Hugh Farmer: Following our recent articles about the Lok On Pai ‘desalting’ plant I visited the site on 4th December 2014 to see what remains. We know from recent aerial photographs and maps that the main building exists extending west to east, with one main arm at right angles to this running south towards the sea. Here’s what the site […]
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Additional information in red. James Chan: I came across this Report of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs for the year 1921. It would interesting to know where this converted Kowloon smallpox hospital was. No exact date is given as to when the accident happened. And what the name of the company making the firecrackers was. “An unfortunate accident occurred in […]
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IDJ and HF: The origin of Schmidt & Co., (Hong Kong) Limited can be dated back to 110 years ago when Paul Schmidt founded the Schmidt Group of Companies in Tokyo under the name of Schmidt Shoten in 1896. The Group opened its first office in Beijing, China in 1911. In the following years, additional branches were established in major […]
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HF: I would be very interested if anyone could tell me some of the companies that occupied space in Cheung Sha Wan Factory Estate, or about other factory estates in Hong Kong. Cheung Sha Wan Factory Estate was a factory estate in Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon, Hong Kong, owned and managed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority. It comprised up […]
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Elizabeth Ride has sent these British Army Aid Group (BAAG) reports mentioning the South China Iron Works during the Japanese Occupation, WW2. South China Iron Works Ltd., founded in 1938 [incorporated 19th December 1938], lost much of its machinery during the Japanese occupation…but by 1949 had resumed production of diesel engines, including ‘specially designed’ three wheeled vehicles ‘especially designed for […]
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HF: Taikoo Sugar Refinery started producing refined sugar in Hong Kong in 1884 and did not cease operation till 1972. During this period of almost a century, it produced some of the world’s highest quality refined sugar widely consumed in many parts of Asia, Australia and North America. Its history illustrates important aspects of Hong Kong’s industrial development.(1) Taikoo Sugar […]
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“Cookson and Co of Milburn House, Newcastle-on-Tyne 1827 Cookson and Co established soda works at South Shields; Thomas Doubleday gave them the plans of his chamber, furnaces, etc, when they established the works[1] 1852 Messrs J Cookson were lead merchants at Upper Thames Street, London, with manufacturing works at Newcastle[2]. 1855 William Isaac Cookson and Co, were paint and colour […]
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York Lo: Cheung Ka Chai Medicinal Wine (張家濟酒廠) Left: Cheung Ka Chai ad in Singapore in 1947 (南洋商报, 12 February 1947, Page 3); Right: Cheung Ka Chai’s Three Goats trademark filed in 1935 (HK Government Report) Cheung Ka Chai is one of the firms not covered in the earlier article about the Chinese distilleries in HK and specialized in medicinal […]
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Linda Kernan: The history of the soybean and its byproducts stretches back more than 3,000 years in China. The humble soybean was known as the “Cow of China” because it was the main source of protein for the Chinese people. It took a local man, however, to spot the potential of the little bean and transform it into the most […]
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“This firm was founded in 1902 by Mr. E. C. Wilks, as a marine engineers’ and surveyors’ bureau. Mr. Wilks was joined in 1903 by Mr. W. C. Jack, formerly Ingenieur en Chef of the Tonkin River Mail Service, and late assistant manager at the Kowloon establishment of the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company. During the five years of […]
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