HF: “The third reservoir in Hong Kong, the Wong Nai Chung Reservoir, was built at Tai Tam Reservoir Road in Wong Nai Chung in 1899. The reservoir dam followed the topography of the valley. It was 50 feet high, 270 feet long and was boomerang-shaped. The reservoir had a small water storage capacity of just 27 million gallons, only 38% […]
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HF: I took these photos of the HK- China Concrete Company Yau Tong batching plant on 25th September 2014. It’s stretching things to say this was a visit as I didn’t actually go inside the plant or speak to anyone there. Still if you haven’t seen one of the locations where HK’s beloved concrete is mixed you might be interested […]
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York Lo: Shanghainese Builders in Hong Kong (Part One) – the Pre-War Pioneers (Yaik Sang, Sung Kee Zee and Dao Kee) Having contributed to the building of pre-war Shanghai into the leading metropolis in the Far East, Shanghainese builders and construction firms played a critical role in the post war construction boom in Hong Kong as the city emerged as […]
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York Lo: International Industrial Building (國際工業大廈) in Kwun Tong Left: International Industrial Building in Kwun Tong; Right: ad for International Industrial Building when it first opened in 1966 (WKYP, 1966-3-28) Located at 175 Hoi Bun Road in Kwun Tong waterfront is a 50 years-old, colorful 13 story factory building by the name of International Industrial Building (not to be confused […]
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Hugh Farmer writes: This article was originally published in Newsletter 6 on May 4, 2013. I have added photographs of JH Ruttonjee and SH Dodwell, who are mentioned below and who were prominent figures in the Hong Kong business community. On 30th August 1933 Hong Kong Brewers and Distillers Ltd officially opened its brewery in the presence of several hundred prominent […]
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The Hongkong Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. (HKECC) was founded in Hong Kong in 1922. Clement Cheung, Manager – Archives and Records at the HK Heritage Project has given permission for the following information to be posted here: During its early years, the company was a civil contractor undertaking building, foundation and government works projects. In 1923, HKECC acquired the sole […]
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HF: The Hongkong Milling Company had a brief existence during the early part of the 20th century. Things ended tragically when its prime founder Alfred Herbert Rennie committed suicide by throwing himself off the company launch taking him to the Mill. The company, a major industrial enterprise at that time, is almost forgotten. I wonder also how many people remember […]
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The Tsing Ma bridge in Hong Kong is the world’s 11th-longest span suspension bridge, and was the second longest at time of completion.[3] The bridge was named after two of the islands at its ends, namely Tsing Yi and Ma Wan. It has two decks and carries both road and rail traffic, which also makes it the largest suspension bridge of this type. The bridge has a main […]
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Ian Wolfe: The second photo shows construction of the basement of the Old Bank of China in progress with a Scotch [also known as a stiff-leg] derrick as the only means of rigging heavy steel sections, which was required for the excavation and lateral suppport (ESL) work when this was getting deeper. Scotch derricks were common in the old days […]
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HF: Kenneth Wong, in February 2024, contacted the website and sent this (initial information) about his grandfather Tse Sam. ”He first joined the Harbour Master’s Department (as it was then) in 1925. He worked at the Green Island Lighthouse and moved to Tang Lung Chau lighthouse in 1931.” Kenneth has sent more detailed information about his grandfather’s life and work […]
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