York Lo: Tale as old as Wine: the Rise and Fall of Chinese Distilleries in Hong Kong Wing Lok East Street/Morrison Street in 1965 where the giant signs of Chinese distilleries such as Yan Wo Yuet and Wong Kwong Shin Tong were visible. From the 1900s to the 1960s, Hong Kong had a thriving local Chinese wine industry that not […]
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York Lo: YC Moy – the Friendly Compatriot and the Yau Kiu Film Studio (友僑片場) Left: YC Moy in his later years (Source: World Moy’s Clan Association yearbook); Right: Front gate of the Yau Kiu Film Studio in Kowloon City Earlier in the year, the author wrote an article about Hua Nan Motors, the distributor of DeSoto and Peugeot automobiles […]
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York Lo: Several articles have been posted on the Group’s website about American shipbuilder George U. Sands and his shipyard in Kennedy Town which eventually ended up in the hands of the family of Li Sing, the richest man in Hong Kong at the turn of the 20th century. Several years ago, I wrote an article about Li Sing and two […]
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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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York Lo: Island Paint, Kin Kwok Lacquer and HK Paint Products – the three Forgotten Players of the HK Paint Industry A few articles in this group have touched on the HK paint industry, especially China Paint, Camel Paint and Swire Duro which are still active. This article will shed more light on three prominent players which has since faded […]
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York Lo: Corney & Co – Glass Merchant and Mirror Manufacturer Established in 1902 (although not formally incorporated til 1921), R. Corney & Co Ltd (明新有限公司) was a leading glass merchant and mirror manufacturer in Hong Kong which produced glassware, mirrors, light fixtures and other glass-related products. Despite its long history, limited information is available about the firm. A R.Corney […]
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York Lo: Hop Sing Lung Oyster Sauce (合勝隆) When it comes to oyster sauce, most consumers automatically think of Lee Kum Kee (李錦記) given its dominant market share and in fact Lee Kum Kee’s founder Lee Kum-sheung is often credited as the one who “accidentally” invented oyster sauce in 1888 in Nansui (南水), Zhuhai when he left his oyster soup simmering […]
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York Lo: The Hong Kong Rattan Industry and some of its key historical players Rattan is one of the oldest industries in Hong Kong and astute merchants and skilled craftsmen in southern China had long profited from importing rattan cane from Southeast Asia (the majority from Indonesia with the remainder from Malaysia, Burma and the Philippines), weaving them into beautiful […]
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York Lo: China Dispensary: Maker of Pinocine (白蘿仙) and Dermoline (丹杜蓮) For almost half a century, Pinocine Building stood in the heart of Central business district at 80-82 Queen’s Road Central and was known for the many medical practices that were tenants. The building was developed in 1964 by China Dispensary (中華大藥房), a leading local manufacturer of Western medicine in Hong […]
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York Lo – Liang Meng-Tsi – HK Paint Industry Pioneer Liang Meng-tsi (梁孟齊, 1902-1972) was an important figure in the history of the paint industry in Hong Kong. A US-trained chemist, Liang was a leading expert in paint technology in China and was involved in the founding of China Paint in 1932, Duro Paint (with backing of the Lee Hysan […]
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