Lawrence Tsui suggests that the place name Yau Ma Tei originated through the industry there of making marine ropes – literally, ‘Place for the Oily Flex [Flax?] Ropes’. Hugh Farmer adds: Gwulo had a forum about the origin of the name Yau Ma Tei in 2006 to which several people contributed quoting a variety of sources. I have included the […]
» Read moreHugh Farmer was interviewed by Annemarie Evans on her RTHK programme Hong Kong Heritage, first broadcast on Saturday 12 Jan. He spoke about how he became interested in Industrial History in the UK and Hong Kong and why he set up The Industrial History of Hong Kong Group. He then highlighted a few subjects of interest including incense water mills and […]
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They don’t get more difficult than this one! And in two parts. Click on the Christmas tree. Can you identify the locations and their industries from this 1950s map. And suggest why the rest of the colony was omitted from such delightful detail? Tai O Salt? Ma On Shan Iron Mine? Tsuen Wan ship breaking? Junk Bay steel? Click on […]
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Many thanks to Lawrence Tsui for sending his father’s, Paul Tsui’s unpublished Memoirs – My Life and My Encounters see http://www.galaxylink.com.hk/~john/paul/paul.html Paul Tsui Ka Cheung was born in Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong on Nov 5 1916. He had a very full life, including some dramatic times during WW2. He started work in Hong Kong as a Cadet Officer Class 2, on […]
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Hugh Farmer writes, The SCMP of 10 Dec 2013, has an article “Museum plans an old school revival” which mentions a plan by the Federation of Hong Kong Industries and the Hong Kong Toys Council to set up a permanent museum dedicated to toys produced here. Sounds like an excellent idea given the importance of the toy industry in Hong Kong […]
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James Hayes became a cadet officer Class II in the Hong Kong civil service in 1956. He was District Officer, South from 1957 to 1960 and Islands from 1961-1962. He then worked in a wide variety of government departments, his final post being Regional Secretary, New Territories, 1985 to 1987. James is also a scholar and author. He has written […]
» Read moreAdapted from Newsletter 3, published 11th January 2013 As part of my research into the West Brother Island Graphite Mine and Lin Ma Hang Lead Mine I came across the name Stephen Hui. From 1956-1970 he was the Chief Mining Engineer and General Manager of the Yan Hing Mining Company Ltd. As such he was involved in the exploration of […]
» Read moreDan Water’s article in Newsletter 8, Recollections of a Visit to a Joss-stick Mill in Tsuen Wan, describes the decline of this once important Hong Kong industry. It is highly unlikely there will be a serious revival of the incense mills (though how delightful it would be to visit a reconstructed, working incense water mill above Tsuen Wan or on […]
» Read moreHugh Farmer writes, in Newsletter Seven I mentioned Chinese manufacturing enterprises in the 1870s. These included two for preserving ginger and other processed food including soy sauce and preserved fruit, several machine-makers, a tannery, a paper factory and a manufacturer of matches, workshops for producing cigars, tobacco, clothing, glass, oars, rifles, ropes, umbrellas, spectacles, tooth-powder and soap, as well as […]
» Read morehttps://www.hongkongheritage.org The Hong Kong Heritage Project was commissioned by Sir Michael Kadoorie in May 2007 to consolidate the Kadoorie family business records. Amelia Allsop is the very helpful Collections Manager. Records of HK Industrial companies kept at the archive include the HK and Whampoa Dock Co. Ltd, the HK and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Co. Ltd, the HK Rope Manufacturing […]
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