the government because of the Aberdeen Valley Water Scheme. It was re-opened in 1932.” I had […]
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York Lo – Kelly Brothers Manufacturing Factory, Pre-War Garment Pioneer Kelly Brothers 1953 advert Source: IDJ Founded in 1925, Kelly Brothers Manufacturing Factory (嘉綸兄弟織造) was one of the oldest garment manufacturers in Hong Kong, producing sport shirts, T-shirts, singlets, pullovers, vests etc under the “Spot”, “Anchor”, “Athlet” and “Lightning” brands. The brothers in the firm’s name refer to its […]
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“C” says: The Chinese name of the company has always been 淘化大同, not 淘化大隆. Nowadays it is often abbreviated as 淘大. Hugh Farmer: The origins of this well known Hong Kong company are somewhat confusing, at least for someone unable to read Chinese, in that they involve a variety of English translations and merges between these companies. I have tried to […]
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York Lo: Mak and Mark: the century-old tales of two Nam Pak Hong families with the same surname In the early 20th century, Mak Kwong and Adolfo Mark were leading merchants in the Chinese medicine business in the traditional Chinese business district of Nam Pak Hong with global network of buyers and suppliers. Their Mak Kwong Kee and Yick Wo […]
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‘Maverick’ has kindly sent this film of the Wo Hop Shek Spur Line. It has moments of great charm and nostalgia for those old enough to remember single line branches – children running at the station along side the train as it pulls in, the safety system of passing a token (what was the particular system with a large loop […]
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HF: “Telegraph Bay was the site of an early cable landing dating from the early part of the Twentieth Century. The environment of the bay and valley has been radically altered through reclamation and the construction of the Cyberport development. The old cable house is still located in its original position (although it is now located within the grounds of a school). […]
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James Hayes became a cadet officer Class II in the Hong Kong civil service in 1956. He was District Officer, South from 1957 to 1960 and Islands from 1961-1962. He then worked in a wide variety of government departments, his final post being Regional Secretary, New Territories, 1985 to 1987. James is also a scholar and author. He has written […]
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Hugh Farmer: “Today, under a plan formulated in 1989, the three remaining operational quarries in Hong Kong are being rehabilitated to form green areas for future development. Shek O (completion in 2009), Anderson Road (2013) and Lam Tei (2015) quarries are being rehabilitated under contracts that involve major recontouring to soften the appearance of the angular quarry profile, tree and […]
» Read moreOur article, SS Tak Shing – reconditioned SS Sai On at Cheoy Lee Shipyard, mentions that the Tak Shing “is owned by the Tai Yip Company of Hong Kong.” My book Changing Places – The Remarkable Story of the Hong Kong Shipowners” has one mention of Tai Yip on page 93.
» Read moreKlaus Liphard has sent a link to a Powerpoint Presentation about American Marine Boatyard in Hong Kong… Source: Grand Banks History – agbm
» 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 […]
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