200 YEARS OF HONG KONG TYPE (香港字二百年)
By Yung Sau Mui (翁秀梅)
The lost and found history of the world’s most elegant Chinese metal type.
In the mid-19th century, a remarkable typographic milestone was achieved: the creation of "Hong Kong Type." Originally cast by the Ying Wa College for the purpose of printing bibles, this Ming-style Size 4 font quickly became the crucial bridge for Western Sinology and the exchange of knowledge between the East and West. At its peak, it was celebrated globally as the most elegant Chinese lead type in existence—surpassing even the Paris and Berlin types.
Yet, by the early 20th century, shifting technologies rendered this beautiful typeface an obsolete "white elephant," and it was largely forgotten.
200 Years of Hong Kong Type chronicles the spectacular rise, fall, and resurrection of this typographic legend. It details the incredible modern detective work that led to the recent discovery of the only surviving complete set of "Hong Kong Type" matrices (molds) hidden in the archives of the Oxford University Press. Published to coincide with the return of these historical artifacts to Hong Kong in Spring 2025, this book is a celebration of printmaking heritage, survival, and the profound impact of local craft on modern Chinese printing technology.
中文簡介： 本書詳細紀錄了十九世紀中葉誕生、被譽為「世上最優雅中文鉛活字」的「香港字」的傳奇故事。這套活字最初為傳福音而鑄造，不僅是西學東漸與漢學研究的重要橋樑，更深刻影響了近代中國的印藝發展。從曾經的「世界第一」，到二十世紀初被時代淘汰的「大白象」，香港字一度被歷史遺忘。直至近年，學者在英國牛津大學出版社檔案館尋回世上唯一完整的字模實物，這段珍貴的香港印藝傳奇才得以重見天日，蛻變為備受重視的文化遺產。
Specifications:
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Author: Yung Sau Mui (翁秀梅)
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Title: 《香港字二百年：從世一、大白象至世界文化遺產之路》
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Themes: Typography, Hong Kong History, Printmaking Heritage, Metal Type
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Language: Traditional Chinese
About the Author
Yung Sau Mui (翁秀梅) is a leading researcher of Hong Kong print art and the Project Director for Contemporary Print Art (Hong Kong Open Printshop). She has dedicated her career to bringing local printmaking and lithography to the international stage. In 2019, her meticulous research into the 19th-century Ying Wa College typefaces led to the rediscovery of the original "Hong Kong Type." Her ongoing work recently culminated in tracking down the lost matrices at Oxford University, transforming a forgotten relic into a recognized pillar of contemporary cultural heritage.
翁秀梅為當代印藝（香港版畫工作室）項目總監，長期致力於研究香港版畫圖像藝術與香港印藝（特別是平版石印及中文活字）的發展。2019年，她參與尋找並考證了19世紀中葉英華書院鑄造的明體4號字（即「香港字」）。近年更在牛津大學出版社檔案館發現當今唯一完整的「香港字」字模實物，將這段被遺忘的歷史重新帶入大眾與國際視野。
