C >v:«da-Hong Kong Resource C • WSi. I 1 Spidint Crewem. Rm " I Toronto. Cf<*(U Gift from Ms Vivienne Poy Building ^^^^^ The Life & Times of Richard Charles Lee Hong Kong: 1905-1983 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2009 with funding from Multicultural Canada; University of Toronto Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/buildingbridgeslOOpoyv Richard Charles Lee, 1964. The Life & Times of Richard Charles Lee Hong Kong: 1905-1983 CALYAN ViVIENNE POY CTBuad Kong Resourct Centr* First Published in Canada by Calyan Publishing Ltd. 4151 Sheppard Avenue East, 2nd floor Scarborough, Ontario Canada M1S 1T4 ISBN 1-896501-04-4 Poy, Vivienne Building Bridges, The Life & Times of Richard Charles Lee Hong Kong, 1905-1983 Copyright © Calyan Publishing Ltd. 1998 All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of the Publisher. English Editors: Mary Adachi Philippa Campsie Chinese Editor: Simon S.H. So Production and Design: Justin Poy Media Photograph of Author: Dr. Neville G. Poy By the same author: A River Named Lee All photographs are courtesy of the Lee family and the copyright in all photographs belongs to the Lee family. All inquiries regarding the motion picture, television and dramatic rights for this book should be addressed to the Author's representative: Calyan Publishing Ltd. 4151 Sheppard Avenue East, 2nd floor Scarborough, Ontario Canada M1S 1T4 Representations as to the disposition of these rights are strictly prohibited without express written consent. Printed and bound in Canada First printing September 1998 Contents Acknowledgements xiii Foreword by Prof. Arthur K.C. Li xv Prologue XVi A Farewell xvii Chapter 1 The Young Man: From Hong Kong to Oxford 1 Childhood Studies in Oxford Friendships Grandfather's Enterprises Chapter 2 From Marriage in Hong Kong to Work in China 16 Father Meets Mother The Wedding Grandfather's Murder Father as Head of the Family Work in Guangzhou Pioneers in Hainan Return to Hong Kong Chapter 3 Storm Clouds Gather: Hong Kong Falls to the Japanese 36 Defence of Hong Kong The Battle of Hong Kong Under Japanese Occupation The Chinese Guerrillas Father as a Resistance Fighter Chapter 4 A Family on the Run 55 Retreat from Hong Kong Life in Guilin On the Run Again Life in Chongqing The Japanese Surrender Chapter 5 After the War: Society Changes 71 Rationing and Shortages Health Problems The Refugee Families Housing Problems Refugees and Industry Refugees and Education Chapter 6 The Magical Years 83 Launching as Recreation The Lee Building and the Big House Servants and Hawkers Embassy Court Chapter 7 Towards Racial Harmony: The Hong Kong Country Club 100 A Multi-racial Club Towards Racial Harmony Swimming at the Club Chapter 8 The Lee Family: Business Projects 108 The Lee Theatre Property Development The Lee Gardens Hotel Father and Hon Chiu The Public Company Chapter 9 A Daughter Grows Up 122 Grandmother's Funeral Father and My British Education McGill, Marriage and Family With Father in China Chapter 10 From Turbulence to Reform: A Vision for Higher Education 137 The Riots of 1967 Social Reforms Father and Education Higher Education A New University Chapter 11 The Japanese Connection, 154 The Japanese School Japan and China Yamaichi Securities Chapter 12 The Chinese Patriot 163 Solving the Water Shortage Between Hong Kong and China The Chinese Connections The Garden Hotel Chapter 13 The Businessman 181 A New Tunnel The Telephone Company The Gas Company The Rothschild Bank The Danish Connection A Shipping Company The Canadian Connection Chapter 14 The Freemason: A Lifetime Commitment 197 Chapter 15 A Look into the Future 202 At Peace with Himself Epilogue 213 Richard Charles Lee: A Career Summary 214 List of Father's Siblings 217 Map of China 218 Map of Guangdong Province 219 Map of Hong Kong 220 Endnotes 221 Bibliography 238 Photos 242 To those whose lives have been touched by my father ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I was able to write this biography of my father because of the gen- erous help of many. In particular, I would like to thank Hon Chiu Lee, Chairman of Hysan Development Co., without whose help this book could not have been written. Yao Kang, Advisor of the Swire Group, Hong Kong, and director of many Swire subsidiaries; Sir Quo Wai Lee, Chairman of the Hang Seng Bank; Anna Li, Father's former secretary; David K.P, Li, Chairman of the Bank of East Asia; Professor Ma Lin, Chairman of Shaw College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Shinishi Shiraishi, former deputy president of Yamaichi Securi- ties Co. Ltd., Japan; C.T. Wu, Father's old friend and former employee of the Lee family; Peter Yeung, Director of the Canada-Hong Kong Resource Centre, University of Toronto-York University, Joint Centre for Asia Pacific Studies; and