As one of China's Four Great Inventions, movable type printing with a thousand years of history also had its heyday in Hong Kong. The biggest difference between movable type printing and the currently popular offset and computer printing is that it is necessary to manually pick out the required lead type pieces and arrange them neatly to form printing plates. This is more complicated than modern printing methods. Hong Kong used to have many movable type printing and type casting companies. However, as offset printing began to flourish in Hong Kong in 1970s, movable type printing was gradually replaced.
Tutor: Yam Wai Sang
Second-generation owner of “Kwong Wah Printing Company”, the only surviving movable type company in Hong Kong, and has been engaged in the industry for over 40 years. In the face of the gradual elimination of movable type printing, Master Yam is finding a way out by organising workshops to let members of the public understand the heyday of movable type printing in Hong Kong, and striving to take this unique handicraft forward.
Tour details
- Introduce Eldage and the history of movable type printing
- Master Yam shares his own experiences and stories in the industry
- Explain and demonstrate movable type printing steps
- Each participant can experience "picking out" his/her Chinese name from a large number of type pieces, and make a souvenir
Duration: 2 hours
Number of participants: 16
Private Workshop:
If you are interested in private workshop, please select "Private Workshop" and leave your contact information. We will get back to you as soon as possible.