Mr. Lim Por-yen was one of Hongkong’s famous industrialists and philanthropists. He was Founder of Lai Sun Group, and also the permanent honorary chairman of Asia Television Limited. Before the return of Hong Kong to China, he was appointed as a Hong Kong Affairs Advisor, and a member of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Organizing Committee and Election Committee.
Mr. Lim Por-yen (1914-2005) was a native of Chiu Yang, Kwangtung, and was born in the year 1914. His father, Mr. Lim Hin-chee, was a well known factory-owner and banker, who moved to Hong Kong in the 1930’s to carry on his business. Mr. Lim was brought to Hong Kong by his father, and studied in Munsang College, Kowloon City. He later entered a private school and studied ancient literature.
In 1935, as instructed by his father, Mr. Lim returned to Swatow to start learning how to do business. Hs first worked in a money-exchange shop operated by his uncle. Later, he joined Swatow’s Kai Sing Bank and started working from a low rank. He worked very hard and kept on studying diligently at night, thereby forming a hardworking and money-saving habit.
During the World War II, Mr. Lim returned to Hong Kong. At first, he carried on clothing industry, and in 1945, he set up Sing Fook Knitting Factory. By 1947, he set up Lai sun Garment Manufacturing Company. By the middle of 1960’s, the production of Lai sun Garment became a key factor of Hong Kong’s clothing industry, with its export products reaching not only South-east Asia, but also as far as countries in Africa and Middle-east. At that time, fellow manufacturers gave him the title “King of Africa”. Soon after that, Lai Sun Garment’s business developed to England and America, and the Company became Hong Kong’s top garment-manufacturer.
The years of 1970’s was the era of Hong Kong’s economic high rise. Lai Sun Garment joined the list of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange’s public companies. In 1980’s, Mr. Lim’s business widened further to cover retail, China-Hong Kong land properties, hotels and mass media. Those included Crocodile Garments, Asia Television Limited and the Media Asia Group. Today, Lai Sun Group has developed into a big multi-business enterprise.
Besides working diligently all the time and never taking a rest, Mr. Lim kept reciprocating the society. He was very keen in charity work and donated a great deal of money for building schools and promoting education. In mid-1980’s, he donated generously to help building a number of secondary schools and primary schools in Swatow, Chiu Chau, and Chung Shan. The Lim Por-yen International Exhibition Centre in Swatow is well-known over the world for its glamorous outlook and enormous facilities. In 2003, funds were provided for building a huge-size library for the Sake of widening the people’s scope of knowledge.
Mr. Lim also paid a lot of attention and care for his home-town people’s health and living. In year 2000, Mr. Lim personally inspected the water supply standard in Chiu Yang-Jingdu. After tasting the well water, he immediately made a large donation to improve the water supply engineering system, as that the local people there needed no longer to worry about it.