York Lo: Cho Shiu-chung (曹紹松, 1922-2011) – Real Estate Developer and Philanthropist Left: Cho Shiu-chung; Right: Staff of On Wah Construction congratulating Cho Shiu-chung on his MBE in 1971 (WKYP, 1971-1-8) Cho Shiu-chung was a prominent player in the construction and real estate business and an active community leader from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1973 to 1987, he […]
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IDJ has sent this monograph of the dramatic changes that occurred in Tuen Mun in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It starts rather gloomily, “Castle Peak, in reality a string of scattered settlements along the shoreline of the Bay, a straggle of ramshackle squatter huts pushing up the creek of the Tuen Mun river…” click the pages to enlarge. […]
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York Lo: Chow Yau (周有, 1912-1983) – Vertical Integrator of the HK Death Care Industry With over 45,000 deaths per year, the death care industry is a huge business in Hong Kong. While many Chinese articles have covered Siu Ming, the king of funeral homes who monopolized the business in the 1960s and early 1970s, little has been written about […]
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IDJ has sent this article about the Hongkong Electric Company, Ltd which was published in 1908. It outlines the formation of the company in 1889 and the opening of Hong Kong’s first power station in Star Street, Wanchai in 1890. This generating station closed in 1920 and was demolished in 1922. Source: Twentieth century impressions of Hong-kong, Shanghai and other […]
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York Lo: King of Towels: Lee Yiu-wah (李曜華) and Hop Hing (1950) Weaving Factory (合興毛巾織造廠) Lee Yiu-wah speaking at the formation ceremony of the HK Cotton Made-up Goods Manufacturers Association in 1963 (WKYP, 1963-5-26) In the 1950s to 1970s, Hop Hing (1950) Weaving Factory was one of the largest manufacturers of cotton towels and terrycloth in Hong Kong, earning its […]
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Our article, G Falconer & Company, Watchmakers & Jewellers, mentions that Falconer were the HK agent for Ross Optical Ltd, Clapham, London. The following information and images about Ross come from the excellent Grace’s Guide website, linked below. Ross of Optical Works, 3 North Side, Clapham Common, London, SW4 (1922) Ditto Address. Telephone: Battersea 3876-7. Cables: “Rossicaste, Phone, London”. (1929) […]
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York Lo: Kun Wing Fook Medicine Co. (靳永福藥廠) and “Coconut Tree” brand carminative oil (椰樹牌驅風油) Left: Kun Wing Fook booth at the 1971-72 HK Products Expo (HK Memory); Right: article and picture of Kun Wing Fook booth at the 1959 HK Products Expo featuring a tree with coconuts imported from Singapore (TKP, 1959-12-6) Kun Wing Fook Medicine Co, best known […]
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HF “South China Iron Works Ltd., founded in 1938 [incorporated 19th December 1938], lost much of its machinery during the Japanese occupation…but by 1949 had resumed production of diesel engines, including ‘specially designed’ three wheeled vehicles ‘especially designed for use in Southeast Asia’, and 2.5 ton trucks.” (1) The works were in Tsuen Wan according to the report below and […]
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York Lo: Tung Kin Land Investment (東建置業) Tung Kin’s ad for Tung Fat and Tung Lee building in 1962 (WKYP, 1962-8-25) Tung Kin Land Investment Ltd was one of the active property developers in HK in the early 1960s and the firm was incorporated in 1958 with HK$1 million in capital by four directors of the Tung Wah Group of […]
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HF: Cheoy Lee Shipyard operated at Penny’s Bay, Lantau from 1964 to April 2001. The company was founded in 1870 in Shanghai by the Lo family. In 1936 when the Japanese Imperial Army [invaded China] the yard was moved to British-controlled Hong Kong, where the Lo family thought the yard would be safe. But the Japanese took over Hong Kong, too, […]
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