Pao Siu Loong Building

Sir Pao Yue-Kong

“The larger the entity or the more significant its position in the world, the greater the burden that must rightfully be borne." - Sir Pao Yue-kong (extracted from the citation of Honorary Degrees Congregation in 1975)

Sir Pao Yue-Kong (Doctor of Laws honoris causa, 1975), rose from humble beginnings to become the world’s largest private shipowner by the late 1979. Under his vision and leadership, his company, World-Wide Shipping, diversified into various industries such as property, hotels, retail, media, telecommunications, airlines and banking.

Despite often remaining anonymous, Sir K P demonstrated a strong interest in supporting education and healthcare initiatives for young people. In addition to being a Life Member of the Court of HKU, he also served on the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee (UPGC). HKU was fortunate to have received support from Sir K P and his father in establishing a comprehensive health centre. Scholarships in Psychology were endowed, and financial provisions were made for the publication of books on Asian art and architecture by our University Press. Our sister institutions also benefited from the Pao family's generosity, as did many secondary schools and educational institutions.

PAO SIU LOONG BUILDING

At HKU, students and staff seeking medical or dental check-ups can visit the University Health Service (UHS), located in the Meng Wah Complex. Do you know that the university began offering healthcare services to the HKU community only shortly after World War II? And, UHS once occupied an entire building for its operations? That’s the stories behind Pao Siu Loong Building (包兆龍樓).

In the aftermath of the Second World War, Hong Kong faced significant challenges, including poor social hygiene and a high prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis, which affected many students. To curb the spread of infectious diseases, the University started providing basic medical support, such as chest X-ray examinations and nutritional advice. This marked the first step toward establishing a comprehensive healthcare service on campus. In 1948, the Student Health Service was established on a small scale, with just two rooms, half a doctor, and half a nurse.

On New Year’s Day of 1956, UHS was established, initially housed in the Lugard Wing of Old Halls (near the present Chong Yuet Ming Fountain). It was later relocated to the East Gate Lodge (in front of the current Hung Hing Ying Building), before temporarily moving to the West Gate Lodge (near the bus stop at the University’s West Gate). It wasn’t until 1973 that the Pao Siu Loong Health Centre (包兆龍保健中心) was officially opened as a comprehensive healthcare facility responsible for overseeing the health of HKU students and staff. The centre was named in honor of Mr Pao Siu-Loong (包兆龍), the father of Sir Pao Yue-Kong (包玉剛), as a tribute to the support of the Pao family.

In 1995, UHS was relocated to the Meng Wah Complex, and the Pao Siu Loong Health Centre was renamed the Pao Siu Loong Building. Today, the building serves as the home of iDendron, HKU’s innovation and entrepreneurship hub.