In a printing factory, an elderly man shows some mistakes he has marked in a book about the history of movable type.
“Many historical accounts about the industry are wrong,” the 76-year-old said. “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 used to have 15 workers, but it has moved to smaller places two times because there is less work. Now, only Leung and his son, who is 50 years old, are left.
But instead of closing his shop, as many of his peers had, he signed a new three-year lease last November. He decided to focus his efforts on conducting public workshops to help sustain the 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.
Movable type printing once enabled the mass production of printed materials using lead character punches. The industry boomed in Hong Kong during the 1970s, with hundreds of factories operating across the city.
