A cut above: 4-decade-old Shanghai-style salon in Hong Kong endures test of time
Luk Chung-yan, 78, is among a shrinking number of barbers running Shanghai-style salons, which offer trims and shaves in an atmosphere steeped in history
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Getting a classic haircut and shave in one of Hong Kong’s last Shanghai-style barber shops
In a quiet corner of the bustling, trendy neighbourhood of Causeway Bay in Hong Kong on a weekday afternoon, Luk Chung-yan holds a steady hand as he glides a razor across his customer’s skin in calculated strokes before scraping the froth on the edge of a clay bowl.
Behind him, shavers buzz while other barbers chatter in the Shanghai dialect in the hair parlour home to vintage reclining barber chairs, 70-year-old hairdryers and old-school pomade.
For HK$200 (US$25.70), customers can enjoy a full experience that includes a haircut, wash and shave, along with a friendly “see you again” as Luk holds the door open for them to leave.
Housed in a 69-year-old building with a manual door lift, stepping into Ambassador Barber Parlour feels like one is transported back in time.
While other Shanghai-style salons in the city have shut down in the past decade, this barbershop, which has operated for nearly four decades, has stood the test of time.
Luk, 78, came to Hong Kong with his family from Shanghai in 1957, at the height of the anti-rightist movement.