Experiences explained
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Get to know Hong Kong in the early 20th century and experience movable type printing
This activity combines a guided Sheung Wan tour with a movable type printing workshop, exploring early 20th-century history and Hong Kong’s newspaper industry. Participants learn traditional printing techniques while gaining deeper insight into the city’s intangible cultural heritage.
Sheung Wan is one of the earliest Chinese settlements in Hong Kong. In the first part of this walking tour, we will visit various historical sites and try to sketch how Chinese people made a living in this storied area over a century ago. In particular, we will probe the following:
Today’s news is tomorrow’s history. The second part of our journey will uncover forgotten stories from newspapers that were once printed along Hollywood Road — the culturally fascinating thoroughfare used to host various important newspapers and over 150 printing shops. Besides picking up a few life tips from a veteran horse-racing journalist, you will also learn the forgotten skill of printing with movable types (one of the four great inventions of ancient China) in a special letterpress workshop from a master of the craft. Aided by ‘relics’ like his birth certificate, the friendly master will also tell us stories from his own life and how they connect with the local neighbourhood.
Some of the points of interest include:
Kau U Fong
Named after the Book of Songs and its nine blessings, Kau U Fong pairs poetic charm with the bustle of old shops and city life.
Shing Wong Street and PMQ
Discover the history of the printing industry.
Wah Kiu Yat Pao 華僑日報
Top three best-selling pro-Kuomintang newspaper.
Man Mo Temple
Not only a religious spot worshipping the God of Literature and God of War, the temple also served as the regional assembly hall for community affairs and settling disputes.
Letterpress Workshop
Explore the story and operation of the movable types, which was used to print Chinese characters before the advent of computer systems.
History
Chinese History