by SPIRIT OF HONG KONG （《香港精神》）
Written by: Liao Qunyan（廖群严）, Deng Liyun（邓丽云）, Cheng Shuxiang（程书香）
Reviewed by: Lan Jun（兰军）
Typeset by: Miao Jing（缪京）
Photos provided by Dr. Richard S.K. Lee, the interviewee
English translation by: Julius Zheng（郑嵘）
This is an English translation of the Chinese article on SPIRIT OF HONG KONG （《香港精神》）print magazine (cover story of October 2024 – National Day issue) and its social media. The original article in Chinese can be viewed through this link:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/m40dHYEEKhqRhJMUgLoRdA
Profile
Dr. Richard S.K. Lee（李承光）is a renowned dentist, seasoned jade expert, third-generation heir of a world-famous jadeite (fei-cui 翡翠) family, and the Advisor (Jade) to the 35th Council (2020–2022) of the Hong Kong Jewellery and Jade Manufacturers Association (HKJJA) （香港珠宝玉石厂商会）. He also serves as the Honorary President and Committee Consultant of Hong Kong Jade Association（香港玉器商会）, the Honorary Life President of the Hong Kong Kowloon Jade Merchants and Workers Association（香港九龙玉器工商联会）, the Vice President of the Hong Kong Professionals Association（香港专业人士协会）, and one of the founders and former President of the GIA Alumni Collectives Hong Kong Chapter（美国宝石研究院GIA香港校友会）. In 2024, he was invited to serve as the Editor of the Journal of The Gemmological Association of Hong Kong（香港宝石学会年刊）. He holds a dental practitioner qualification from Australia.
The secret to the success of the older generation of Hong Kongers is to get back up after every fall. Only by repeatedly picking yourself up can you reach the distant place you aspire to go.- Dr. Richard S.K. Lee
[Editor’s Note]
As a model figure embodying the Hong Kong spirit, Dr. Richard S.K. Lee（李承光）believes its core lies in being “unbreakable and unyielding.” With this spirit, he has excelled in dentistry, jadeite, and investment, establishing a firm foothold in Hong Kong. Today, he leverages his expertise to help others, further exemplifying the Hong Kong spirit.
A world-renowned jadeite family heir, a celebrated dentist, a successful real estate investor, and a philanthropist—these diverse roles converge in Dr. Richard S.K. Lee. After decades of effort, his life mirrors jadeite: profound, radiant, elegant, and serene, embodying inner peace and composure.
01. The Lee Family Legacy: A Three-Generation Jadeite Dynasty
The year 1949 holds great significance for every Chinese person. It was the year a great leader stood atop Tiananmen and solemnly declared to the world: “The Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China is established!” This marked the end of a century of humiliation for the Chinese nation. For Dr. Richard S.K. Lee, honorary life president of the Hong Kong Kowloon Jade Merchants and Workers Association and vice president of the Hong Kong Professionals Association, 1949 was even more special—it was the year he was born and greeted the world.
Dr. Richard S.K. Lee, a seasoned jade expert and third-generation heir of a world-famous jadeite family, hails from the Lee family in Hong Kong, recognized as one of the most prominent jadeite families globally. This extraordinary family background and stellar industry reputation laid the foundation for his life’s journey.
The illustrious history of the Lee family’s jadeite business began with his grandfather, Mr. Lee Ben-ren（李本仁）. In the 30th year of the Guangxu reign of Qing Dynasty (1904), Mr. Lee Ben-ren co-founded “Tongchang Company（同昌公司）” with fellow villagers, purchasing mining pits in Xinshan（新山）, establishing new mines in Duomo （多磨）, and setting up branches in Guangzhou and Shanghai, amassing great wealth. In the spring of 1915, Mr. Lee Ben-ren and his partners unearthed a massive jadeite boulder weighing approximately 8,000 kilograms, known as the “Elephant Jade（象玉）.” They later sold it to Mr. Chang Wenti（张文棣）, owner of “Cuihua Xuan（粹华轩）,” for 100,000 Chinese silver dollars.
