'Elevator King' wins praise from on high

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has expressed deep sorrow over the death of renowned entrepreneur and “Elevator King” Hu Fa-kuang.

Hu, the founder of Ryoden Development, passed away Saturday at the age of 98.

In a statement yesterday, Lam said she was saddened by Hu’s passing.

“Mr Hu was a successful entrepreneur, with great achievements made and respect commanded in the business sector. Over the last century, he was committed to public and community service,” she said.

The Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong also expressed deep sorrow yesterday over his passing and gratitude for his efforts in support of sports development.

Born in 1924 in Shanghai, Hu left to work in the United States in 1949, and came here in 1952. He founded Ryoden Electric Engineering with support from Mitsubishi Electric (Hong Kong) and Ryoden Development in 1983.

Hu was the first businessman to introduce a one-stop service covering elevator retail and maintenance to Hong Kong. His business later expanded to the mainland and southeast Asia.

In the colonial era, he held seats in the district, urban and legislative councils.

Hu had close ties with Beijing. In the early stages of China’s opening-up, he invested in industries such as electrical engineering, real estate and international trade.

He also engaged in major engineering projects like the construction of Chak Lap Kok Airport and the demolition of the Kowloon Walled City.

He welcomed the handover and won a seat in the Chinese People Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top advisory body.

“After Hong Kong’s return to China, with the blessing of politics, economy and culture in the past, combined with support from a soaring Chinese economy, Hong Kong is due to have a brighter future,” he wrote in an article titled The Sovereignty Transfer Brings Hope.

He had been received the CBE and OBE from Queen Elizabeth in Britain and the Grand Bauhinia Medal in Hong Kong.

The Father I know: The Remarkable Story of Hu Fa Kuang was published by his son last year, with a preface by Hong Kong’s first chief executive Tung Chee-hwa.