Taikoo Dockyard and Taikoo Sugar Refinery Photo Credit © Swire Archives Swire first came to Hong Kong in the 1870s determined to capitalise on the island’s ideal location to support its flourishing trade with China. To do so, the company built a new dockyard and a sugar refinery. While both successful commercial entities, Taikoo Dockyard and Taikoo Sugar Refinery spawned a vibrant community. Here most of the components we would expect in today’s ideal neighbourhoods were to be found. There was housing constructed for the workers; there was a social club and recreational facilities, as well as free health care. There was even a funicular railway to help people get around. This site is where Swire created one of the city’s earliest examples of placemaking. SWIRE PROPERTIES PAGE 5