York Lo: Lam Yuen Fong (林源豐) – King of Watches Left: Daytime (top) and nighttime (bottom) of the Lam Yuen Fong Optima sign at the Sincere Insurance building in 1958 on the border of Wanchai and Admiralty. Lam Yuen Fong was the sole agent of Optima in HK. Right: Rolex ad in HK from the 1960s listing its select group […]
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Tymon Mellor: At 11.39pm on the 3rd August, 1972 Mr M. McMillan, a construction superintendent became the first member of the public to drive from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon through the new cross-harbour tunnel. The tunnel project was a first, not only for connecting Hong Kong to Kowloon, but also for using private capital to finance the project under a […]
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Martyn Cornell has kindly given permission for extracts from his article, A Short History of Beer in Hong Kong, to be posted on our website. The article was published in the Journal of the Brewery History Society, Brewery History, Issue 156, 2012 Martyn has his own blog, Zythophile – Beer now and then, linked below. Despite its title the article is […]
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York Lo: Chung Kai Knitting (中溪織造廠) – maker of Eagle Pagoda singlets Ad of Chung Kai Knitting in 1955. Source: IDJ Chung Kai Knitting Factory, best known for its Eagle Pagoda (鷹塔牌) singlets, was a major player in the HK garment industry from the 1930s to 1960s before shifting its focus and production to Malaysia. Its founder Lun Chak-sum (倫澤森, […]
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Mike T and Hugh Farmer: The Port of Hong Kong was published by the Marine Department in 1966. The report covers a great deal to do with the administration of the port at this time. Of particular interest:- The section on Ship Breaking contains a list of firms engaged in this industry in the mid-1960s. Dockyards, Drydocks, Shipbuilding and Repair […]
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Mike T: There’s a lengthy, quite detailed article for Chinese-language readers at the link below. (I can’t read it myself, so have to infer from a poor-quality Google translation.) The author seems to have gotten a tour of the factory in 2011, and provides photos inside and out. I found it quite interesting that their production was once significant enough to […]
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York Lo: Watch Case Pioneer: Ernest C. Wong (王澤流) and Danemann Watch Case Factory (德明錶壳廠) Left: Ernest C. Wong (HK Album, 1967); Right: Ernest Wong receiving the chairman of the Swiss Watch Manufacturers Association in front of the Danemann factory in 1958 (WKYP, 1958-12-23) Founded in 1952, Danemann Watch Case Factory was one of the first and largest manufacturers of […]
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HF: Lime-making in Hong Kong has an extremely long history, at least 1,000 years, probably longer. This article by Wong Tak-yan appeared in the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch Journal of 1984. The article begins: And is divided into the following sections: *Uses of Lime *Raw Materials used in the making of lime *The process of making lime -burning […]
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York Lo: Djiauw Pok-kie(饒博基 1910-1973): Indonesian Chinese Tycoon in HK Capital from overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia has played an important role in the economic and industrial development of Hong Kong with a lot of it coming from Indonesia. Examples range from the tea and sugar tycoon Kwik Djoen-eng who acquired large plots of land in North Point in the […]
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Don Holmgren left the following query on 14th December 2017. ”What was the final disposition of the two Hall-Scott Motor coaches – the Taipo Belle and the Canton Belle, did they possibly survive the ravages of World War Two?” Martin Baumann left the following comment on the 6th March 2025. ”Tai Po Belle was found damaged by British forces in […]
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