Hong Kongers bid farewell to 'king of umbrellas'

Hong Kong: Scores of residents flocked to a cramped shop in Hong Kong s old district to bid farewell to the city s king of umbrellas , who is retirin...

Hong Kong: Scores of residents flocked to a cramped shop in Hong Kong's old district to bid farewell to the city's "king of umbrellas", who is retiring after spending decades repairing umbrellas at his family business.

Established in 1842 during the Qing Dynasty, the Sun Rise Company was founded by the Yau family in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

Current proprietor Yau Yiu-wai, 73, announced earlier this month that his 183-year-old family business would close its doors at year's end.

Yau Yiu-wai, 73, one of few remaining umbrella repairmen in Hong Kong, gestures as he talks to customers in Hong Kong's Sham Shui Po district on December 26, 2025. Photo by Tommy WANG / AFP

The family-run shop has been passed down through five generations, but due to shifting consumer habits towards online shopping and his advancing age, it has to cease operations, Yau told AFP on Friday.