Epitome of Chinese-ness David Tang dies young

An inspirational icon of Hong Kong, David Tang, has unfortunately passed away. He can be counted with the likes of Bruce Lee as one of the most famous Hong Kong people ever. Having borne an extended period of severe illnesses in recent years, his fascinating and inspiring life regrettably came to an early end at the age of 63. He managed to cram into it, however, more than most people would have managed to include over several lifetimes.

This larger-than-life character will be sorely missed, not least by the many charitable and cultural causes which he selflessly espoused, some of which he founded with his own money. Moreover, Hong Kong and the country have lost a great publicist with his untimely demise, for in many ways he was looked upon, particularly in the West, as the epitome of Chinese-ness. The Chinese art and culture which he championed through his enterprises - the most famous being fashion label Shanghai Tang and China Club with its franchises - and of course his books and countless newspaper articles in both leading Chinese and English media, are noted for their eloquence, incisiveness and good humor. His many startup business ventures around the world all showcased the best of China in a way which foreigners find easy to embrace.

He had been for decades a fixture in the arts scene over several continents, as well as one of the world's most famous socialites, becoming personal friends with the royalty and the ruling elite. We went to the same university, King's College in London, but I only had the pleasure of getting to know him when I first came to Hong Kong in the 1990s. He had a special gift for friendship, including many of the world's most famous and influential people. David often succeeded in securing their support to join him in advancing good social causes. Through it all, he also did not miss an opportunity to speak well of China's presence and influence on the world stage.

He opened his renowned private members' dining club in the old Bank of China Building in Central back in 1991 - as the China Club. It swiftly became one of Asia's most prestigious exclusive gathering places and a must go-to for all senior business visitors to Hong Kong. The walls there and even the dedicated lift are full of works of Chinese art collected by that stylish club's founder. His collection of thousands of books about China and Chinese culture line the walls of the club's library, which doubles as a function room. Knowing of his limited time left, he kindly invited me to a farewell lunch there a few weeks back. Typical of his perpetual cheerfulness, when his doctors confirmed that his end was near, with his usual panache he planned to go out with a splash, by arranging his farewell party at his famous and very upmarket Chinese restaurant within London's exclusive Dorchester Hotel. Unfortunately, he met his end before that farewell party could take place.

The Chinese-inspired fashion and homeware shops that he founded - Shanghai Tang and Tang Tang Tang Tang - have a special style of their own. It is sadly ironic that as a co-founder of the Hong Kong Cancer Fund, cancer should strike him down. He was also the Asia-Pacific distributor of Cuban cigars - a luxury item to which he was addicted, perhaps a contributing factor to his debilitating lung disease. He was also Cuba's honorary consul to Hong Kong.

His grandfather, Tang Shiu-kin, was in his day one of Hong Kong's most generous philanthropists; David has long outdone that excellent record by his vast range of very active support to all manner of local and international charities and cultural causes. He devoted much of his time, as well as money, to support the needy. As but one example of many, I once asked him to kindly offer a Chinese meal as a treat to some of the poor members of the Hong Kong Federation of the Blind. He generously did so by hosting them personally at his exclusive China Club and playing the piano to entertain them.

Although he spoke barely any English until he moved to the United Kingdom at the age of 12, his writing and speaking of English eventually became far more polished than that of most native-English speakers. His several amusing books in English attest to that; as did his years of highly entertaining weekly writing as the Financial Times' agony uncle.

His various luxurious homes and offices all overflowed with beautiful works of art, prized paintings and piles of books. Those will doubtless be legacies to his family. But his legacy to the wider Chinese community, achieved through his representative business enterprises, wide-ranging and extensive social connections, and sterling support of numerous cultural and charitable causes, will serve as a beacon of all that's best in Chinese style and values.

(HK Edition 09/04/2017 page1)