HF: The Kadoorie brothers, Sir Horace (right) and Lord Lawrence (left), sowed the seeds of the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) when they founded the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association (KAAA) in 1951. In 1941 there were 1.25 million people living in Hong Kong. By the end of the Japanese occupation in 1945 the population had shrunk to about 600,000. […]
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York Lo: Y.C. Hu and L.S. Ku – directors of Pao Hsing Cotton Mill In the earlier article about Pao Hsing Cotton Mill, it was mentioned that two outside directors – Hu Ying-choi(Y. C. Hu) and Ku Lan-sun (L.S. Ku, misspelled as “Ku Han-sun” in the lawsuit) were recruited in 1953. Further research revealed that Hu and Ku were two […]
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From Tai Ping Koon, which opened in 1860 and served Sun Yat-sen, to Gaylord Indian Restaurant, open since 1972, to the award-winning abalone served in Forum since 1977, these restaurants have stood the test of time. In a city where restaurants come and go with dizzying speed, those which have stood the test of time are few and far between. […]
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Tymon Mellor: Mining for Wolframite at Sha Lo Wan started in late 1951 and by March, 1952 around 700 miners, growing to 1500 were working the hillsides on North Lantau. After an initial find in a gully on a weathered outcrop, the miners started digging tunnels to extract the minerals from the veins. Mining continued throughout the 50’s and into […]
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HF: The Hong Kong film industry – the star system According to Paul McDonald, a star system emerged in Hollywood as talent scouts, coaches and publicists were involved with finding performers and making them into stars. In the vertically integrated Hollywood film industry of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s these responsibilities were all undertaken by the studios themselves. The studios […]
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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: Yakult (益力多): 50 Years in Hong Kong Left: glass bottle of Yakult before 1971; Middle: the original Yakult HK plant at 161 Wai Yip Street in Kwun Tong (Yakult HK website); Right: plastic bottle of Yakult today In the late 1960s around the same time when Japanese instant noodle (see our article on Winner Food and Doll noodles) […]
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HF: This picture shows the trademarks of Chuen Sun Knitting Factory, including Three Fives Brand, Seven Sevens Brand, under which knitted shirts, vests, shirts and sportswear were manufactured. The factory was first established by Chan Mo-chau and partners at O’Bailey Street in Macau. In 1934 the company set up a factory at 98-200 of Tung Choi Street of Mong Kok. In […]
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IDJ has sent the following newspaper article which was published in the Hong Kong Sunday Herald in a 1930s long series entitled Hong Kong Personalities. Hong Kong Personalities LT.COL. M.H. Logan This is the sixty-fourth of the exclusive series of sketches of leading Colony residents by Mr. A.S. Konya, the talented Hungarian artist. Our Personality this week is Lieut.-Colonel Malcolm […]
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York Lo: United Delivery Co Ltd (聯合運貨汽車有限公司) Left: Ad for United Delivery in an old telephone directory – 10 phone numbers were listed, and cross harbor delivery capabilities were highlighted; Right: United Delivery founder Albert Youngsaye and his wife Lai Yung-mei (Maureen Fan, Geni) Established in 1933, United Delivery Co Ltd was a leading logistics provider in Hong Kong […]
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