L. Ah Leong Block

140 N King Street
Opened:
1909
Architect: unknown
Style: 20th Century Commercial

HistoricChinatown_AhLeong.jpg

Not much is known about the red-brick building located at the forefront of Kekaulike Mall, but what holds a lot of historical value is name printed at the top of the building.

Lau Ah Leong was a prominent businessman and one of the founders of Chinatown. There was some scandal and drama surrounding his name, so stories of Lau Ah Leong were kept hidden away until great-granddaughter Pam Chun noticed his name on the building. She then researched the legacy of her great-grandfather and wrote a novel about him in 2002 called The Money Dragon.

CGO