Dr CHA Chi-ming

Home About HKRI History and Milestones Dr CHA Chi-ming
The beginnings of HKRI and Discovery Bay were interwoven with the story of Dr CHA Chi-ming, the man who had the vision to transform a remote island corner into a unique community - Discovery Bay.
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1914
  • Born in Yuanhua, Haining, Zhejiang Province, mainland China
1927
  • Studied at the Dyeing and Textile Faculty (with Spinning) of Advanced Engineering High School affiliated to the Technology College of Zhejiang University
1929
  • Worked as apprentice at Dacheng Textile and Dyeing Co. in Shanghai and Changzhou
1936
  • Joined Liu Guo-jun, a patriotic industrialist, to Japan for study tour
  • Worked as Supervisor of the dyeing department of the Dancheng Secondary Factory
  • Worked as a trainee at the Kyoto Textile and Dyeing Factory in Japan
  • Married Liu's eldest daughter, Liu Bie-ju, in December
1937
  • Escorted more than 100 looms to Chongqing
1938
  • Cha Chi-ming (middle of the back row), with father-in-law, Liu Guo-jun (middle of the front row) and the family
    Daming Textile and Dyeing Factory was established by Changzhou Dacheng Co., Three-Gorges Dyeing and Textile Factory and Longchang Dyeing Co.; Lu Zuofu became Managing Director, Liu Guo-jun was Manager and CHA Chi-ming was Factory Supervisor respectively
1939
  • Appointed as Manager of Daming Dyeing and Textile Company in Beibei, Chongqing
1945
  • Cha Chi-ming and his wife Liu Bie-ju (front row: sixth and seventh from left) with the staff of Daming Textile and Dyeing Factory of Beibei, Chongqing
    Appointed as Manager of Daming Textile & Dyeing Co. Ltd
1946
  • Appointed as General Manager of Daming Textile and Dyeing Co.
1947
  • Moved to Hong Kong with his family
1949
  • Set up China Dyeing Works Ltd. in Tseun Wan, Hong Kong
1959
  • Set up New Territories Textiles Ltd.
  • Served as a Director of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals
1962
  • Became President of Tsuen Wan Northern Chinese Welfare Association Ltd.
1963
  • Set up non-woven factories in the UK and the US
1964
  • Group photo of Cha Chi-ming (middle in the front row) and the directors of United Nigerian Textiles Ltd
    Set up Akosombo Textiles Ltd. in Ghana and United Nigerian Textiles Ltd. in Nigeria
1971
  • Appointed as a Justice of the Peace in Hong Kong
1974
  • Appointed as an Advisory Board Member of Yan Chai Hospital in Hong Kong
1975
  • Appointed as a Council Member of Hong Kong Shue Yan College (renamed Hong Kong Shue Yan University)
1976
  • Appointed as a Council Member of Jinan University in Guangzhou
1977
  • Acquired Hong Kong Resort Co. Ltd. and served as Chairman
  • Invested to develop a residential project in Lantau Island, Hong Kong
1985
  • Deng Xiao-ping and other leaders of the central authorities met the Hong Kong Basic Law Drafting Committee members, including Cha Chi-ming (second row: third from the left), in Zhongnanhai, Beijing
    Served as a member of the Hong Kong Basic Law Drafting Committee
1987
  • Set up Hai Xin Textile Co., Ltd. (renamed as Xin Hai Xin Textile Co., Ltd. in 2003)
1988
  • HKR International Ltd and Mingly Corporation were listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong
1989
  • Set up Changzhou Liu Guo-jun Vocational Education Centre in Jiangsu
1991
  • Mr and Mrs Cha Chi-ming (fourth and sixth from left) attended the completiong ceremony of Cha Chi-ming Teaching Building of the Zhejiang Shuren University
    Made donations to build CHA Chi-ming Building at Zhejiang Shuren University
1992
  • Group photo of the Vice Premier Qian Qichen and the Hong Kong Affairs Advisors. Cha chi-ming was the sixth of the left in the front row.
    Appointed as one of the first Hong Kong Affairs Advisers to the State Council and Xinhua News Agency Hong Kong Branch
  • Established Sang Ma Trust Fund with a donation of HK$30 million
1993
  • Cha Chi-ming, Shao You-bao and Xu Zhan-tang after a meeting of Preliminary Working Committee of the Preparatory Committee for HKSAR in Guangzhou
    Appointed as a reserved member of the Working Committee of Preparatory Committee for the HKSAR
1994
  • Cha Chi-ming and the advisors to the Qiu Shi Science and Technologies Foundation. From left: (front row) Cha Chi-ming, Chern Shiing-shen, Yang Chen-ning; (back row) Lee Yuan-tseh, Zhou Guangzhao, Kan Yuet-wai
    Donated US$20 million to establish Qiu Shi Science & Technologies Foundation
  • Set up Liu Guo-jun Vocational Education Foundation
  • Made donations to build a library at Haining Middle School
1995
  • Established Mingly Textiles (Changzhou) Limited and Haining Textile Allied Industry Co. Ltd.
1996
  • President Jiang Ze-min shook hands with Cha Chi-ming when the president met members of the Preliminary Working Committee of the Preparatory Committee of HKSAR
    Appointed as a member of the Preparatory Committee for the HKSAR
  • Appointed as a member of the Selection Committee of the First Government of the HKSAR
  • Appointed as an Honorary Professor of Zhejiang University
  • Appointed as a consultative professor of Peking University
  • Awarded an Honorary PhD in Business Administration by Hong Kong Baptist University
  • Awarded an Honorary PhD in Social Science by the City University of Hong Kong
  • Donated for the construction of Qiushi Building of Zhijiang Campus of Zhejiang University
1997
  • Became one of the first awardees of the Grand Bauhinia Medal in Hong Kong
  • Appointed as Honorary President of Changzhou Industrial College
1999
  • Appointed as Honorary Dean of School of Economics of Zhejiang University
2000
  • Established Hangzhou Yimian Ltd. and Haining Xin Gao Fibres Ltd.
  • Established Changzhou Ganghua Chemicals Co. Ltd. in Jiangsu Province
  • Awarded an Honorary PhD in Social Sciences by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
2003
  • Qi Fa-ren, the commander in chief of "Shenzhou V" project, presented Cha Chi-ming with a model of "Shenzhou V" spacecraft
    Invited to Jiuquan, mainland China to witness the launch of Shenzhou V spacecraft
2004
  • Awarded an Honorary PhD by Zhejiang University
  • Awarded the MFR medal by the Government of Nigeria
2005
  • Established Haining Xin Neng Fibers & Non-Wovens Ltd.
2006
  • Awarded an Honorary PhD in Science by the Ahmadu Bello University of Nigeria
2007
  • Passed away due to illness at the age of 93 in Hong Kong