HF: Magazine Island (火藥洲; Fo Yeuk Chau), originally known as One Tree Island (一木島) is located off the southwest coast of Hong Kong Island, and off the northwestern tip of Ap Lei Chau. Administratively, it is part of Southern District. The former Magazine Building on Magazine Island is now a Grade Three Historic Building. It was built by the British Dynamite Company, which later […]
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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, IDJ and Mike T: The company was founded on 15th July 1955. This advert from 1963, sent by IDJ outlines China Engineers Ltd’s interests including Hong Kong Knitters which at that time was manufacturing, ‘Easeley’ cotton and woollen knitted shirts, combed cotton underwear. In June 1990, Hong Kong Knitters Ltd. was acquired by Yangtzekiang Garment Ltd (YGM) through an associated […]
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Mak Ho Yin has kindly translated this report published on 19 December 1964, two days before the opening ceremony of the factory on 21 December, in the daily newspaper Wah Kiu Yat Po. Pioneer of Hong Kong Heavy Industry Opening of a Large Steel Tube Factory on Peng Chau by Hong Kong Tube and Metal Products Limited at Peng Chau on 21st December, […]
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York Lo has written a lengthy article about the China Can Company and its founder KY Shang, linked below. Here are a few more images related to the company which appears to still maintain an office at HK Plaza, 188 Connaught Road, Shek Tong Tsui, Hong Kong. The HK Memory image shown below lists the company involved as the Hong […]
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York Lo: Glory Metal Works (光榮五金製品廠) Glory Metal Works was one of the leading manufacturers of pressure lanterns and kerosene lamps alongside World-Light (covered in an earlier article), Lea Hin and Union Metal Works (to be covered later). The firm traced its origin to Kwong Hing Electroplating Co (廣興電鍍), which was founded by Lee Pun-yee (李彬義, 1888-1972), a native of […]
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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 […]
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In 1965 Mary Esther Parker bought a sterling silver “hops shovel” at an antique shop in Fort Walton, Florida. On the back is inscribed: Hongkong Brewers & Distillers Ltd First Lager Brew 27.6.1934 This Hop Shovel with which she put the first hops into the brew is presented with grateful thanks to Lady Southorn The front, scooping side: Mary […]
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York Lo: Pao Hsing Cotton Mill(寶星紡織廠) 7 story Pao Hsing Mill – the largest cotton mill in Kwai Chung in 1961 (HKU Libraries) While Pao Hsing Cotton Mill might not have been one of the largest and best-known cotton mills in HK, it was a notable firm in the history of HK cotton spinners for several reasons – its unusual […]
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Hugh Farmer: A very merry Christmas to all our readers, contributors, administrators, translators, typists and all those who have helped the Group over the last year… March 1965: The value of Christmas decorations exported in 1964 was over HK$7 million. Electric light sets comprised the bulk of exports but plastic Christmas trees, candles, tinsel, paper lanterns and decorations were also […]
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