Mr Hung Hing-Ying and Hung Family
Born in Nanhai, Guangdong, Mr Hung Hing-Ying started working in Hong Kong at an early age of 11. Gifted with great intelligence and an industrious spirit, Mr Hung’s business interests were noted very early in his career. He started building a career in gold trading, and later expanded into real estate, stock trading and financial investment. Despite lacking educational opportunities himself, Mr Hung held a deep respect for scholars and was dedicated to supporting educational initiatives.
Much like the building itself, the close bond between the Hung family and HKU has endured over time. Ms Belinda Hung (孔桂儀), has carried on her parents’ legacy and played an instrumental role in co-founding the “Hung Hing Ying and Leung Hau Ling Charitable Foundation” to support educational advancement. Over the years, the family and foundation have supported various initiatives such as distinguished fellowships, endowed professorships and outstanding young professorships schemes. Additionally, Belinda supports around 200 high school students from needy families in remote villages in Guizhou (貴州) and Shaanxi (陝西), helping them pursue higher education.
All the gifts reflect the Hung family’s ongoing commitment to fostering academic excellence and research.
Declared Monument
HUNG HING YING BUILDING
HUNG HING YING BUILDING
Sitting prominently in front of the Main Building, this Classical Revival red-brick structure, featuring an impressive rotunda, was opened in 1919 as the “Union Building.” It was made possible with the support of Sir Catchick Paul Chater (Treasurer), Professor G. P. Jordan (Acting Vice-Chancellor), and Professor C. A. Middleton Smith (the first Dean of Engineering). After the Second World War, the building was temporarily used by the Registry and was later converted into the Senior Common Room in 1974.
In 1986, the building was renamed in honor of Mr Hung Hing-Ying (孔慶熒) in recognition of the Hung family’s generous support for research in the physical sciences and postgraduate scholarships. From 1996 to 2012, Hung Hing Ying Building served as the home of the Department of Music, and it is currently the home of Foundation Chamber.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the building in 2019, a music performance titled “Musical Soirée under the Dome” was jointly presented by the HKU Foundation and the Department of Music. During the chamber recital, singers took advantage of the excellent acoustics under the building’s signature dome, gave a vocal performance while standing on the upper rotunda. Students musicians also performed in the Foundation Chamber on a mix of instruments – the traditional Chinese dizi and guzheng, as well as the flute, harmonica, marimba and piano.
