When I came across this beautiful and fascinating photo book about Queen’s Road West I really wanted to share it with you. Queen’s Road West, The Vanishing Neigbourhood, has 90 pages of photographs of the diverse businesses and people of the area, and some brief histories to satisfy your curiosity.
Prompted by the disappearance of the iconic Sammy’s Kitchen neon cow, Sovereign Art Foundation Chairman, Howard Bilton and photographer, William Furniss set out to document Queen’s Road West before its quirky character is lost. This unique photo book is the end result.
Photographs from Queen’s Road West, The Vanishing Neighbourhood
Tin Chau Hong, 160 Queen’s Road West
One of the biggest shops of its kind in Hong Kong and an icon on Queen’s Road West, Tin Chau Hong sells Chinese New Year decorations, Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns, incense and paper offerings.
Cheung Hing Tea Hong, 74 Queen’s Road West
Mr. Wong Sing Kee owns this puer chabing shop, which has over 80 years of history. In the 1960s, Cheung Hing Tea Hong moved from Xiamen to Queen’s Road West
Nin Fung Hardware, 108 Queen’s Road West
This densely packed and meticulously organize hardware shop was founded in 1985 by the Lam brothers, who still run the business today.
196 Queen’s Road West
263 Queen’s Road West
Jing Hing Fruit, 288 Queen’s Road West
The shop was founded in 1970 and has been very busy ever since.
Chiu Sing Nam, 360 Queen’s Road West
The renowned Chinese bonesetter Chiu Sing founded the clinic over 60 years ago. Now the son Chiu Kin Cheong carries on the practice. He is a Chinese herbalist and doctor of western medicine as well.
How to Purchase
You can purchase the book online (price $45USD) at the Sovereign Art Foundation’s website here or by emailing art@sovereignartfoundation.com. Proceeds will help to fund the Foundation’s work with some of Hong Kong’s poorest children.
What is the Make It Better Project?
All proceeds from sales of the book will be donated to The Sovereign Art Foundation, to assist their work in helping Hong Kong’s disadvantaged children through their Make It Better Project. Make It Better offers weekend and weekday workshops to the children of families living in poverty, in cramped conditions and isolated from their peers. Make It Better workshops offer empowering learning activities reinforced by visual and expressive arts to teach children self-awareness and confidence, helping them to build respect for themselves and others, develop stronger focus, and engage with the wider community.
The first project of its kind in Hong Kong, Make It Better currently reaches over 200 children in seven locations and works with 60 volunteers. The programme is continuously growing and is now also working with children with special educational needs (SEN). Through 2017 and beyond, SAF intends develop and maintain this ground-breaking concept whilst continuously learning from, improving and sharing a programme that withstands the test of time – resulting in lasting, positive inclusion for the youth of Hong Kong.