Yoshiyuki Yoshioka, Secretary of the Japanese Club, Hong Kong, must be thanked for their patience in answering my many questions and for giving me a great deal of infor- mation. I would also like to thank the following who contributed signifi- cantly to the content of this book: Barbara Bennett, Sir Jack and Lady Peggy Cater, Dr. Chi Chao Chan, Chen Jixuan, Chieko Kato, Josephine Chu, Professor Ruth Hayhoe, He Mingsi, He Jianli, Jenny Hoo, Huang Maolan, Per Jorgensen, Albert Kwan, Chien Lee, J.S. Lee, Peter T.C. Lee, Raymand Lee, Violet Lee, Professor Arthur K.C. Li, Aubrey K.S. Li, Greta Li, Lian Weilin, Professor Paul Lin, Donald Liu, Percy O'Brien, Reiko Ogata, William Poy, Lady May Ride, Elizabeth Ride, Dr. Ray Rook, Ronald Ross, Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, Sing Sheng, Joseph and Jeanne Tarn, George Todkill and Wang Kuang. In my research, I was greatly helped by: Vincent Chen of the Campus Planning and Building Committee of The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Chen Rongsheng, Cultural Consul of the People's Republic of China in Toronto; Frank Ching, Senior Editor at the Far Eastern Eco- nomic Review; Y.C. Wan, Curator of the Hung On -To Memorial Library of the University of Hong Kong Libraries; Johnson Li of the Canada- Hong Kong Resource Centre; Sam-Chin Li, librarian of the Cheng xttt Yutung East Asian Library of the University of Toronto; Anne Cheng, lawyer at the Bank of East Asia, Hong Kong; Tiffany K.W, Chan, grad- uate of the University of Hong Kong; T.W. Chu, librarian of the University of Hong Kong Libraries; Wandy Wong, secretary to the Chair- man of Hysan Development Company; and Karen Diensdale, secretary of the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies of St. Michael's College, University of Toronto. I am grateful to University Professor Julia Ching, of the University of Toronto, whose patience and guidance helped me clarify the form of this manuscript and organize the massive amount of information; to Professor Bernard Luk, co-chair of the Joint Centre for Asian Pacific Studies, University of Toronto and York University, for his comments and guidance; to Ku Hanzhao, scholar, and Kan Chung Yuen, a retired civil servant of the former government of Hong Kong, who were kind enough to read the manuscript and offer advice. My special thanks to Peggy Ku for her tireless assistance, her skill in drawing all the maps, and for the translation of this book into Chinese. Special mention and thanks to my husband, Neville, who reshot many of the old photographs as well as taking new ones, and to our son Justin, who designed the cover, and oversaw its layout and publication. xtv FOREWORD any standard, Dr. Richard Charles Lee led an incredible and Byremarkable life. He lived through the tumultuous events of mod- ern Chinese history and played a major role in the making of Hong Kong as we know it today a vibrant international city. Born into an aristocratic Hong Kong family, Oxford educated and for his time, widely travelled, he took charge of a dynastic business empire at a very young age. His vision of a modern China, including the need for international ties and friendships and the role that Hong Kong should play, is as relevant for the future as it was in his day. His love for the people of Hong Kong and the many significant major con- tributions that he made to improve their lives, in housing, education, welfare as well as in many other areas are well documented here in this personal account by his daughter Vivienne Poy. She shares with us the story of a gifted and intelligent man whose life was not without per- sonal tragedies, like the untimely loss of both his father and his son. Dr. Lee was compassionate without being sentimental, and maintained a simple lifestyle despite his wealth. Dr. Lee was a decisive man of very strong principles. Few people have ever resigned, as he did, from the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Government. He believed in justice and righteousness, blending Confucianism with the best from the West. As Vivienne playfully remarks, when people speculated long ago that Dr. Lee would be the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong after the resumption of Chinese sovereignty in 1997, little did they realise that he would have been 92 years old! However, the serious point is that speculation stemmed from hope, admiration and a yearning for some- one of his stature and proven track record to take charge of Hong Kong. Perhaps, Dr. R.C. Lee was the best Governor or Chief Executive that Hong Kong never had. Arthur K.C. Li Vice-Chancellor The Chinese University of Hong Kong March 1998 XV PROLOGUE hat kind of a man was Richard Charles Lee, my father? He was a stern man, rather set in his ways, punctual, disciplined.