Name (English): Man Wa Lane
Name (Chinese): 文華里
Category: Uncategorized
Address (English): Man Wa Lane, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Address (Chinese): 上環文華里
Address Google Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/2Kvk6dpZm2WvTQoA6
Address longitude and latitude: 22.28639435595417, 114.15251622698354
Nearest MTR Station: Sheung Wan Station Exit A1
Nearest MTR Station Google Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/JSTg8esZ6nGNZ2UB7
Nearest MTR Station longitude and latitude: 22.286400560572815, 114.15217223368224
How far from the nearest MTR Station: 1-minute walk from Sheung Wan MTR Exit A1
Opening Hours:
MON 10:30 – 19:00
TUE 10:30 – 19:00
WED 10:30 – 19:00
THU 10:30 – 19:00
FRI 10:30 – 19:00
SAT 10:30 – 19:00
SUN 10:30 – 19:00
Recommended Time to Visit: 10:30 – 12:00
Accessibility Note: Easy access
Its Chinese name speaks for itself – Man Wah Lane, literally meaning Chinese cultural lane, is a hidden artistic alley in the bustling Sheung Wan areas, where all Chinese seal-carving artisans congregate in an array of little green booths. This craft of thousands of years seems unnoticed in the city, but is the rediscovery of imperfections that define the uniqueness of each carved name chop.
From picking the right material, designing, carving to furnishing, step is equally important in order to make a quality and unique seal. It takes years of skills, practice and patience to be able to engrave characters onto a piece of stone or wood no bigger than 50-cent coin. The hardest part is probably mastering the types of Chinese characters from different dynasties, not to mention carving them flipped. Most of the artisans work with calligraphic styles from Qin dynasty, but they can also work their magic if you want your English name carved.
Name chops were as functional as our current e-signatures, and the industry flourished in the early 20th century. Most of the people were illiterate back then so they used stamps to verify their identity on official documents like receiving wages or picking up mails. But the art is now facing challenges amidst the technology era, as people don’t use stamps as signatures anymore, and many are replaced by rubber for mass production. Maybe you would want a customized seal to stand out from standardization before it fades in life.
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