Tymon Mellor: The mine at Lin Ma Hang was the most advanced mining operation in the colonial era of Hong Kong before the Pacific War. However, like many mining ventures, this one had a slow and difficult start. This article explores the discovery and early years of the mine’s development along with the workings that are still visible today in […]
» Read more
York Lo: Yau Yue Commercial Bank (有餘商業銀行) Leaders of Yau Yue Commercial Bank at its opening ceremony in 1953 (WKYP, 1953-10-23) Founded in 1953, taken over by HSBC in 1966 and closed in 1969, Yau Yue Commercial Bank was one of the less covered Chinese-owned banks in the post-War era thanks to its smaller size and short history and the […]
» Read more
HF: Can anyone provide further information about these aspects of the music industry in Hong Kong? I am especially interested in the history of record companies in Hong Kong HF: Chunny Bhamra lived on Lamma Island, Hong Kong for many years but moved to Melbourne, Australia with his family in about 2016. Chunny Bhamra: Gramophones and Phonographs were never really made […]
» Read more
York Lo: Lee Hung-tong (李漢忠): Thai Chinese Trader, HK Industrialist and Singer Trade between HK and Thailand had existed since the beginning of the colony and in fact the first trading firm in Nam Pak Hong was Yuen Fat Hong which was engaged in the Siam trade and firms that specialized in trading with Thailand are known as “Siam guilds” […]
» Read more
York Lo: The Ma Family and Thomson Weaving Factory (天孫織染廠) Founded in 1946 by Shunde native Ma Tze-sau (馬子修, 1900-1954), Thomson Weaving Factory was one of the leading weaving and dyeing mills in Hong Kong in the 1940s and 1950s known for its “Double Dragon” fabric. Outside of Thomson, Ma’s children were involved in other industrial activities such as kaolin […]
» Read more
HF: I was told many years ago that Hong Kong had the most ferry routes of any city in the world. And that Sydney was second and Seattle third. If that was true back in the 1980s it may not be so in 2014. During this period I have seen several routes vanish, including Jordan Road to Central, a wonderful […]
» Read more
Thanks to IDJ for the excellent images and information. Hugh Farmer writes:- I had always imagined that the Green Island Cement Company was named after HK’s Green Island (Tsing Chau) opposite Kennedy Town. But no, the company initially started operations on the similarly named island, Ilha Verde, near Macau. The date of its establishment there is given by various sources […]
» Read more
York Lo: C.F. Leung, Ng Iu-cheung and L.S. Chang – Directors of Kwong On Bank Before its acquisition by DBS Bank in 1999, Kwong On Bank (廣安銀行) was one of the leading Chinese-owned banks in Hong Kong. Founded in 1935 by Leung Kwai-yee and primarily led by his sons, Kwong On had other significant shareholders such as the trader William […]
» Read more
IDJ has sent several adverts for Far East Motors. York Lo: Far East Motors was founded in 1934 when Far East Aviation was awarded the exclusive dealership of Chevrolet (Chevy) in HK and South China by American auto giant General Motors. Its first location was at 26 Nathan Road in Kowloon next to the Peninsula Hotel with 15000 sq ft […]
» Read more
York Lo: Filmo Depot (菲林模影機) Left: Filmo Depot’s ad for Filmo 8 in 1939 (China Journal, December 1939); Center: article announcing the re-opening of Filmo Depot after the War in 1947 (HK Sunday Herald, 1947-9-21) Right: Filmo Depot’s ad for its Corrascope films in 1960 (Pacific Island Monthly, May 1960) From the 1930s to the 1970s, Filmo Depot was one […]
» Read more