Words by Aude Camus
If you’ve ever wandered through Hong Kong’s vintage shops or old-school dim sum restaurants and admired those iconic bowls painted with phoenixes, dragons or peonies, chances are they came from Yuet Tung China Works. Tucked away in an unassuming industrial building in Kowloon Bay, this family-run workshop is Hong Kong’s last hand-painted porcelain factory — and stepping inside feels like entering a living time capsule.
I shared a few photos from my recent visit on Instagram, and the response was overwhelming. Clearly, many of us are craving authenticity — real craft, real stories, real heritage. So here’s a deeper look into why Yuet Tung is worth carving out an afternoon for.
If you’ve ever wandered through Hong Kong’s vintage shops or old-school dim sum restaurants and admired those iconic bowls painted with phoenixes, dragons or peonies, chances are they came from Yuet Tung China Works. Tucked away in an unassuming industrial building in Kowloon Bay, this family-run workshop is Hong Kong’s last hand-painted porcelain factory — and stepping inside feels like entering a living time capsule.
I shared a few photos from my recent visit on Instagram, and the response was overwhelming. Clearly, many of us are craving authenticity — real craft, real stories, real heritage. So here’s a deeper look into why Yuet Tung is worth carving out an afternoon for.
A century-old craft kept alive by one family
Founded in 1928, Yuet Tung has spent nearly a century painting porcelain by hand, stroke by stroke, colour by colour. Today, the workshop is run by the third generation of the Lam family, who continue to preserve techniques passed down from Guangdong artisans who once supplied the city’s old hotels, cha chaan tengs and wedding banquets.
Where most porcelain today is machine-printed, Yuet Tung’s pieces are brushed by hand — a slow, precise, meditative craft. Watching the artisans work is mesmerising: brushes glide in perfect arcs, colours are layered with patience, and motifs like dragons, goldfish and phoenixes emerge with a rhythm that comes only from decades of practice.
It’s not a gallery. It’s not a museum. It’s a workshop that’s still alive, still producing, still thriving in its quiet, magical way.
A treasure hunt waiting to happen
Part of Yuet Tung’s charm is… the beautiful chaos.
The workshop is huge — far bigger than you expect — and filled with towering stacks of plates, bowls, teapots, vases and banquet sets. Every corner reveals something unexpected: a stack of faded peach-coloured saucers here, a pile of dragon bowls there, a lonely teapot whose matching cups were sold sometime in 1993.
Nothing is displayed “the boutique way”. You dig, you search, you squeal internally when you find the perfect piece — or when you discover a mismatched but irresistibly charming set.
It’s the kind of place where you think you’ll spend 20 minutes and end up staying two hours.
If you like wandering through vintage shops, flea markets or secret ateliers, this will feel like heaven.
Something for every taste (and every budget)
The workshop is huge — far bigger than you expect — and filled with towering stacks of plates, bowls, teapots, vases and banquet sets. Every corner reveals something unexpected: a stack of faded peach-coloured saucers here, a pile of dragon bowls there, a lonely teapot whose matching cups were sold sometime in 1993.
Nothing is displayed “the boutique way”. You dig, you search, you squeal internally when you find the perfect piece — or when you discover a mismatched but irresistibly charming set.
It’s the kind of place where you think you’ll spend 20 minutes and end up staying two hours.
If you like wandering through vintage shops, flea markets or secret ateliers, this will feel like heaven.
Something for every taste (and every budget)
Prices vary a lot. You’ll find: small plates and tea cups in the HK$100–300 range, salad bowls for around HK$600 to 800, decorative plates in the HK$800 and ornate banquet pieces or vintage stock that can go much higher.
Some pieces show imperfections or variations — that’s part of the beauty of craft. Others are museum-worthy and utterly pristine.
Whether you want a single bowl for morning noodles, a gift with meaning, or a statement display piece, you’ll find something that feels right.
Why visit now?
Because places like this don’t last forever. Traditional porcelain painting is a disappearing craft. As factories in Guangdong modernised or closed, Yuet Tung became one of the last workshops still doing it the old way. Visiting them — and buying directly from them — helps keep this artistry alive.
It’s also a refreshing contrast to Hong Kong’s constant newness. Amid openings, closings, pop-ups and trends, Yuet Tung is a quiet reminder that the city’s soul also lives in its makers.
If you’re looking for a meaningful Hong Kong experience, this is it.
Yuet Tung China Works
Unit 1-3, 3/F, Kowloon Bay Industrial Centre, 15 Wang Hoi Road, Kowloon Bay
Mon–Sat, usually 9am–5pm with a lunch break between 12.30 and 2pm (hours can vary — call ahead if you want to be sure)
Some pieces show imperfections or variations — that’s part of the beauty of craft. Others are museum-worthy and utterly pristine.
Whether you want a single bowl for morning noodles, a gift with meaning, or a statement display piece, you’ll find something that feels right.
Why visit now?
Because places like this don’t last forever. Traditional porcelain painting is a disappearing craft. As factories in Guangdong modernised or closed, Yuet Tung became one of the last workshops still doing it the old way. Visiting them — and buying directly from them — helps keep this artistry alive.
It’s also a refreshing contrast to Hong Kong’s constant newness. Amid openings, closings, pop-ups and trends, Yuet Tung is a quiet reminder that the city’s soul also lives in its makers.
If you’re looking for a meaningful Hong Kong experience, this is it.
Yuet Tung China Works
Unit 1-3, 3/F, Kowloon Bay Industrial Centre, 15 Wang Hoi Road, Kowloon Bay
Mon–Sat, usually 9am–5pm with a lunch break between 12.30 and 2pm (hours can vary — call ahead if you want to be sure)