The jadeite was later transported to Beijing, where renowned jade carver Mr. Li Hanchen（李汉臣）sculpted it into a set of jadeite pagoda and archway, which were exhibited at the Paris World Expo, creating a sensation. This earned Mr. Lee Ben-ren the title of “Jadeite King.”
In 1937, Mr. Lee Ben-ren passed away in Myanmar. His second son, Mr. Lee San Chiek（李生泽） (Dr. Richard S.K. Lee’s father), daughter-in-law Ms. Yon Kwan Wan（容贯云） (Dr. Richard S.K. Lee’s mother), and adopted son Mr. Yin Xiguang （尹希广）continued the jadeite business in Myanmar and Hong Kong. Mr. Lee San Chiek inherited his father’s entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen, combining his experience with a global perspective to build a family business network. During his travels with his father, he met Ms. Yon Kwan Wan（容贯云） in Guangdong, and the two fell in love and married each other.
Ms. Yon Kwan Wan was a native of Xinhui（新会）, Guangdong. She received a good education, was well-mannered, open-minded, and capable—a smart, elegant, and refined modern woman. After marriage, she followed Mr. Lee San Chiek to Myanmar to continue the jadeite business, becoming his most capable assistant. They focused on mining and processing jadeite in Myanmar while also engaging in other businesses. At the time, most of the Lee family’s assets and shops were in Myanmar. After two generations of accumulation, the Lee family’s wealth ranked among the top in Myanmar. In the 1960s, Mr. Lee San Chiek gradually shifted the family’s business focus to Hong Kong. Unfortunately, during Myanmar’s nationalization period, the Lee family’s fixed assets and properties that could not be transferred were confiscated by the Myanmar government. In 1962, Mr. Lee San Chiek and Ms. Yon Kwan Wan returned to and settle in Hong Kong.
Seventy years ago, Hong Kong was far from the prosperous city it is today. At that time, people flocked to Hong Kong from mainland China, forming many shantytowns in areas like Diamond Hill, Tiu Keng Leng, and Chai Wan（钻石山、调景岭、柴湾）. The lodges were simple, mostly made of steel sheets and wooden boards. “As the eldest in the family, I lived in very tiny gutted lodges（劏房）with my family for several years. As more people moved to Hong Kong, our jadeite business grew. Through the family’s efforts, we eventually bought our own house seven years later.” The challenging living conditions honed Dr. Richard S.K. Lee’s resilience and his lifelong habit of simplicity.
In the 1960s and 1970s, before Hong Kong’s return to China, the lack of welfare policies and support measures from the British colonial government limited the development of Hong Kong’s Chinese population. To establish themselves, they had to work hard. “During that era, people under Lion Rock worked tirelessly, embodying a spirit of perseverance and resilience, forming the ‘Lion Rock Spirit’ （狮子山精神）of being unbreakable and unyielding.”
As a child, under the influence of his parents, Dr. Richard S.K. Lee developed a strong interest in jadeite. He loved listening to his elders teach him about jadeite identification and business skills, eventually becoming the third-generation heir of the family’s jadeite business. “Among the four siblings, I was the one who inherited the family business.” While his parents introduced him to the trade, his personal dedication was key. His mother imparted invaluable advice: “If you don’t understand something, ask several experts, then combine their opinions to build your own professional knowledge. She was also very cautious with money, which instilled in me healthy habits and a simple lifestyle.”
Xu Shen（许慎）, a scholar from the Han Dynasty, explained in the “Analytical Dictionary of Characters”《说文解字》: “Fei refers to the red-feathered bird; Cui refers to the green-feathered bird.” Dr. Richard S.K. Lee noted that jadeite (fei-cui 翡翠), known as the “Oriental Emerald,” has been celebrated for its deep, radiant colour and spiritual charm, embodying the mysterious culture of the East. Identifying and appreciating jadeite is an art, involving knowledge of raw materials, colors, and terms like water, texture, and transparency. Through his parents’ hands-on teaching and his own diligent study, he graduated in 1977 with top marks as a gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the world’s leading authority in gemology. He later served as president of the GIA Alumni Collectives Hong Kong Chapter, paving a bright path in the jadeite industry.
