# Tsing Yi Paint Factory, Hong Kong, August 2019



## HughieD (Oct 15, 2019)

*1. The History*
Very little history available about this place but it is thought the factory was once connected to an old Swire paint making division during Hong Kong’s manufacturing heyday between the 1950s and 1970s, when the city cleaned itself up after the World War and the military occupation by Japan. This concrete carbuncle can be found crumbling away on the north-west side of Hong Kong on the island of Tsing Yi. The two main buildings are made up of a series of pillars, supports and staircases and are decaying fast. The buildings were a popular spot for war games, but after one of the players injured himself during a fall from a large hole in one of the floors this abruptly came to an end. Now the building sits forlorn by the roadside, now occupied by a sleepy guard who used to be permanently on duty and the odd urban explorer or graff artist.

*2. The Explore*
Had this place on my radar for some time. However, in the past when I checked Google Maps, it came up as being either a very long walk or a taxi ride, due to the lack of public transport options. This time however a new mini-bus route popped off so off I set and after a combination of MTR and minibus I found myself dropped off just outside the former paint factory, much to the bewilderment of the bus driver. Entry wasn’t an issue but had read former reports of the afore mentioned sleepy guard. So, I started tentatively looking around. In the end I needn’t have worried. Clearly this place has had a live-in guard, but the calendar was stuck on June 2019. Quite why you would pay someone to oversee this lattice of concrete floors and walls is a mystery in itself. The place is completely stripped bare and relatively unspectacular, except for the views afforded from the roof. At least I’ve finally managed to tick this one off.

*3. The Pictures*

Pretty hard to miss this one from the road!


Tsing Yi 16 bw by HughieDW, on Flickr


Tsing Yi 17 bw by HughieDW, on Flickr

Apparently, the land is now owned by the HK government:


Tsing Yi 15 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Tsing Yi 03 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Some half-decent graff:


img2913 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Tsing Yi 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr

This bit looks like it was recently occupied, maybe by the security guard:


img2946 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img2915 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And into the first building, the one furthest from the road:


Tsing Yi 09 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Tsing Yi 07 by HughieDW, on Flickr

It’s urbex toilet time!


Tsing Yi 08 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img2927 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Getting higher up:


img2929 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The view across to the second building:


Tsing Yi 06 by HughieDW, on Flickr

From the roof:


img2930 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And looking back over to HK:


img2924 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The guard post:


img2934 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Last guarded in June 2019?


img2933 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Into the second building:


img2931 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img2935 by HughieDW, on Flickr

It is just a series of empty spaces:


Tsing Yi 10 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Up we go:


Tsing Yi 11 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img2941 by HughieDW, on Flickr

More graff:


img2939 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Water feature!


Tsing Yi 13 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img2944 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img2943 by HughieDW, on Flickr


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## Sabtr (Oct 15, 2019)

You weren't joking about it being stripped!
Quite surreal seeing a building where it's likely that some of the paint on my childhood toys came from. I expected to see the odd spill or splash from when it was a working site?
It's places like that which made the modern cities you see in the distance possible.
Thanks for sharing.


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## HughieD (Oct 15, 2019)

Sausage said:


> You weren't joking about it being stripped!
> Quite surreal seeing a building where it's likely that some of the paint on my childhood toys came from. I expected to see the odd spill or splash from when it was a working site?
> It's places like that which made the modern cities you see in the distance possible.
> Thanks for sharing.



Cheers mate. Yes. Really surreal place. Couldn't really make my mind up about this place to be honest, let along understand why it needs a live-in guard!


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## BikinGlynn (Oct 15, 2019)

Blimey mate u did some stuff out there!


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## HughieD (Oct 15, 2019)

BikinGlynn said:


> Blimey mate u did some stuff out there!



In for a penny in for a HK Dollar mate!


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