Consider this plaque a gateway to Hong Kong’s shipbuilding history. It commemorates the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock. This dockyard played a vital role in the city’s economic development.
The story of the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock begins far from Kowloon. It starts on the muddy banks of the Pearl River near Guangzhou. This area was known as Whampoa. Foreign ships could only land here in the early 19th century.
A Scotsman named John Couper arrived in 1845. He was sent by the Peninsula and Oriental Company P&O. His mission was to build a new shipyard. The previous facilities had been damaged during the First Opium War. Couper transformed mud docks into a dry dock. Ships could then be built and repaired.
Tragedy struck in 1856. The Second Opium War broke out. Couper was abducted and never seen again. The docks were destroyed again. However, the Chinese government compensated Couper’s son. By 1861, he had rebuilt the dockyard.
In 1863, Couper’s son sold the dockyard. The buyers were the Hongkong & Whampoa Dock Company Limited. This new company was registered in Hong Kong. Two Scottish entrepreneurs were behind this venture. These men were Douglas Lapraik and Thomas Sutherland.
Lapraik began as a watchmaker in Macau. Sutherland started as a clerk for P&O in London. They joined forces to develop the dockyard business in Hong Kong. Jardine Matheson was an early investor in their enterprise. Sutherland also founded HSBC in 1865. Lapraik served on the bank’s provisional committee.
The Hongkong & Whampoa Dock Company expanded rapidly. It purchased existing dockyards. This included the Aberdeen Lamont dock in 1865. In 1870, the company acquired the Union Dock Company. This company ran two docks in Hung Hom Kowloon.
Hung Hom’s location was ideal. It offered plenty of room for growth. In 1872, the company moved slipways from East Point to Hung Hom. The company built a new dock in Hung Hom in 1888. This was named Number 1 Dock.
Business boomed. The Hongkong & Whampoa Dock Company had a monopoly on dockyards in Kowloon. However, a competitor emerged. Between 1902 and 1907, Butterfield and Swire built a new dockyard in Quarry Bay. Whampoa responded by lengthening its Number 1 Dock.
This competition benefited Hong Kong greatly. The city became a shipbuilding hub. The Hong Kong and Whampoa Docks built various vessels. These included US Navy gunboats, tugboats and passenger ships.
Both dockyards suffered heavy damage during World War II. They were rebuilt after the war. They contributed to Hong Kong’s postwar industrial boom. Workers performed various tasks. These included shipbuilding, machine repairing and carpentry.
Poon Kwai-hoi was a former dockworker. He recalled the constant activity. Shifts ran day and night. Thousands of people flooded Wuhu Street when shifts changed.
In 1972, the Hongkong & Whampoa Dock Company merged with Taikoo Dockyard. They became Hongkong United Dockyards. The new company moved its facilities to Kwai Chung. The old dockyards were redeveloped into housing estates.
Today, shipbuilding is a small part of Hong Kong’s economy. However, some reminders remain. Most of the Star Ferry vessels were built at Whampoa. The Whampoa stands as a symbol of this history. It reminds us of how shipbuilding gave way to shopping in Hong Kong. The authorities protected the boat structure and the memory it preserves. This Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Plaque commemorates this important legacy.