Cheong Eak Chong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cheong Eak Chong
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| 鍾奕莊 | |
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| Born | 1888 Anxi County, Quanzhou, Fujian, Qing China
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| Died | (aged 95) |
| Known for | Real estate business |
| Title | Chairman of the Hong Fok Corporation |
| Children | 28 |
| Cheong Eak Chong | |||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 鍾奕莊 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 钟奕庄 | ||||||||||||||
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| Zhong Mingxuan | |||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 鍾銘選 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 钟铭选 | ||||||||||||||
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Cheong Eak Chong (Chinese: 钟奕庄; pinyin: Zhōng Yìzhuāng; 1888 – 13 February 1984) was a Chinese businessman. He was born in Anxi County in Fujian, China, in 1888. In 1921, he moved to Singapore. He started his career as a goldsmith. Later, he expanded his business into banking and real estate. He built a large property company called Hong Fok Corporation. Throughout his life, Cheong Eak Chong also helped people in his home county of Anxi. He is remembered there through the names of several public places.
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Cheong Eak Chong's Life and Business
Cheong Eak Chong was born in 1888 in Anxi County, Fujian, China. He moved to Singapore in 1921. In 1925, he started a jewelry business. He then opened a bank with his cousin. He even sent his oldest son to open a bank office in Shanghai.
Because of troubles in China during the 1940s, Cheong focused on his businesses in Singapore and Hong Kong. He started investing in real estate and tourism. This means he built and managed properties and hotels. In the 1950s, he founded a real estate company in Singapore called Yat Yuen Hong Holdings. In 1977, he changed its name to Hong Fok Corporation. Some of the famous buildings he helped develop in Singapore include International Plaza, The Concourse, and the Grand Hyatt hotel.
Helping His Home County
Cheong Eak Chong sent a lot of his earnings back to China. He wanted to help develop Anxi County and South Fujian. In 1946, he helped pay for a public hospital there. This hospital is now called Mingxuan Hospital.
After China became the People's Republic of China in 1949, he invested in building roads and other important things for travel in the county. Cheong also helped people during times of food shortage. He made sure people got food like flour, rice, and cooking oil.
A school in Quanzhou, called Mingxuan High School, is named after him. This school has trained students who later joined the People's Liberation Army Air Force. Some even became fighter pilots.
His Family and Successors
Cheong Eak Chong had three wives and 28 children. He had 16 sons and 12 daughters. His children lived in both Singapore and Hong Kong. They continued to develop many properties in both places. In Hong Kong, his two oldest sons, Kung-hai and Ming-fai, became known as the "Kings of Industrial Buildings." This means they were very successful in building factories and warehouses.
Cheong Eak Chong passed away on February 13, 1984. He was the chairman of Hong Fok Corporation until his death. His son, Kim Pong, took over as chairman. Cheong Kung-hai's grandson, Derek Cheung, founded HKEsport. This was Hong Kong's first professional esports team. Esports are competitive video gaming.
See also
- Aw Boon Haw: A Chinese businessman from Fujian.