Dr. Richard S.K. Lee proudly shared, “In the 1990s, I assisted my mother, Ms. Yon Kwan Wan , in managing and trading the family’s jadeite. In 1993, we sold half of a valuable jadeite rough stone to Fuhui Company（福辉公司）, a listed company in Hong Kong, and in 1995, sold the remaining half to Chow Tai Fook（周大福）Jewellery Group.”
02. Upholding Family Values and Passion for Philanthropy
Being the third-generation heir of a world-famous jadeite family is just one facet of Dr. Richard S.K. Lee’s life. Another identity, seemingly unrelated to jadeite, is that of a dentist.
Early in his career, after obtaining a dental practitioner qualification in Australia, Dr. Richard S.K. Lee became a dentist. As a professional, he was dedicated to his work, constantly learning new techniques, earning widespread respect for his exceptional skills, and becoming a highly regarded dentist.
In addition, Dr. Richard S.K. Lee has extensive experience in real estate investment. Years ago, he invested in properties in Australia, managing renovations through computers, phones, and emails, and personally overseeing quality during visits. He believes that while overseas property prices rise slowly, they offer steady growth and investment potential. Over decades, these investments have enhanced his income and helped him achieve financial freedom.
At the age of seventy, Dr. Richard S.K. Lee is now passionate about passing on his professional knowledge in the jadeite field. In March 2024, he was invited to be one of the keynote speakers at the “Cullinan Diamond Family Legacy Journey” dual seminar.
During the seminar, Dr. Richard S.K. Lee used his extensive jadeite expertise to explain the appreciation and scientific analysis of jadeite rough stones. He shared techniques and key points for observing natural jadeite rough stones, introduced common jadeite trade terms, and focused on the four evaluation parameters of jadeite rough stones: skin, color roots, mist layer, and texture, as well as their critical roles in jadeite rough stone assessment.
Dr. Richard S.K. Lee also kindly advised attendees not to enter the jadeite industry lightly unless they had family members in the trade to guide them, as resources are essential for sustainable development. After decades of hard work, he has earned a stellar reputation in both the dental and jadeite industries, gaining significant respect in Hong Kong society. He remarked that building a good reputation is not an overnight achievement but requires consistent effort and strength.
Carrying forward his family’s philanthropic spirit, Dr. Richard S.K. Lee once donated HK$1 million to the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Medicine to support digital dental education and research, helping the faculty advance further. “When you can, do something for society and help the younger generation.”
Looking ahead, Dr. Richard S.K. Lee earnestly hopes that Hong Kong will continue to thrive and achieve new heights. He believes, “Hong Kong’s current prosperity is due to its status as a tax-free haven, its professional services in law and accounting, its stable exchange rate, and the steady implementation of ‘One Country, Two Systems.’ We are delighted that President Xi Jinping once said, ‘One Country, Two Systems’ aligns with the fundamental interests of the nation and the people, is supported by over 1.4 billion citizens, embraced by Hong Kong and Macau residents, and recognized by the international community. Such a good system must be upheld for the long term.”
“The secret to the success of the older generation of Hong Kongers is to get back up after every fall. Only by repeatedly picking yourself up can you reach the distant place you aspire to go.” In every field, Dr. Richard S.K. Lee adheres to the spirit of being “unbreakable and unyielding,” achieving remarkable success. He hopes that the new generation of Hong Kongers will carry on this spirit and continue building the city.
In ancient times, it was said, “A gentleman does not part with jade without reason.” The gentle luster of jade symbolizes kindness and resilience, its unyielding texture represents wisdom, its unharmful edges signify fairness and justice, and the crisp sound it makes when struck reflects integrity and virtue. In many ways, the refined and gentle qualities of jade are a true reflection of Dr. Richard S.K. Lee himself.
