No_2_1956 — Page 19

THE

WING ON LIFE

BUILDING

Architect: G. D. Su, B.Sc. (Arch).

The main elevation towering above Des Voeux Road Central.

It is difficult for anyone, gazing in commercial empire which started less than admiration at the magnificent new 15- 50 years ago in a small shop at No. 167, storeyed Wing On Life Building, to realise Queen's Road, Central with a capital of that this is but one unit in a financial and $150,000.

Main entrance to the offices.

17

Photographs by Roy Csang

I

Photograph of the building from Chater Road.

This shop was established in 1907 and by 1915 it had grown to such an extent that, when it moved into its new premises. it was one of the largest department stores in the Colony, occupying a city b'ock with frontages on Des Voeux Road, Con- naught Road, Rumsey Street and Man Wah Street. In that year it was incor- porated as a private limited company with a capital of $600,000. In 1916, the Com- pany was formed into a public limited company and the capital increased to $2,000,000. By 1930, the authorised capital was raised to $8,000,000, and the paid-up capital increased to $4,000,000 by the capitalising of reserves. Today the paid- up capital is $8,000,000 with reserves of over three and half million dollars.

From 1917 onwards, the Company com- menced to expand its interests and established various enterprises as inde-