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Ashlyn Chak

Man Wa Lane is an alley in one of Hong Kong’s oldest neighbourhoods, Sheung Wan. A 100-metre length of it nicknamed “Chop Alley” has been the home of Chinese stone seal makers since the 1930s.
Today, more than a dozen stalls specialising in stamps still line the alley, but the know-how involved in this ancient craft is fading, with only a few of the owners still making stone seals by hand.
Seal carving dates back to the Spring and Autumn period in China (770-476BC), when the tradition of signing documents with personalised engraved stone seals dipped in vermilion cinnabar paste began.
In the first century AD the practice spread to Japan, and later to Korea.

The use of stone seals remains common in the two countries, as well as among senior officials in mainland China. But in Hong Kong, the craft only gets the limelight when a stone seal sells for a lot of money at auction.
One such instance came in 2022, when a soapstone seal carved for the Qing dynasty Emperor Qianlong (1711–1799) was sold by Sotheby’s auction house for a record HK$153.3 million (US$19.5 million).
In 2014, Hong Kong added Chinese seal engraving to its Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory, five years after Unesco listed the art as an intangible cultural heritage of China.
Despite the official recognition of the importance of stone seal making, the future of “Chop Alley” is precarious. Yam Man-hong, 45, knows this better than most.

The owner of Kingstone Engraving is a third-generation seal engraver who practically grew up on Man Wa Lane. He nearly lost his humble, 3 foot by 6 foot (1 by 2 metre) stall a few years ago – not because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but because of bureaucracy.
Yam was notified by the government that he was going to lose his licence because of a change in policy on street stalls.
Fortunately, one of his loyal clients was a legal professional, and wrote to the appropriate department on Yam’s behalf, which secured him a meeting with officials at government headquarters.
A few weeks later, Yam received notice that a board made up of representatives of the government’s Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and Licensing Authority had unanimously approved the renewal of his licence.
Carving the figure on top of the chops takes very long to master: years to just learn the basics
Yam Man-hong
There have been many changes to the craft since the first generation of Chinese seal-carving masters set up shop in the then-British colony.
Yam says the seals made today are simply not of the same quality as they used to be.
Firstly, the stone that carvers employed used to be “very pure”, meaning it was smoother and better for carving. These days, Yam says, “so much has already been extracted from the quarries” that there is a real shortage of high-quality stone.
Seal carvers have traditionally treasured China’s “Four Great Stones” – Shoushan stone from Fujian in southeast China, Balin stone from Inner Mongolia, and Changhua stone and Qingtian stone from Zhejiang province in eastern China.
Yam’s favourite is Shoushan stone, a kind of soapstone only found in Fujian.


Yam says this stone, which in the past was often used for emperors’ seals, contains fewer impurities and has a more consistent texture and quality than other stones.
He says he has also witnessed a steady decline in carving skills, especially when it comes to the top part of the stamps, which often features intricate carvings of auspicious creatures.
“Carving the figure on top of the chops takes very long to master: a handful of years to just learn the basics as a pupil, then you study under a sifu [master] of your desired focus, such as dragons or qilin [a creature in Chinese mythology resembling a unicorn], and go from there as an apprentice.”

Those who still know how to carve also have to cater to changing tastes.
Yam says Japanese tourists tend to be more traditional. “Chops are still an important part of their daily life. I have round stones here that specifically cater to their various purposes and requirements.”
He is also pleased to see around 70 per cent of his tourist trade return after the Covid-19 pandemic, especially Southeast Asians of Chinese descent, who would often order seals for their entire family.
As a stamp featuring a likeness of Donald Trump shows, Yam’s other challenge is how to keep up with the times. His catchier creations include cartoon versions of Chinese zodiac animals and QR codes.

“An American saw this and said he must bring it back to the US,” Yam says, referring to the Trump seal. He adds that his clients are still happy to come to his little stall instead of ordering cheaper stamps from Chinese online shopping giant Taobao. (Taobao is operated by Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning Post.)
After all, customising seals – from picking the desired stone to telling the engraver your full Chinese name and zodiac sign – is a personal experience for his customers, he says.
“I had a pickup this morning, before which the customer asked me to leave some carving for when they got here for them to video a bit of the process, and I gladly obliged.
“I let them try carving on one of my stones, too. It’s doable as long as I have the time, and I’m very happy to help.”
Kingstone Engraving & Printing, GPT 3, Man Wa Lane, Sheung Wan. Monday to Friday, 10am to 8pm; Saturday 1pm to 7pm.


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Yam Man-hong, a stone seal carver at Kingstone Engraving in Hong Kong. Photo: Dickson Lee

Yam Man-hong is one of the few remaining stone seal carvers in Hong Kong. He laments the loss of the skills needed to master the craft. Photo: Dickson Lee

Man Wa Lane, in Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan neighbourhood, has been the home of Chinese stone seal makers since the 1930s. Photo: Dickson Lee

Yam Man-hong, owner of Kingstone Engraving, one of the very few remaining hand-engraved seal makers in Hong Kong. Photo: Dickson Lee

Yam says the stone used for seal carving is not as good quality as it used to be. Photo: Dickson Lee

Some of Yam’s creations at his Sheung Wan stall. Photo: Dickson Lee

Yam says carving the figures on the top of the stamps takes years to master. Photo: Dickson Lee

Yam says the trade he does with tourists has returned to around 70 per cent of what it was before the pandemic. Photo: Dickson Lee

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Third-generation seal engraver Yam Man-hong talks about preserving the craft at his tiny Hong Kong stall, and keeping up with the times


Third-generation seal engraver Yam Man-hong talks about preserving the craft at his tiny Hong Kong stall, and keeping up with the times.
