The Hong Kong Dispensary was founded in Hong Kong in 1841. Alexander Skirving Watson, a British pharmacist, joined the company as Manager in 1858, and by 1862 the name A.S. Watson began to feature prominently with the Hong Kong Dispensary and eventually became the official name of the pharmacy and was then incorporated in the A.S.Watson Group. The Hong Kong […]
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York Lo: The Patriotic Sauce Maker: Chong Sing-chong and Oriental Soy & Canning From the 1930s to the 1960s, Oriental Soy & Canning Co Ltd (東方醬油罐頭有限公司) was a leading manufacturer of soy sauce and canned goods in Hong Kong. In fact, it was the largest player in its industry before being surpassed by Amoy Canning in the 1950s. The founder […]
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HF: Chak Wai Leung was born in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, in 1942. In 1959 he became a civil servant in the Hong Kong Government where he worked for over thirty three years. “Chak Wai Leung was born in a scholarly family. He was well versed in photography and darkroom operations even as a teenager. While persuing the art of photography, […]
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York Lo: Chun Hing Bakery, Biscuit & Confectionery Manufactory Founded in 1926, Chun Hing Bakery, Biscuit & Confectionery Manufactory (振興糖果餅乾麵包製造廠, the Chinese name reflects the reverse order – confectionery, biscuit and bakery) was one of the leading biscuit & confectionery firms in Hong Kong alongside Garden, Yan Chim Kee, On Lok Yuen and M.P. San. The firm’s founder Ho Chi-Wong (何智煌, […]
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Paul Mark Onslow kindly sent me a manuscript of The Hongkong Land Company’s 90th Anniversary 1889-1979 which I intend to post on the website shortly. The manuscript contains a section entitled Jardine, Matheson & Co., Ltd, Part of Asia’s History featured in this article. HF: I have retyped the article to increase legibility and aid searches on the site. Please […]
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York Lo: Yan Chim Kee (甄沾記) – the Life, Death and Rebirth of the Century Old Coconut Candies & Ice Cream Maker The history of the confectionery industry in Hong Kong would not be complete without including the history of Yan Chim Kee, the prominent maker of coconut candies and ice cream. Founded in 1915, Yan Chim Kee has gone […]
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Arthur Rylands Lowe (22 June 1873 – 31 May 1924) was a British accountant and the first full-time professional accountant in Hong Kong. Lowe was born on 22 June 1873 in Manchester. He was educated at the Hulme Grammar School and later joined Parkinson, Mather & Co., chartered accountants of Manchester and London. He moved to Hong Kong to join Butterfield […]
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York Lo: The Silver-Haired Midas: Kan Koam-Tsing, the Banker and Gold Dealer who backed South Sea Textile and Camelpaint Bankers played a critical role in the post-war industrial development of Hong Kong and one particular financier – Kan Koam-tsing (簡鑑清) stood out. Owner of a Chinese bank bearing his name and a major player in the lucrative gold trade, Kan […]
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York Lo: Wei Yit Vacuum Flask Manufactory and Camel brand In early April 2017, Apple Daily reported a resurgence of interest in the “Camel” brand of vacuum flasks in the local market thanks to its high quality and the interest in buying “Made in Hong Kong” products. (For those who can read Chinese, see links to below articles): http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20170304/19947161 http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20170304/19947163 http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20170304/19947173 […]
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York Lo: George Baker – an American Pioneer of the HK Electronics Industry Several years ago I wrote an article for this group about Peter HT Woo, the “Father of the HK Electronics Industry”, whose radio assembler Champagne Engineering (founded in 1958 and later renamed Atlas Electronics) is often credited as the first electronics company in Hong Kong. Another early […]
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