Believed to be Theatre

Sun, 11/01/2015 - 21:53

Sorry no information of location. Perhaps someone will enlighten me.

Date picture taken
1958
Author(s)

Comments

Likely a restaurant.  The four big Chinese words written vertically on the right mentions wedding cakes.  The big image in the middle is a portrait of the god for longevity.  The three billboards down below mention three separate weddings.  The most likely location for this mishmash of billboards is a Chinese restaurant big enough for wedding and birthday banquets to be held.

But I have no idea of the location or the name of the restaurant.

breskvar

Hi, 

It's the King Wah Restaurant  瓊華  on Nathan Road in Mong Kok in the late 50s or early 60s.   

The 4 vertical words on the right -  結婚禮餅  implied 'wedding cake caterer'   or  literally  結婚 - marriage     禮餅 -  gift cake.

The exact words can be seen on these photos in the centre  (Google image search - King Wah Nathan Road  1950s ) 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/68202206@N03/27647330320

https://www.flickr.com/photos/68202206@N03/27647330480

The 3 floral panels erected on the façade were announcements of wedding feasts taking place at that time.  It seems there were 3 separate wedding celebrations, but then King Wah was a massive restaurant with about 4 or 5 floors. 

On a personal note, the chief cashier was a  Mr Yu,  his family and ours were friends and also neighbours. 

Thank you for your detailed information about the King Wah. It was taken between late 1956 and  June 1958 when I  returned to UK. I assume I took the photograph whilst on Kowloon side on way to play cricket. The phtograph was one of my first attemps to enlarge. It ended up with too much  contrast. Stephen

Another view of King Wah restaurant at nathan rd-shantung st junction

======================

king wah 1960s.jpg
king wah 1960s.jpg, by simtang

 

========================

The shop front of king wah in the 80s. One can see from the signs the right hand side was selling cake while the left side was a restaurant.

The street on the left is nathan road. The street on the right is shantung street.

=====================

king wah shopfront 1980s.jpg
king wah shopfront 1980s.jpg, by simtang

==================

Thanks for your input and translation. After sixty odd years since I took the photo I'm delighted that people are still looking and commenting on my old photos. I was just impressed with the decorations and was quite unable to translate the characters then and now. Stephen Chadwick.