Historic Alley
In Hong Kong, the street best known for seal carving is Man Wa Lane (Chop Alley). Man Wa Lane is a narrow alley about 100 meters long and has served as the center of traditional Chinese seal making, known as chop, since the 1930s. Seal carving is the craft of engraving names, symbols, or calligraphy into stone to create personal stamps, historically used for signing artworks and official documents in Chinese culture.
Here, you’ll find small chop-makers’ stalls where craftsmen hand-carve seals from stone using hammers and chisels. These seals have traditionally been used to sign documents and artworks, and often carry personal significance.
Located in the Sheung Wan district, Man Wa Lane is one of Hong Kong’s oldest streets. It runs from Bonham Strand to Connaught Road Central, crossing Wing Lok Street and Des Voeux Road Central along the way.
Creating a handmade chop is not merely a practical task but an art form in its own right. Although everyday use of such seals in Hong Kong has declined, Man Wa Lane remains the only place in the city where these traditional workshops are still in operation.
Exploration of the chop craft
Each chop represents the identity of its owner as well as the master’s lifelong dedication to the craft. Anyone who walks through this alley can witness the depth of skill and devotion.
While working on our Hong Kong guide through the Sheung Wan and Central districts, we found ourselves endlessly walking in circles through the neighborhoods. And every time we ended up near Chop Alley, we felt a quiet joy passing through it. Amid Hong Kong’s relentless rhythm, its skyscrapers growing into one another like wild trees, entering Chop Alley felt like a chance to breathe, as if we had stepped into an entirely different world.
Here, you become a witness to the small, self-contained worlds of each master, tucked inside their tiny stalls. One dozes off quietly, another watches YouTube, squinting behind the glasses.
Each stall feels like a separate painting in a gallery, defined by its craft. By chance, we stopped at one lady’s stall. She invited us further, away from the alley’s flow. We spoke of the master behind the seals—her uncle, a seventy-three-year-old man whose life has been shaped by decades of patient work.
Spontaneously, we decided to order a chop from her for Loud Études. First, you share your year of birth, and a master shows you the animal that represents it in the Chinese zodiac. This animal is then carved into the base of the seal: a painstaking, shaped by individual symbols and handwork. Seals come in different sizes, from as small as a pinky finger to large, weighty chops.
Next, you decide what will appear on the seal itself. You draw it on paper, as the master will reproduce it exactly from your sketch. Then comes the choice of shape, either square or round. Once the seal is ready (usually the following day), it is presented in a beautiful Chinese box, containing both the seal and red ink.
It’s worth noting that each master has their own distinct approach, so the process you witness in one stall may be completely different from what you'll find in another. In our Hong Kong guide, we’ll share how our seal from this particular shop turned out.
The woman who craved our chop was deeply attentive, offering thoughtful options and listening carefully to what we wanted. Her sincerity really stayed with us, so we asked her to recommend her favorite lunch spots nearby. She closed her tiny shop quickly and walked with us part of the way.
Address
Man Wa Lane, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
How to get there
The nearest MTR station is Sheung Wan on the blue line. Take Exit A2, and within a minute you’ll find yourself on Chop Alley.
Opening hours
Most of the shops there operate on weekdays, with each master setting their own opening hours. Some, usually the most devoted ones, also work on weekends. We recommend confirming availability in advance with the master you plan to order from.