Hong Kong’s skyline used to look very different. Specifically, Victoria Harbour once boasted a distinctly neon glow. For decades, the city was associated with neon, and its restaurants and bars in particular had immense neon signs, some of which emerged as iconic. In recent years, LED lights have almost entirely taken the place of neon, and the heavy old glass and metal signs have been deemed safety hazards by the local government, and are gradually being removed from Hong Kong’s streets.
One of an estimated seven people still producing neon lights in Hong Kong is Wu Chi Kai. In his New Territories workshop, which is only occasionally open to the public, he creates neon lights the traditional way—by shaping glass tubes by hand and filling them with neon or argon gas. These days, his work ranges from repairing old signs to designing new architectural elements out of neon.
Wu Chi Kai was once an employee of Nam Wah Neonlight & Electrical Manufactory Ltd. The influential firm got its start in 1953 and continued producing neon signs at least until the early 2000s. The company’s archive of drawings and other materials, including some signs, was acquired by the M+ museum, who have created a fascinating digital archive of the documents. The M+ museum also created Neon Signs, an online resource and exhibition that includes a map showing the former and current locations of neon signs in Hong Kong.
