Hong Kong
Old Hong Kong

Shanghai Street, Hong Kong: tradition and craft stand the test of time

Shanghai Street is a 2.3 km long street parallel to the Nathan Road, cutting through Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok areas of Kowloon.

It was a busy business hub before the 1970s. Today it is home to several long-standing stores that have survived the ever-changing modern economy.

(Photo: Archive)

February 27, 2017
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For Hongkongers, a beautifully crafted kwan kwa, or traditional Chinese wedding dress, symbolises love, happiness and power. Red satin often provides the background for a rich embroidery of silver and gold threads, with each set taking three months to a year to complete. Wing Lung Embroidery in Hong Kong has been selling Chinese wedding gowns in Kowloon’s Shanghai Street for 50 years. Its owner, second-generation wedding seamstress Ng Lan Fa, has been running the family business for more than a decade. She explains why they only sell the traditional dragon and phoenix design and why the black kwan kwa is no longer in fashion.08:06
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Hilton Cheong-Leen, now 96, was the first ethnic Chinese chairman of the Urban Council which was responsible for municipal services on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, including leisure and cultural...08:47
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