Messenger of Light

Yu attributes his desire to help others with the hardship he suffered as a young man.

"My parents went through a lot of hardships and told me many times that I must do good deeds if I am successful," says Yu, who used to work as a reporter and editor.

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He worked as a cleaner, handyman and construction worker, and then set up his own company that was involved in real estate and tourism.

In the 1960s, he became involved in real estate in Taiwan where he first started to acquire some considerable wealth. He now owns the Hong Kong Yuen Long Pok Oi Hospital and several private companies. In 1994, he set up a company in Shenzhen.

Yu says he has experienced much suffering.

"I used to be poor and I understand the misery of life in poverty. Some people have no money to see a doctor or go to school," Yu says.

In the 1980s, Yu started donating money to build schools, emergency centers, public bus routes, tunnels, fountains and other infrastructure in his hometown in Hunan province.

He has a particular interest in improving healthcare services.

"When I was a child, I witnessed patients being taken to hospital three to four hours late because there was no ambulance. In the end, they died because they were not treated in time, so I made up my mind that one day I would buy ambulances."