Hou Feng Feather Works (厚豐毛廠)
York Lo: Hou Feng Feather Works (厚豐毛廠)
Sketch of Hou Feng Feather Works in Hunghom by famous sketch artist Kong Kai-ming
Hou Feng Feather Works was one of the few feather factories in Hong Kong with its factory located at 47-49 Ma Tau Wai Road in Hunghom. A sketch of the factory building by famous sketch artist Kong Kai-ming shown above peaked my interest about this low-profile firm.
According to Red Book (1969), Hou Feng was founded in 1950 although as a firm it was not incorporated until 1962. The firm was involved in the manufacturing of beading feather, fancy feather, cock feather and feather trimmings for millinery. The HK Industry Handbook in 1958 listed Kwong Shek-hing as its manager and by then it was already operating out of its Hunghom location although its offices were located at Room 301 at the National Bank Building (also known as Kwok Man House) at 8A Des Voeux Road Central in Central.
Article about the small fire at Hou Feng in 1960 (WKYP, 1960-5-25)
Over the years, Hou Feng maintained a very low profile and old newspaper search only yielded one article about a small fire which broke out at the factory in May 1960. According to the article shown above, four fire engines were sent from the Mongkok and Tsim Sha Tsui fire stations and the fire was so small at first the firefighters who arrived at the scene though it was a hoax. (WKYP, 1960-5-25)
The site of Hou Feng’s factory was re-developed into the Bowie Mansion, a 15-story residential building in 1988. As a firm, Hou Feng Feather Works Ltd was dissolved in 1996.
Any additional info about the firm would be much appreciated.
This article was first posted on 31st July 2020.
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Yes, the Hou Feng works as shown by the sketch was exactly the same as the real building which did not change much in its final 20 years. In the 80s the building facade and windows were very old and dusty. Occasional opening of the door revealed almost no production work was carrying out in the dim and empty ground level