Share Links in WeChat Moments
Open WeChat, switch to the Discover tab from the bottom, and scan the code to share.
Copy Success!
Celebrating 60 Years of Brilliance
60th Anniversary Celebration of K. Wah Group

Close to 1,800 guests, comprising top government officials, business leaders, local and overseas illuminaries and senior management and staff of the four businesses joined K. Wah Group’s (“the Group”) diamond jubilee celebration held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 10 December 2015 in celebration of 60 years of success and achievements. Guests officiating at the ceremony included the Hon C Y Leung, the then Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“HKSAR”); the Hon Tung Chee-hwa, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (“CPPCC”); Yin Xiaojing, the then Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR; the Hon Carrie Lam, the then Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR; and Ronald Chan, the then Acting Secretary for the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau of the HKSAR.

Dr Lui Che-woo and Mrs Lui, Chairman of the Group and management of the Group as well as officiating guests the Hon C Y Leung, the then Chief Executive of HKSAR; the Hon Tung Chee-hwa, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC; Yin Xiaojing, the then Deputy Director of Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR; the Hon Carrie Lam, the then Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR; and Ronald Chan, the then Acting Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs of the HKSAR, officiated in the opening ceremony

In his address, the Hon CY Leung, the then Chief Executive of the HKSAR, expressed gratitude to K. Wah Group for its contributions to the development of Mainland China and Hong Kong, “K. Wah reached out from Hong Kong and became an international corporation having its businesses flourished and diversified, including developments in Mainland China during the early years of its reform and opening up when the Group had made contributions in response to the call of the nation. We see K. Wah Group expanding from construction materials to property development, hospitality as well as the entertainment and leisure businesses to become a major force in Hong Kong’s economic activities. During the past 60 years, K. Wah has been a driving force in Hong Kong’s urban construction, having joined hands with other developers to contribute to the safer, more comfortable and more convenient life we are enjoying today.” He also highly commended Dr Lui’s move to establish the LUI Che Woo Prize - Prize for World Civilisation to make significant contributions to the Chinese and global community, “The inauguration of the prize in Hong Kong by a Chinese, at a time when our nation is rising to prominence in a national revival, to exemplify individuals and groups that have made contributions to the development of world civilisation is something that we Chinese cannot emphasize enough, and something that we should be thankful for.”

Looking ahead, more major construction projects will be undertaken in Hong Kong, such as the development of our new townships, our road development strategy and the construction of infrastructure linking Hong Kong and Mainland China will worth thousands of billions in aggregate. I very much look forward to K. Wah Group’s continued participation in future, together with other companies in Hong Kong and the HKSAR Government, in projects that seek to build Hong Kong into a better place.

The Hon CY Leung
The then Chief Executive of the HKSAR

Dr Lui, for his part, cited “persistence in fostering positive values and universal ethics, responsibilities towards staff, customers, community and environment in a proactive manner, enjoyment of success with a good conscience, giving back to the society to help others to embrace a meaningful life” as the core values upon which K. Wah has overcome challenges and progressed with the times over 60 years of extraordinary ventures since its establishment in 1955. What’s more, this conviction has been shared and firmly adhered to by close to 30,000 employees of the Group, who have been able to “counter the frustration inside and the challenges outside with positive energy, confront the reality with courage, overcome hurdles with faith and draw on the strength of unity in times of trouble, seeing every problem as an opportunity to find solutions and dealing with it in a measured and pragmatic approach.”

From a small machinery trading company, K. Wah has expanded its business to tap construction materials, properties, hospitality and entertainment & leisure business, while growing into a multinational conglomerate spanning Mainland China, Southeast Asia and North America. In the process, K. Wah was at the forefront of the modernization of the quarrying and construction materials industry in Hong Kong and the Mainland, the internationalization of local Hong Kong hotels, the training of hotel and tourism management talents for Hong Kong and the Mainland and, not the least, the building of Chinese brands in the hospitality industry in the US. Dr Lui’s management philosophy that blends Chinese and Western ideologies has been further manifested in the founding of Galaxy Entertainment Group, which has made important contributions to the transformation of Macau into a world centre of tourism and leisure.

K. Wah’s business philosophy is to stay focused on its core businesses with an eye for long-term development and help to build the society for the benefit of the public.” I encourage our staff to carry on with the culture of being pragmatic, trustworthy and considerate.

Dr Lui Che-woo
Chairman of K. Wah Group

Francis Lui, Vice Chairman of K. Wah Group, thanked various parties in the community for their support, “K. Wah Group has its roots in Hong Kong, is backed by Mainland China and faces the entire world. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Central Government and the HKSAR Government for their commitment in ensuring Hong Kong an ideal business environment, making the city an intriguing and peaceful cosmopolitan that is fit for both living and doing business. The path hasn’t been easy for Hong Kong, as it took a lot of hard work from people of the previous generations to bring Hong Kong the international status that it deserves today. I would also like to thank esteemed members of the society and our friends and associates who are here today for their support and care over the years, which has ensured the smooth development of our business.”

