Tung On / Tai Hing / Tai Yip Wharf [c.1924-c.1957]

Submitted by Klaus on Sun, 10/29/2023 - 00:04
Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists
Date completed
(Day, Month, & Year are approximate.)
Date closed / demolished
(Day, Month, & Year are approximate.)

Pier on Connaught Road opposite Hillier Street. Named after TUNG ON STEAMSHIP COMPANY, LIMITED

The HK Company Directory refers for this company:

Date of Incorporation: 07-OCT-1926  - Date of Dissolution: 23-DEC-1949

The pier is visible on an aerial photograph from 1924, and latest on the 1955 map The name changed to Tai Hing Wharf in February 1950, and in 1951 to Tai Yip Wharf (see comments below).

This pier was at the place where the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Wharf (third generation) [c.1959-c.1985] was built on reclaimed land, it closed 1957-4-09. Likely it was demolished in 1957 or early 1958. (see comment below).

Later place(s) at this location

Photos that show this Place

Comments

On 1955 jun 28, Steamer Lee Hong left the HK-Macau shipping alliance.  The alliance was established in 1950 which consisted of 7 steamers. They were Tak Shing, Tai Loy, Fatshan, Lee Hong, Kwangtung, Kwang fu cheong, Kamshing.  In order to avoid cut-throat competition, Lee Hong agreed to stop operating its steamer and received a subsidy $23,000 every month from the alliance. In the first half of 1955, only 3 steamers Tak shing, Tai Loy and Fatshan were running. But Lee Hong announced it would start running starting July 1 and dock at Tai Yip pier.

1955-06-28 at tai yip
1955-06-28 at tai yip, by simtang

On 1951-2-20 Tai Hing pier located west of the HK-Macau pier changed its name to Tai Yip. Many years before that it was called Tung On and it changed the name to Tai Hing  after change of ownership. In 1951, the pier was bought by the Tai Yip Co Ltd. So the name now was changed to Tai Yip.

1951-2-20 tai yip name changed
1951-2-20 tai yip name changed, by simtang

Thank you. simtang. for that very enlightening report of the June 1955 article. The names of some of the seven steamers as officially registered differ slightly from your spellings, so for the record, here are the names as given in Lloyd's Register of Shipping, which would reflect the Hong Kong registration documents: 徳星Takshing, 大来Tai Loy, 佛山Fatshan, 利航Lee Hong, 廣東Kwong Tung, 廣福祥Kwong Fook Cheong, 金城Golden City. Further details can be obtained at https://www.oldchinaships.com/pearl-river

 

Stephen Kentwell mailed to me:

"In mid-October 1949 Ta Hing applied to the government to lease the Tung On Pier on Connaught Road – prewar Tung On had operated the big ferries Sai On and Tung On (both 1950/24) to Macao. York Lo records from ‘The China Mail’ (14/3/50) that after the tender was accepted in February 1950 the pier was renamed the Ta Hing Pier, painted green and illuminated."

Source on page 5