"As a Chinese, I am deeply proud and proud. ”
In the grand celebration of the 70th birthday of the motherland, the 69-year-old Zeman stood on the viewing platform, his eyes flashing with tears of excitement.
The Jewish billionaire is not only the creator of Hong Kong's landmark Lan Kwai Fong, but also the rebuilder of Hong Kong's Ocean Park.
He stood at the pinnacle of Hong Kong's political and business circles with a foreign face, and was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and became a key member of the Hong Kong Chief Executive's Advisory Council.
Back in 2008, Zeman made the astonishing decision to renounce his Canadian and American citizenship in favor of a Chinese citizen.
"China will be the future of the world," he said. That's why I chose to be Chinese, because I like to be with winners. ”
When it comes to Zeman, his name is well known in Hong Kong's business circles.
Born in Germany in 1950, Dr. Zeman, who is of Jewish descent, traveled with his parents to settle in the bustling city of New York at a young age.
When he was 7 years old, his father died suddenly, which brought a heavy blow to the family, and life was in trouble. He and his mother had to migrate again to Quebec, Canada.
At a young age, Allan Zeman already knew the hardships of life. In order to alleviate the burden of his mother's life, he began his part-time job at the age of 10.
In addition to studying, Zeman shuttles through the streets and alleys every morning to deliver newspapers, while Zhou Men works as a handyman in a restaurant, such as washing dishes and wiping tables. Although it was hard work, Zeman was able to earn $60 a month, which was enough to support himself.
In this way, with hard work and hard work, Zeman got out of the predicament step by step. At the age of 16, he bought a Chevrolet convertible and became the first student in school to own a car.
When he graduated from high school, Zeman was eager to make money and gave up the opportunity to further his education and chose to enter society.
By chance, Zeman stepped into the door of a fashion company.
He was so good at his job that he quickly won the appreciation and promotion of his boss, and in just a few years, Zeman had earned $1 million.
Because Zeman was mainly responsible for sourcing garments imported from Hong Kong, this job also gave him an indissoluble bond with Hong Kong.
At the age of 19, Zeman set foot in Hong Kong for the first time, which is known as "gold everywhere".
When the plane landed steadily at Qide Airport, he was shocked by the dense and towering high-rise buildings in front of him.
He has already entered the society, with his rich experience, he is keenly aware of the city of Hong Kong, which is full of vitality, and he is convinced that this is his future "gold nugget".
Zeman saw a major business opportunity, with import tariffs as high as 50 per cent in Canada and relatively low tariffs in Hong Kong at 15 per cent.
This difference in tax rates made Zeman realize that doing business in Hong Kong would have more profit potential than in Canada.
When the owner of the outfitting company learned that Zeman was determined to go to Hong Kong to carve out a new world, he not only praised Zeman for his courage, but also promised to fund his business.
In 1969, at the age of 19, Zeman and his mother settled in Hong Kong, starting a new business journey with the first wealth he earned in Canada.
Hong Kong in the 60s of the last century belonged to the golden age of the textile and garment industries.
Coming to Hong Kong, Zeman used his experience in Canada to start Colby Trading, which focuses on sourcing garments from China and exporting to Canada and the UK.
Due to low export tariffs and large profit margins in the market, it was not long before the trading company was on the right track.
In 1978, the spring breeze was blowing and the mainland was ushering in a time of vitality. Many Hong Kong garment factories have relocated to the mainland because they have learned that cheap raw materials and labour from the mainland will greatly reduce the cost of manufacturing.
Zeman has also started to consider sourcing ready-made garments from the mainland for export overseas via Hong Kong. At that time, the direct train ticket that had been interrupted for more than 30 years had just been restored, making it difficult to find a ticket.
After a long journey, Dr. Zeman finally bought a green train ticket, and he took a 14-hour hard seat ride from Hong Kong to Changsha, Hunan Province, to conduct field trips to find the right supplier.
Soon, he was not only moved by the hard work and enthusiasm of the people of Changsha, but also saw the huge potential of the mainland's manufacturing industry, and Zeman decided to open an office there.
Since then, Zeman has traveled frequently between the Mainland and Hong Kong.
As the business continued to expand, Zeman began to set his sights on the global market. He has set up offices in South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines.
In the 80's, Colby Trading had a global presence with 30 offices around the world.
Zeman has been in the clothing business for a long time and has met many young business customers, who often complain that it is difficult to find a place to drink in Hong Kong, and that it is extremely inconvenient to go to a hotel.