Looking to the future, as Dr Lui put it, “K. Wah stands ready today to pursue its next goal. In doing so, we must cherish our important assets — our experience, brand reputation, credentials and philosophy developed over 60 years — and continue to pass them on while striving also for innovation. I call upon every K. Wah colleague to inherit this precious spirit as a dignified Chinese with global vision, striving to deliver economic value while serving the country, promoting the Chinese culture, bringing benefits to the society and making ever greater contributions to Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China and the global community world for the well-being of all mankind.”

The path hasn’t been easy for Hong Kong; it took a lot of hard work from people of the previous generations to bring Hong Kong the international status that it deserves today. Looking into the future, we really hope that the young people of our time can recall the things that their predecessors have given them, look beyond our differences, and unite to create a brighter future.

Mr Francis Lui
Vice Chairman of K. Wah Group

Sustainable Development & Social Harmony

To mark this new milestone, the Group has continued to support community welfare in various ways and contribute to the world’s sustainable development and social harmony in adherence to the principle of “Building the Future with Passion”, on top of achieving business advancements. Those initiatives include the establishment of the international cross-sector LUI Che Woo Prize — Prize for World Civilisation with an initial funding of HK$2 billion. With this prize, Dr Lui aims to focus on human civilisation and serve the whole world by promoting the creation of a lasting realm of universal harmony and sharing. The Group has also announced a donation to pledge HK$15.6 million (US$2 million) to The Chinese University of Hong Kong (“CUHK”) to establish the Lui Che Woo Distinguished Young Scholars Award and the Lui Che Woo Distinguished Young Scholars Research Scholarship, which are intended to support outstanding medical research students of CUHK to further their studies overseas and hence could make greater contributions to the healthcare sector in Hong Kong. Elsewhere, the Group has acted as the Principal Sponsor of UNICEF Charity Run 2015 through a donation of HK$2 million to support the campaign to fight AIDS.

Judy Chen (right), Chairman of the Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF, accepts the donation from K. Wah Group as the Principal Sponsor of UNICEF Charity Run 2015

Dr Lui (left) presents the HK$15.6 million (US$2 million) donation to CUHK for the founding of the Lui Che Woo Distinguished Young Scholars Award and the Lui Che Woo Distinguished Young Scholars Research Scholarship in support of its outstanding graduate medical students for overseas studies, in a bid to nurture more professionals

Highlights of the Celebration Dinner

The grand celebration dinner was complemented by stunning and spectacular programmes and performances. The performance, themed “K. Wah connects the future with passion and a Hong Kong heart”, was a review of K. Wah Group’s rich history over the past 60 years and Dr Lui’s vision and philosophy of life. The Lui Che-woo Authorized Biography, the first biography of Dr Lui, was officially launched and presented by Dr Lui to Francis Lui to pass on the spirit. The celebration dinner was then brought to its climax by the performance of renowned US singer Dionne Warwick.

60 staff from the four major businesses of K. Wah Group join in a chorus of classic Canton pop songs, conveying the persistent yet reliable spirits of Hong Kong people. At the same time, renowned French gilt painter Michael Raivard draws the portrait of Dr Lui shown on the cover of his new book

Dr Lui (middle), Bi Yajun (left), author of Lui Che-woo Authorized Biography, and Wen Hong Wu (right), the then Chairman and President of Sino United Publishing (Holdings) Limited unveil the front cover display of the book

Francis Lui (left), Vice Chairman of the Group receives the first copy of Lui Che-woo Authorized Biography from Dr Lui (right), signifying the succession of Dr Lui’s experience and philosophy in continuation of K. Wah spirit

Paddy Lui, Executive Director of KWIH and GEG, Dr Moses Cheng, Non-executive Director of KWIH, Wong Kwai Lam, Independent Non-executive Director of KWIH, Dr David Fang and Sonia Lui, Chairman of Education and Outreach Committee, Opera Hong Kong join hands with the Opera Hong Kong Children Chorus to perform on stage, in tribute to the spirit of charitable and harmony of LUI Che Woo Prize — Prize for World Civilisation

The choruses performed at the dinner and their musical arrangements are the meticulous work of renowned music director Chiu Tsang-hei (left) and his orchestra which echoes the theme of the celebration

Renowned US singer and five-time Grammy Awards winner Dionne Warwick serves the guests with a feast of her classic songs

Guests at the gala dinner are well attended to by the ushers of GEG, while the Latin dances with a Brazilian flair performed by GEG professional artists are electrifying

At the celebration dinner, the Group launches the “K. Wah Group 60th Anniversary Facebook Quiz”. Those who have answered the questions correctly have the exciting chance to win a prize of one night’s free stay in a superior hotel room in Macau sponsored by Galaxy Entertainment Group

Hong Kong HeartThe Group presents each attending guest and colleague with a 60th anniversary platter as a souvenir to express our sincere gratitude. Designed with Dr Lui Che-woo’s painting and Chinese calligraphy of “和諧共享” (sharing in harmony), the commemorative platter signifies Dr Lui’s prospect of a loving and caring world

 
 
 
 
Photo Highlight
Staff Session
Cocktail Reception 
Officiating Ceremony 
Dinner