History of the Brands: Wu Yang, Hong Mian and Kapok

After a bit of a vacation, I am starting a new series on the history of the brands of China. Starting with one of the largest, but also the youngest. Wu Yang of Guangzhou. Wu Yang, of crouse means "Five Rams in English and it is named after the famed Five Rams statue in downtown Guangzhou.   Recently I was written by Andy, a Guangzhou bike enthusiast, who wanted to know more about his favorite brand, Kapok, a brand I had only known in passing. Seldom seen in the north of China, these bikes are a staple of the south and still in heavy use as cargo bikes.

Looking at the Wu Yang Website, you might be forgiven for thinking that the factory only started in 1970. In truth the name Wu Yang was applied to the factory a full 10 years earlier. Only the bicycles weren't called Wu Yang...they were called Hong Mian or "Red Cotton Tree". This solves something of a mystery as to where the "Zhongguo" badged bikes have come from.

Now, take a look at the two attached images. One is from an old "Red Cotton Tree" bike....

...and the 2nd is from Andy's Kapok. Note the similarity?

They are the same. Hong Mian has been transformed into Kapok. Kapok, it would seem, became a "Flanker" brand of Wu Yang, once the factories namesake brand was introduced in 1970. So where as Wu Yang might be positioned as the "Top End" bike, Kapok, might be positioned as a working bike.

But where does the name Kapok come from? It is not English or Mandarin. However...it just might be from South America. Reader Larry Bone has forwarded the idea that "Red Cotton Tree" is just a trans-literation of Kapok tree. The Kapok tree is a jungle tree originally from South America, but has now taken root in the fertile soil of Asia. It grows to prodigious heights and has excellent wood. And, yes it has red flowers and produces a silky cotton-like fiber which has a variety of uses. Some Kapok "Cotton" , as well as the massive tree itself, can be seen in the images below from Wikipedia.

 

So the Kapok mystery is solved.

Now what Andy's prized Kapok? It is a 26" bike which he has spared no expense on, hunting out some rare and desirable accessories. It sports a rare Continental light and dynamo as well as truss braces smuggled in from across the border in Hong Kong, and of course a BIG bell complete with the Ming coin treatment. Tastefully done.

The rest of the bike is just as sweet. Step through frame with a mattress saddle in deep, deep green, the bike is perfect for getting around town.

The chaincase shows the model name "Big Ram" making the association with Wu Yang clear enough. Also note the Westrick rims.

The saddle again repeats the Kapok logo.

 

The bullet nosed front fender shows the deep green paint (yes, it's really green!!), and gold hand painted double pinstripe. It also shows that Andy cares a lot about this bike to keep it so clean!!!

The front brake stirrup is a nice robust design and the Red Cotton Tree badge repeats again on the swaged fork.

One last shot of the handle-bars. You can see "HM" for Hong Mian, indelibly stamped on the top of the bars. Another nice touch.

So Kapok/Hong Mian is clearly still around. But what about Wu Yang as a company, how do they fare? Pretty well. Not only do they produce Kapok and Wu Yang bikes, but also WYoung leisure bikes. They also have a joint venture with Honda and produce myriad volumes of motorcycles, which incidentally are banned from downtown Guangzhou, the company's home town!!! So much better for the bicycles!

Comments

[Larry "Boneman" Bone]

Nice stuff as always.... BTW... My understanding as to what Kapok is/was... a plant that's fibers, etc. were used as stuffing in old-school life preservers.

[JS]

Thanks for the tip Larry. Now noted and updated!

[Larry "Boneman" Bone]

Nice. I remember as a child wearing Kapok filled PFD's. Would have MUCH rather been in possession of the velocipede, I assure you.

The example pictured is simply wonderful. Thanks for posting it up!

[Dave]

Can someone tell me if they know anything about the chinese brand Ekosha co. LTD? I can send pics.

[Jen Barton]

I recently acquired a Wu Yang bicycle and I would love to know more about it. Is there a way I can reference the model number in order to find its date of manufacture? I am pretty sure it is from around the time the company switched to Wu Yang and has many of the same details as the Kapok. It is in decent shape and I would like to restore it to riding condition. I can send pics if need be.
Thank you for your help!

[Kapok Kid]

Hey Jan Barton, please email me about your Kapok. This article is about my bike and I'd love to share some information and learn about yours.

[Martha]

I rode a Wu Yang the year I taught in China -- 1982/83. It was a great bike. Mine was the only one in the city with green handlebar grips, as if I were not already conspicuous enough. I wish so much I'd brought my bike back with me. I would ride it now!