Bing Kee Coppersmith / 炳記銅器

Shanghai street was one of the oldest streets of Hong Kong. When the harbour was not being reclaimed, she ran parallel next to the waterfront of Kowloon side of the Victoria harbour, thus made her a trading hubs for all kinds of goods coming in and out of the city. Wholesalers wanted to know what newly imports were and professionals searched for the latest models to perfect their skills. The energy burst from dust till dawn. It was the frontline of Hong Kong, where everything began.

 

It thrived until the coming of department stores, then the chains, but ultimately it was not what coming to Hong Kong took the turn, it was the industrial that gave way to financial Hong Kong. Companies and shops switched to other kinds of business, or moved their production line to the mainland, or the next generation refuse or reluctant to learn the skills of their humble family business, too much time too little reward.

 

Shanghai street might lost her flare but not her grace. Stroll through the old street, you can find shops that run by the fifth generation, elderly tailors with their Italian fabric to offer for your fine suit while having fun with their Majong, stationary shops that offers eraser for fountain pen fanatics. Once I saw a renowned chef come all the way from the other side of the world to Shanghai street to buy a Chinese chef knife, where else can he goes !

 

In 2013, Rainbow Leung paid visits to twelve stores in Shanghai Street, sketched while talking to the peoples about their stores history and stories. With her distinctive drawings, Leung made captivating collage of each stores she visited, vividly depict the spirit and grace of Shanghai street. 

 

李香蘭2013年走訪上海街十二間店舖, 畫錄他們的一神一韻之餘, 細聽它們的歷史和軼事, 再為每一間店舖創作一幅拼貼作品, 活生地呈現上海街的獨特精神風貌。

上海街是香港最古老的街道之下一，維多利亞港還未有填海以前，整條街道由南至北依海邊而走，地理上自然成為商業樞杻。貨船剛泊岸，不銷幾句鐘，最新貨品就在上海行店舖上架。批發商來找時髦產品，專業人事想第一時間知道最新的生產發明，好讓他在行頭上領先。從日出至黃昏，熙來攘往，好不熱鬧，一切從這裹開始。

 

先是百貨公司、繼而是連鎖店的出現，好像是上海街的光華漸退的原因，但香港從工商業城市轉為金融中心才是主因。有商戶的把生產搬到內地，有的轉型做投資買賣，或下一代對行業沒有興趣或耐性學習前人的手藝，太多的時間投資，太小回報。

 

上海街可說是風華不再，但神𩐳依然。走著走著，你會看見第五代傳人依然僅守剛位，乘傳著家族的產業和知識，提供獨一無二的產品，年邁的裁縫在麻雀耍樂之間為你介紹華麗的意大利𥿡絨，墨水筆狂熱份子定在文具店會找到’ 沙膠 ’來完整他的收藏。那天不就有一位世界知名的㕑師從地球的令一邊來到上海街找一把尚好的中國菜刀，他還有別處可以去嗎？

 

李香蘭2013年走訪上海街十二間店舖, 畫錄他們的一神一韻之餘, 細聽它們的歷史和軼事, 再為每一間店舖創作一幅拼貼作品, 活生地呈現上海街的獨特精神風貌。