Wong Tong Kee mansion [1917-1975]

Submitted by David on Tue, 03/19/2013 - 21:28
Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists
Date completed
Date closed / demolished

This building stood on the north-west corner of the Nathan Road / Jordan Road crossroads.

The completion date is taken from the year "1917" that is visible on photos of the building.

Photos that show this Place

Map of the junction of Nathan and Jordan Roads1922
c.1928
1950s
Mansion on Nathan Road
1950s

Comments

Building at junction of Nathan and Jordan Roads

The ornate building at the junction of Nathan and Jordan Roads was rumoured to be haunted.  I recently found out that people in the area called it Wong Tong Kee (黃棠記).  A quick Google search brings up a Mr. WONG Cheuk Hing (黃卓卿), born 1877, who was the owner of a Wong Tong Kee Mechanical Sawmill (黃棠記機器鋸木廠).

Submitted by C on Mon, 2013-03-18 17:31
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Wong Tong Kee

Another photo of the ornate building (Wong Tong Kee):

http://i.uwants.com/u/attachments/day_130310/20130310_e34b6e7c196de4380d...

The building on the opposite side of Nathan Road still stood in the 1970's (or late 1960's?):

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/27747234@N04/3221568337/

 

Submitted by tanghb on Mon, 2013-03-18 23:25
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Re: Wong Tong Kee

Thanks tanghb for providing the photos!

In the second photo, the Wong Tong Kee mansion is the one on the right.  I read somewhere that the Yue Wah Emporium used to be at the southwest corner of the junction.  After the Wong Tong Kee building mansion at the northwest corner was demolished and a new building was built, Yue Wah then moved to the new building and stays there ever since.

Your first photo seems to show three Chinese characters on the façade of the Wong Tong Kee mansion, but I cannot make out what they are.

Submitted by C on Tue, 2013-03-19 16:38.

The mansion must have been demolished some time between late 1960s and 1975, as I have seen a photo taken in early 1970s showing the mansion was still existed at that time.

Thanks to sng-ign, who writes:

According to an uncle, he says the building was built in 1917 (my history on East Asia is sort of rusty, so I have no idea how far reaching WW1 was in Hong Kong). Both my uncle and my mother agree the year of demolishment was 1975, as there was a rather auspicious family birth that year.