Veteran printer’s mission to keep movable type tradition alive in Hong Kong
‘I really don’t know if the factory will still be here in three years, but I hope to teach as many as possible about movable type culture,’ says Sing Hung owner
In a printing factory, an elderly man points out numerous errors he has circled in a book on the history of movable type, his voice edged with indignation.
“Many historical accounts about the industry are wrong,” the 76-year-old says. “I want to tell the true story.”
Leung Kwok-hung owns Sing Hung Printer, a movable type factory that has operated for more than 50 years.
The business once employed 15 people but has relocated twice to smaller premises with fewer printing machines as the trade declined. Now, only Leung and his 50-year-old son remain.
But instead of closing his shop, as many of his peers had, he signed a new three-year lease last November, a move seen by some as bold. He decided to focus his efforts on conducting public workshops to help sustain the intangible cultural heritage.
“I really don’t know if the factory will still be here in three years, but I hope I can let as many people as possible learn about the culture of movable type printing,” Leung said.