Jimmy Heung dies – Win’s Entertainment film studio

James Chan:  Jimmy Heung died on 20th November 2014 in Beijing. He co-founded Win’s Entertainment with his elder brother Charles in the 1980s. The company went on to become one of the most successful Hong Kong film studios in the 1990s. Charles formed China Star Entertainment Group. See: SCMP article -Legendary movie mogul dies of cancer at 64 This article was […]

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High Island Reservoir

James Chan, Rico Lee and Elizabeth Ride: High Island Reservoir is the largest in Hong Kong by volume, [273 (3) /281 (1) (4) million cubic metres]. Plover Cove Reservoir has a larger area. Government Department: Water Supplies Consultants: The reservoir was designed by Binnie & Partners as a part of the High Island Water Scheme  which included pipeworks and other supporting infrastructure […]

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1921 Explosion at Kowloon firecracker factory kills and injures fifty – map added of Smallpox hospital location

Additional information in red. James Chan: I came across this Report of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs for the year 1921.  It would interesting to know where  this converted Kowloon smallpox hospital was. No exact date is given as to when the accident happened. And what the name of the company making the firecrackers was. “An unfortunate accident occurred in […]

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John MacNeile Price, Surveyor General of Hong Kong, the Tai Tam reservoirs

James Chan: While walking around the Tai Tam reservoirs on 11th January 2018 I came across a sign on the Tai Tam Waterworks Heritage Trail, see below, which began: “Before the 1860s, Hong Kong relied on primitive sources such as wells and streams for its water supply. Although the Pok Fu Lam Reservoir, the first rainwater facility, was enlarged in […]

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Dredging Marine Sand – Container Terminal 6, 1987 article

James Chan: The Geological Society of HK Newsletter Vol 5 (2) published in 1987 contains this article about what I think is a new subject for the website. The dredging was done by the Dutch company Hollandsche Aanneming Maatschappij, better known as HAM. Source: The Geological Society of Hong Kong Newsletter 1987 Vol 5 (2)  See: The Geological Society of […]

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The 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 […]

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Mayar Silk Mills (HK) Ltd, Tsuen Wan – company compound derelict for many years

James Chan: Hughie D, Veteran Member of derelictplaces.co.uk has posted a piece about this company on its website. This was posted in July 2015. Hughie says: “This place is a bit of a strange one. This old silk mill is in the middle of Tsuen Wan…and must represent very valuable real estate. I remember passing this place a number of […]

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The Hong Kong Ivory Industry

James Chan: A controversial subject with a long history in Hong Kong. Chief Executive, Leung Chun Ying, announced plans to ban the domestic ivory trade during his 2016 Policy Address. CY said that the government “will kick-start legislative procedures as soon as possible to ban the import and export of elephant hunting trophies.” Recent SCMP articles: SCMP 29th June 2016 Destruction of […]

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Cascade Tourist Service (HK) Ltd – 1981 imported ex-Nottingham double-deckers – transporting HUD workers

Cascade Tourist Service (HK) Ltd Ex NCT Nottingham City Transport VAU 3995 183 CN1779

James Chan: Cascade Tourist Service (HK) Ltd, aka Cascade Intertrade Corporation (CIC), was incorporated on 8th August 1975 and dissolved on 31st December 2004. The company was mainly involved in transporting the workers of Hongkong United Dockyard (HUD) to its Tsing Yi island shipyard but was also involved on hire to Citybus. “Cascade became the sixth Hong Kong operator to […]

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