York Lo: The Patriotic Sauce Maker: Chong Sing-chong and Oriental Soy & Canning From the 1930s to the 1960s, Oriental Soy & Canning Co Ltd (東方醬油罐頭有限公司) was a leading manufacturer of soy sauce and canned goods in Hong Kong. In fact, it was the largest player in its industry before being surpassed by Amoy Canning in the 1950s. The founder […]
» Read more
York Lo: Lee Ka Yuen Emporium (李家園百貨) Founded in 1904 and operated until the 1990s, Lee Ka Yuen Emporium was one of the oldest department stores in Hong Kong which was a landmark on Shanghai Street in Kowloon for decades. Little info is available about the first five decades of Lee Ka Yuen aside from the fact that it started […]
» Read more
York Lo: Chun Hing Bakery, Biscuit & Confectionery Manufactory Founded in 1926, Chun Hing Bakery, Biscuit & Confectionery Manufactory (振興糖果餅乾麵包製造廠, the Chinese name reflects the reverse order – confectionery, biscuit and bakery) was one of the leading biscuit & confectionery firms in Hong Kong alongside Garden, Yan Chim Kee, On Lok Yuen and M.P. San. The firm’s founder Ho Chi-Wong (何智煌, […]
» Read more
York Lo: Yan Chim Kee (甄沾記) – the Life, Death and Rebirth of the Century Old Coconut Candies & Ice Cream Maker The history of the confectionery industry in Hong Kong would not be complete without including the history of Yan Chim Kee, the prominent maker of coconut candies and ice cream. Founded in 1915, Yan Chim Kee has gone […]
» Read more
York Lo: The Silver-Haired Midas: Kan Koam-Tsing, the Banker and Gold Dealer who backed South Sea Textile and Camelpaint Bankers played a critical role in the post-war industrial development of Hong Kong and one particular financier – Kan Koam-tsing (簡鑑清) stood out. Owner of a Chinese bank bearing his name and a major player in the lucrative gold trade, Kan […]
» Read more
York Lo: Once Upon A Time in Mongkok: Chow Ngai Hing Knitting Factory One of Chow Ngai Hing’s brands – the Horse trademark. In Mongkok, there are four streets which have names there are associated with garments – Yim Po Fong Street (染布房街, dyeing mill street), Hak Po Street (黒布街, black cloth street), Pak Po Street (白布街,white cloth street) and Sai […]
» Read more
York Lo: Wei Yit Vacuum Flask Manufactory and Camel brand In early April 2017, Apple Daily reported a resurgence of interest in the “Camel” brand of vacuum flasks in the local market thanks to its high quality and the interest in buying “Made in Hong Kong” products. (For those who can read Chinese, see links to below articles): http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20170304/19947161 http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20170304/19947163 http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20170304/19947173 […]
» Read more
York Lo: Other Notable Taxicab Companies in Hong Kong before 1967 Aside from the Big Four cab companies profiled in the “the Four Taxi Kings – Blue, Central, New and Star”, there were a number of other taxicab companies that were formed before 1967. These include HK & Kowloon Taxicab – the first taxicab firm in HK launched in […]
» Read more
York Lo: George Baker – an American Pioneer of the HK Electronics Industry Several years ago I wrote an article for this group about Peter HT Woo, the “Father of the HK Electronics Industry”, whose radio assembler Champagne Engineering (founded in 1958 and later renamed Atlas Electronics) is often credited as the first electronics company in Hong Kong. Another early […]
» Read more
York Lo: The Three Kings of Biscuits – M.Y. San, M.P. San and Pacific In the history of the biscuit and confectionery industry in Hong Kong, M.Y. San, M.P. San and Pacific Biscuit & Confectionery were three prominent firms which shared a common root – they were all started by members of a Filipino Chinese family hailed from Zhongshan (formerly […]
» Read more