saan1 zaai6 cong2山寨廠山寨厂
Definition
Small, low-end family-run factories or home workshops common in 1950s and 60s Hong Kong.
How it's used
Refers specifically to the informal, often unlicensed light industry workshops that defined Hong Kong's manufacturing boom in the mid-20th century. While it carries a historical connotation of being makeshift or low-tech, it is also used to describe the grit and entrepreneurial spirit of that generation. Modern usage can sometimes extend to describe cheap, low-quality, or counterfeit goods, though the original sense remains tied to the physical space of the home-based factory.
Measure word
gaan1間gānExamples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the modern slang usage of 山寨, which refers to counterfeit or knock-off products. When referring to the historical factories, the term is specifically 山寨廠, and it describes a place of production rather than the quality of the goods themselves.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
