HF: Harry Kin Hong Long divided his life between New Zealand and Hong Kong. In the latter he worked for two companies, Kung Lee Steam Ship and HK and Yaumati Ferry. Julia Bradshaw has kindly given me permission to quote from her book Golden Prospects: Chinese on the West Coast of New Zealand. Julia is the Director of the Hokitika Museum, NZ. […]
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James Chan:This report is from The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia 7th April 1913. It adds information to our other articles about ginger in HK. “There has been a general increase in the export of preserved and candied ginger from China during the past few years, the United States particularly showing a growing demand for this sweetmeat. Exports during the past […]
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HF: Apparently tattooing has been practiced across the globe since at least Neolithic times, as evidenced by mummified preserved skin, ancient art, and the archaeological record. When I was young it was most commonly seen on and associated with sailors and those in the military and I suppose general ne’er do wells but now appears de rigueur for teenagers. For […]
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Tymon Mellor: In 1904, as the Hong Kong Island tram system was readying for operation, attention focused on the opposite side of the harbour on the development of a tram network for Kowloon. After many false starts, just when it seemed that work was about to start on a Kowloon tram network, the Government had a major change of approach […]
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“It is interesting to note that as years go by the wants of the inhabitants of even the most distant parts of the world are steadily increasing, and while the older generations were satisfied with comparatively little in the way of luxuries, the rising generation look upon many of these luxuries as necessities. Perhaps one of the best examples in […]
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HF: I have slightly adapted the script below from the original booklet. Thanks to SCT for proofreading the script. Pokfulam reservoir was the first reservoir in Hong Kong, and was completed in 1863 to provide a stable water supply to the City of Victoria. It was one of the first large scale infrastructure projects in the early days of colonisation. […]
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York Lo: Bethlehem Knitting (百利恒織造廠) and Hing’s Underwear (興士牌) Left: Hing’s print ad from the early 1970s. Right: actual package of Hing’s underwear From the 1950s to the 1970s, Hing’s was a popular local brand of cotton underwear manufactured by Bethlehem Knitting Factory. Founded in 1950 by C.T. Shiu (邵之道), the firm moved into its current location at 483 Castle […]
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IDJ has sent these photographs of the Green Island Cement Company in about 1900. If you haven’t come across it before, it was a major Hong Kong Company…… This article was first posted on 17th March 2015. Related Indhhk articles: Green Island Cement Company Green Island Cement Company – manager late 1920s to 1949 identified and photos of earlier manager’s […]
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York Lo: Yankee Needle: American Merchants and the development of the Swatow lace industry in China and the garment industry in HK Left: Swatow women working on needlework at Lida Ashmore’s school (Lida Ashmore’s The South China Mission of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society, p.94) Right: Lida Ashmore (sitting, second from the right) with her colleagues laying the foundation […]
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HF: Three buildings have been restored at the mining village close to Ma On Shan Iron Mine where miners and their families lived during the mine’s active life from 1906 to 1976 and especially during the 1950s. The Sunday Morning Post of 18th January 2015 contains an article, Ex-residents return to see village come back to life. The article says […]
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