Hong Kong’s Industrial History, Part X: How Plastic Flowers Built a Global Metropolis Christopher DewolfJanuary 16, 2020 Hong Kong once made plastic products that were shipped around the world. What's left of that history?... DesignHeritageHistoryProduct Design0 Comments 08 min read
Hong Kong’s Industrial History, Part IX: Locally-Brewed Beer Christopher DewolfOctober 16, 2019 Hong Kong has been awash in beer since its very beginnings as a British colony. ... CultureFood0 Comments 012 min read
Hong Kong’s Industrial History, Part VIII: The Ill Fate of Rennie’s Mill, AKA Little Taiwan Christopher DewolfSeptember 4, 2019 The story of an unlucky Canadian who opened a flour mill – and how it eventually became a bastion of support for the Kuomintang... Big StoriesHistorySmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments 011 min read
Hong Kong’s Industrial History, Part VII: The Rise and Fall of Local Milk Christopher DewolfJuly 17, 2019 Hong Kong's dairy industry launched a multinational business empire – but don't try finding any local milk in the supermarket.... CultureFoodHeritageHistorySmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments 09 min read
Hong Kong’s Industrial History, Part VI: Indigo Christopher DewolfJune 27, 2019 Indigo dyeing is making a comeback decades after the artisanal industry died out.... CultureDesignFashionHeritageHistoryTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 06 min read
Hong Kong’s Industrial History, Part V: Incense Christopher DewolfApril 10, 2019 The trees that gave Hong Kong its name fuelled local industry for centuries – but they are now at risk of disappearing.... CultureHeritageHistoryNatureSmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments 08 min read
Hong Kong’s Industrial History, Part IV: The Rock That Built Hong Kong Christopher DewolfMarch 6, 2019 How generations of Hakka quarry workers and stonemasons provided the granite that built the city as we know it.... HeritageHistorySmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments 011 min read
Hong Kong’s Industrial History, Part III: Squatter Factories Christopher DewolfFebruary 6, 2019 Hong Kong became an industrial powerhouse thanks in part to informal factories run out of shantytowns and residential flats.... CultureHistorySmall Stories & Secret StoriesUrbanism0 Comments 08 min read
Hong Kong’s Industrial History, Part II: Mining Christopher DewolfJanuary 2, 2019 Hong Kong was once home to dozens of mines. What happened to this overlooked part of its industrial history?... HeritageHistorySmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments 08 min read
Hong Kong’s Industrial History, Part I: A City That Made Things Christopher DewolfOctober 11, 2018 A group of amateur historians is investigating Hong Kong's long and diverse industrial past.... HeritageHistoryUrbanism0 Comments 07 min read
A City in the Sky: Hong Kong’s Aviation History, Part I Christopher DewolfSeptember 9, 2022 How Hong Kong became one of the world’s most important air hubs... Big StoriesHeritageHistory0 Comments 012 min read
Hong Kong’s Industrial Objects: Red Market Lamps Christopher DewolfJune 2, 2022 Red plastic lampshades are ubiquitous on Hong Kong's streets – and they've become a symbol of the city itself... DesignProduct Design0 Comments 05 min read
Hong Kong’s Industrial Products: Watermelon Balls Christopher DewolfMarch 30, 2022 A 1950s plastic ball inspired by two famous rivers still holds significance for Hongkongers... CultureDesignFoodProduct Design0 Comments 05 min read
Hong Kong’s Industrial Products: Holga and Diana, Homegrown Toy Cameras Christopher DewolfFebruary 17, 2022 Made entirely from plastic, the Holga produced unpredictable images full of technical imperfections – which is exactly why it became so popular... ArtDesignPhotographyProduct Design0 Comments 07 min read
The Castle Peak Dragon Kiln: A Hidden Reminder of Hong Kong’s Ceramics History Ilaria Maria SalaDecember 8, 2021 Tuen Mun’s soil once provided the raw material for a thriving pottery industry. Now, a single disused kiln is all that is left... CultureDesignHeritageHistoryProduct DesignTradition0 Comments 06 min read
Hong Kong’s Colonial Heritage, Part II: An Explosive History at the Asia Society Christopher DewolfFebruary 25, 2020 How a Victorian-era explosives magazine was transformed into a cultural centre.... ArchitectureArtDesignHeritageHistoryInspring ItinerariesSmall Stories & Secret StoriesWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 010 min read
Salt is Life: The History of Hong Kong’s Dried Seafood Trade, Part II Zabrina LoMarch 6, 2019 One of Hong Kong’s last remaining handmade salted fish producers is fighting to preserve an iconic local industry.... CultureFoodTradition0 Comments 012 min read
Hong Kong’s Train to China: A Brief History of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Christopher DewolfNovember 7, 2018 As Hong Kong opens its new high-speed rail link to mainland China, we look back at its original cross-border railway.... HistorySmall Stories & Secret StoriesUrbanism0 Comments 113 min read
Hiking Through Hong Kong’s History in Ma On Shan Viola GaskellJune 7, 2018 Ma On Shan Country Park offers spectacular natural scenery – and an unusual bit of Hong Kong heritage. ... A Little BreakInspring ItinerariesWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 08 min read
Waterworld: A Short History of Ferries, Kaitos and Walla-Wallas in Hong Kong Christopher DewolfJune 1, 2017 Hong Kong has gotten around by ferry for more than a hundred years – but for how much longer?... HistorySmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments 08 min read
