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| Time Out Hong Kong heroes |
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He owns Shanghai Tang, China Tang, Island Tang, and, earlier this year was made Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire; Sir David Tang is a man of many talents. But it’s not his commercial success which earns him Time Out hero status, rather it’s his continuing efforts to create a strong, positive, and desirable image of China. As former governor Chris Patten once said: ‘He's one of those rare people who cheers the world up. Life, and Hong Kong, would be much poorer without him.’
What impact did being educated in Britain have on you?
I was sent to the public Perse School in Cambridge aged 13. I was the only Chinese student there and at first found it a bit difficult to understand the language and the culture. I sought solace in learning to play the piano, a passion which has stayed with me all my life. Later, I studied philosophy at King’s College in London and then law.
Did you ever want to be anything other than a successful businessman?
Yes, actually you might be surprised but I did actually harbour the ambition to become a monk. I went on a trip when I was 25, way back in 1979, with my friend Edmund Ho (now Chief Executive of Macau). We climbed Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) and saw an ocean of clouds and pine trees lining the ridges of the range. It looked astounding, just like a classical Chinese painting. Afterwards I just wanted to take my vows and live a pure life.
When did you move back to mainland China?
The other effect of my trip to the Yellow Mountain was that is made me want to reconnect with China and rediscover my identity. I’d been living in the UK and colonial Hong Kong for a long time and felt a pull to return to mainland China. Then, a chance meeting in Beijing led to a job teaching English and philosophy at the university there.
What were your motivations for launching Shanghai Tang and why do you think it was so successful, so quickly?
When the Joint Declaration was signed in 1984 between Margaret Thatcher and Deng Xiaoping, and with it came the changing of Hong Kong’s sovereignty, I felt strongly that the time was ripe for a resurgence of national identity. Three years before the handover, I decided to seize the moment and launch my clothing company, Shanghai Tang. Now it’s a worldwide chain with over 30 stores!
Tell us about your other successful venture, China Club?
It’s an amazing art deco space spread across the top three floors of the former Bank of China building, and decked out like one of the decadent Shanghai clubs of the 1930s. The building’s got a great history – during the Cultural Revolution Communist propaganda was blasted from the terrace at the British playing cricket on the field opposite.
Surely that must keep you busy?
It does, but I still find time to be involved in Pacific Co Ltd, an exclusive distributor for all Cuban cigars in Canada and the Asia-Pacific. I’m also an honorary Consul General for Cuba in Hong Kong. And there’s my China Tang restaurant in London’s Dorchester Hotel, and Island Tang – a new restaurant that’s a stone’s throw from the China Club.
Who would your Hong Kong hero be?
My hero would be Wong Chak – the cartoonist, who invented Lao Fu Zi [Old Master Q]. He is Cantonese humour personified. And there are many nameless people in Hong Kong who do a lot of good work and are not recognised. The real heroes are the unsung ones. |
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