Hong Kong is a multi-national city and also a free port. The first appeared department store was the British-owned Lane Crawford. Until 1900, Sincere Department Store emerged and became a pioneer of Chinese-owned department stores. Other Chinese-owned department stores like Wing On, Daxin and Zhong Hua went on to join the competition. They were named “The Big Four Department Stores”.
There were many oyster sauce and soy sauce shops at the early time in Hong Kong. Actually, the birth of oyster sauce was because of chance in the 1880s’. But just like sugar, a simple bottle of oyster sauce enriched the flavours of dishes in the old days and subtly affected the tastes of the Hong Kong people.
Sugar is one of the main ingredients of manufacturing soy sauce. It is also a basic seasoning for people’s daily cooking. The westerners use it in tea and coffee drinking. The Chinese have a higher demand because of using it in Chinese pastries and desserts. The emergence of the Taikoo Sugar Refinery in 1884 has been providing refined sugar manufactured through machinery and made a difference from the bulk sugar.
While the Chinese comprador was one of the keys in the sugar industry developing vigorously in Hong Kong, the Moks family was a legend of the Chinese comprador. According to Christine Loh, a descendant of the Moks family, said, "The relationship between the comprador and the boss of foreign firm was as partners. The comprador must rely on his financial resources and relationship network to make a successful business.” She simply pointed out the importance of comprador. In those years, the comprador was responsible for the procurement of raw materials and sales network and had to have good English communication skills so that to work with the Taipan (the boss of foreign firm) harmoniously. The Chinese comprador indeed contributed to the successful development of sugar mills.