How Frozen Water Made it to Steamy Hong Kong: A Brief History of Ice Christopher DewolfSeptember 7, 2016 The link between Ice House Street and the chilly drinks that Hong Kong loves. ... CultureFoodHistorySmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments 07 min read
A Snapshot of Hong Kong History – Part III: Across the Harbour, the early days of Kowloon Jason WordieFebruary 19, 2016 "From stonecutters" villages to a Portuguese enclave - the overlooked history of the Kowloon peninsula... Big StoriesHistory0 Comments 07 min read
The Faces of The Mills: History and Street Art Merge in Tsuen Wan Vickie ChanDecember 9, 2015 A mill renovation breathes new life into Tsuen Wan’s industrial heart and provides a place for community regeneration... ArtCultureHistorySmall Stories & Secret StoriesStreet ArtTradition0 Comments 07 min read
Hong Kong’s Vintage Treasures Are Overseas Christopher DewolfDecember 23, 2022 The fruits of Hong Kong’s industrial history can be found in second-hand shops around the world... DesignHeritageHistoryProduct DesignSmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments 09 min read
Hong Kong’s Maritime Trade, Part I: Bubbly Beginnings Christopher DewolfMarch 1, 2023 For thousands of years, Hong Kong has been a lynchpin of maritime trade to and from China... Big StoriesHeritageHistory0 Comments 010 min read
Hong Kong’s Colonial Heritage, Part XIV: The Rural Decay of Yu Yuen Christopher DewolfOctober 28, 2021 The country estate of Heung Yee Kuk founder Tsoi Po-tin has fallen into ruin, despite its remarkable history.... ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistorySmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments 09 min read
Hong Kong’s Colonial Heritage, Part XIII: Pun Chun Yuen, a Buddhist Oasis Christopher DewolfOctober 7, 2021 Thanks to the success of the Wing Lee Wai distillery, the Wong family built a tranquil estate that now serves as a Buddhist retreat. ... ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistory0 Comments 06 min read
Why Nobody Knew About the Spectacular Bishop Hill Reservoir Christopher DewolfJanuary 22, 2021 How a quirky hill became the latest flashpoint in Hong Kong's fight to save its heritage.... ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistorySmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments 112 min read
The Kowloon Tramway That Never Was Christopher DewolfApril 20, 2017 Why aren't there any trams in Kowloon?... HistoryUrbanism0 Comments 05 min read
Tracing Places: Leung Chi-Wo and Hong Kong’s Histories Vickie ChanDecember 17, 2015 The Mills Gallery’s inaugural exhibition perfectly illustrates what’s to come... ArtVisual Art0 Comments 06 min read
Hong Kong’s Maritime Trade, Part III: The French (Indochina) Connection Christopher DewolfMay 11, 2023 Hong Kong once had a thriving trading relationship with French Indochina – and it wasn't just goods that made their way between the two colonies... Big StoriesHistory0 Comments 07 min read
Hong Kong Patterns, Part III: Africa, Europe and the Cosmopolitan City Billy PottsMarch 2, 2023 An exhibition at CHAT explores Hong Kong’s links to Africa, reflecting the city’s emergence as a global hub... DesignExhibitionFashionHistorySmall Stories & Secret StoriesWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 05 min read
Everything You Need to Know About Soy Sauce, Part I Ilaria Maria SalaFebruary 28, 2023 What makes Hong Kong soy sauce different to other parts of Asia? We're diving into the history of this salty condiment to find out.... CultureFoodHeritageHistory0 Comments 08 min read
Why Did Hong Kong Turn Its Back On Its Streets? Christopher DewolfFebruary 8, 2023 Hong Kong is known for its lively streets. So why has it become a city of inward-facing malls and housing estates?... ArchitectureDesignHistoryUrbanism0 Comments 016 min read
Hong Kong Patterns, Part I: Daimaru’s Distinct Style Billy PottsDecember 22, 2022 When the Japanese department store opened a flagship branch in Hong Kong, its gift wrap became a local icon... DesignExhibitionProduct DesignWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 04 min read
Dutch Design: Can Hong Kong Learn From the Netherlands? Christopher DewolfNovember 23, 2022 This year’s Business of Design Week partner country has pioneered a holistic view of design... ArchitectureDesignProduct Design0 Comments 010 min read
The Forgotten Masterpieces of Lacloche Edith TerryMarch 11, 2022 How the exquisite works of a Parisian jewellery house were celebrated, forgotten, and finally recovered for a fascinating exhibition... DesignEventExhibitionFashionProduct DesignWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 012 min read
Three Photographers, Three Visions of Hong Kong Christopher DewolfFebruary 25, 2022 The photos of Lee Fook Chee, Hedda Morrison and Brian Brake come together to form a compelling portrait of Hong Kong – and the photographers themselves.... ArtEventExhibitionHeritageHistoryPhotographyWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 06 min read
Hong Kong’s Skyline Icons: Cheung Kong Center and the Hongkong Hilton Christopher DewolfFebruary 19, 2022 Where the Cheung Kong Center now stands was a hotel that once played a central role in Hong Kong life... ArchitectureDesignHistoryUsual Suspects & Landmarks0 Comments 012 min read
Hong Kong’s Other Tram: Light Rail in the New Territories Christopher DewolfFebruary 9, 2022 Essential but unloved, the light rail is a ticket to a whole other side of Hong Kong... Uncategorized0 Comments 09 min read
