Believed to be Theatre | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Believed to be Theatre

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Believed to be Theatre
Submitted by chadwick1
Authors: 
Stephen Chadwick

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

Date picture taken (may be approximate): 
Wednesday, January 1, 1958
Gallery: 
1950s Stephen Chadwick's photos
Connections: 
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Comments

Submitted by breskvar on Sun, 2015-11-01 23:40.

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

Submitted by pepepeterleo on Wed, 2016-11-02 22:57.

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. 

Submitted by chadwick1 on Tue, 2016-11-01 02:17.

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

Submitted by moddsey on Tue, 2016-11-01 21:01.

The Paramount Theatre was next to the King Wah Restaurant.

1960s King Wah Restaurant and Paramount Nightclub
1960s King Wah Restaurant and Paramount Nightclub, by Moddsey

Submitted by simtang on Sun, 2022-01-30 11:32.

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

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

 

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Submitted by simtang on Sun, 2022-01-30 11:40.

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.

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

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Submitted by chadwick1 on Sun, 2022-01-30 23:27.

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.

Submitted by simtang on Mon, 2022-01-31 03:28.

Comparison of the nathan road-shantung street junction today and around 100 years ago. The King wah restaurant at 628 nathan road had become the king wah centre and chow sang sang jewellery.