May Ming Building, Nathan Road, Jordan – G/F unoccupied since the 1970s?

HF: I am told the ground floor of this building at 310-312 Nathan Road, Jordan has been empty since the 1970s. Nathan Road, prime real estate…bit of a mystery then. Why unused or not redeveloped for forty odd years? Looking at this recent google image it appears as if the upper floors are occupied. So maybe only the ground floor […]

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British-American Tobacco Company (HK) Ltd – established 1903 – initial notes

HF: British American Tobacco’s operations were established in Hong Kong in 1903 when the American Cigarette Company Limited was incorporated to serve as British American Tobacco’s manufacturing arm in China. In 1919, British-American Tobacco Company (China) Limited was incorporated in Hong Kong to oversee all British American Tobacco’s Chinese operations. BAAG Kweilin Weekly Intelligenc Summary #66, 15.9.1944 [The BAT] now called […]

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“HK Tobacco Company” (AKA BAT), WW2

HF: British American Tobacco’s operations were established in Hong Kong in 1903 when the American Cigarette Company Limited was incorporated to serve as British American Tobacco’s manufacturing arm in China. In 1919, British-American Tobacco Company (China) Limited was incorporated in Hong Kong to oversee all British American Tobacco’s Chinese operations. During WW2 BAT became the HK Tobacco Company as mentioned […]

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National Lacquer and Paints Products / Camelpaint timeline – HK factories

HF: The company’s timeline is linked below. Key dates regarding factories. All photos are courtesy of Camelpaint. See: NLPP /Camelpaint Timeline – company website This article was first posted on 30th July 2015. Related Indhhk articles: The National Lacquer and Paint Products Co Ltd Hong Kong Paint manufacturing companies – from early 1930s

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The National Lacquer and Paint Products Co Ltd

HF: “Camel” Paints and Lacquers are manufactured by The National Lacquer & Paint Products Co. Ltd, founded by two Chinese returning from the US Zhen Bing Jun and Huang Wei Xian in 1932. The company used “Camel Paint” as its trademark and in the beginning manufactured only enamel paint, lacquer, paste paint and spray paint. Later in 1937, The National Lacquer […]

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Lui Che Woo – King of Hong Kong Quarries – two newspaper articles

HF: “Lui was a pioneer in the local construction materials industry, setting up the first K Wah company in 1955, and undertaking major land reclamation projects in East Kowloon to create building sites and construct roads. He became known as the “king of the quarry” after winning quarrying rights in the 60s and introducing machinery to the industry. He went […]

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SMS Emden: the “Kaiser’s pirate ship” Hong Kong’s favourite foe, WW1

HF: Stuart Heaver wrote a fascinating article in the Sunday Post Magazine of 26th January 2014. The subject being the SMS Emden, a German cruiser which was a frequent visitor to Hong Kong before the outbreak of World War One. As Stuart writes: German merchants were well represented in commercial shipping circles in Hong Kong: Melchers & Co had been founded […]

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China Motor Bus Company – Chai Wan Depot

HF: How many cities have multi-storey depots for double decker buses? Hong Kong does. Here’s one at 391 Chai Wan Road/Sheung On Street, the former head office of Hong Kong’s first bus company China Motor Bus. A five storey concrete parking facility it was the company’s largest depot but now appears empty and unused. In February 1998, the government announced the […]

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Lam Leung Tim, Forward Winsome Industries, SCMP article

HF: The Sunday Morning Post of 1st November 2015 contained an article about Lam Leung Tim, whose company Forward Winsome can be traced back to the years immediately after WW2. The article provides biographical details about Mr Lam from his birth on 30th March 1924 at a hospital in Wanchai. He is now 91 so he has had a long and […]

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Fook Hing Oil Company and Chan Lim Pak, Japanese collaborator

York Lo: For more details about Fook Hing Oil, please refer to Stanley Kwan’s “The Dragon and the Crown: Hong Kong Memoirs”. Stanley – better known as the father of the Hang Seng Index – was actually related to Chan Lim Pak by marriage – his father in law Chan Yue-chik was Chan Limpak’s 9th uncle. (Yuechik’s father and Limpak’s grandfather […]

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