With a keen sense of smell for businessmen, Zeman saw an opportunity in front of him, and since Hong Kong is an international metropolis, bars can also be opened in the bustling downtown area.
In 1981, he rented a restaurant in Lan Kwai Fong, Central, which he named California.
This unique restaurant exudes the alluring charm of fine dining during the day and transforms into an intoxicating bar at night.
Surprisingly, in just a few months, the bar became a huge hit, attracting not only many foreign friends, but also many celebrities and models.
Although the innovative model of restaurants and bars has brought business opportunities to Zeman, he does not stop there.
He noticed that in Tokyo, Japan, where every inch of land is at a premium, restaurants and karaoke were successfully opened in the building. Inspired by this model, Zeman invested HK$32 million to buy an entire building in Hong Kong and renovate it.
Seeing that the bar business was more lucrative than clothing, Zeman sold Colby's business to then-rival Li & Fung Group for HK$2.2 billion at the end of 2000.
He cashed out all his money and invested it in the bar business.
Subsequently, Zeman continued to acquire properties in the surrounding area and became the majority owner of Lan Kwai Fong.
Lan Kwai Fong is bustling with customers every day, and it is inevitable that many people will get drunk, but Ze Man himself is very self-disciplined, does not drink alcohol, and insists on drinking only plain water no matter where he is.
Dr. Zeman's sobriety and self-discipline have won people's respect and praise, and he is known as the "Father of Lan Kwai Fong".
Zeman has carefully planned and successfully created a commercial and entertainment paradise integrating restaurants and bars, and this area has become famous in the later years, becoming Hong Kong's famous "bar street".
He not only made Lan Kwai Fong a place of cultural openness and inclusiveness in Hong Kong, but also extended its spirit to the mainland.
In 2009, Chengdu welcomed Lan Kwai Fong for the first time, followed by Haikou, Wuxi and Shanghai.
In 2019, Xi'an reached a strategic cooperation with Lan Kwai Fong Group, setting a new milestone for Lan Kwai Fong's development in mainland China with an investment of up to 10 billion yuan and a huge scale covering 900 acres.
In 2003, Ocean Park Hong Kong suffered financial losses for four consecutive years, with an annual loss of more than HK$200 million. The park has outdated facilities, fewer than 100,000 visitors per month, and faces the challenge of Disney's upcoming entry into Hong Kong.
Some have even put forward proposals to close this "homegrown" theme park, which represents Hong Kong.
Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa has not given up his efforts to save Ocean Park, and he has called the business genius Allan Zeman six times in succession, inviting him to come out and help.
Dr. Zeman initially humbly declined the chief executive's invitation, saying that he had no experience in theme park management and did not know where to start.
But the story doesn't end there, as Zeman comes to realise the importance of Ocean Park to Hong Kong after careful consideration.
Despite feeling a lack of confidence in the face of such a complex project, he decided to go to Ocean Park for a comprehensive tour in person. During his rounds, he learned that if he did not take up the post, the chief executive might send former Chief Secretary Hui Sze-yan to take over.
He bluntly expressed his attitude to the chief executive: "I don't think he can do it." Either you trust me and give me this responsibility, or you just close the park?"
Subsequently, Zeman made a firm promise:
"I want Ocean Park to be not only the pride of Hong Kong, but also the focus of global attention. The first thing that comes to mind for everyone who mentions Sea World is Hong Kong's one-of-a-kind Ocean Park. ”
After taking over as the head of Ocean Park, Zeman acted quickly and knew that an efficient management team was essential to the park's operations.
He has carefully selected a group of experienced and passionate professionals to assemble a new management team.
To enhance Ocean Park's facilities, Zeman sought HK$10 billion from the top management of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), which he used to build a number of eye-catching new facilities, including a giant undersea tunnel, a realistic polar exploration pavilion and a fun children's play area.
In addition, Zeman is committed to enhancing the entertainment experience of visitors, and he has personally planned a variety of entertainment activities, including marine animal shows, nightly light shows, and interactive games for parents and children.
Zeman even went into battle himself, dressed as a jellyfish in a powder blue one-piece costume to interact with the tourists, answer their questions and share knowledge about the ocean.
This was not only a surprise and delight for the guests, but also a testament to the affinity and sense of responsibility that Zeman brings to the head of Ocean Park.
Under Zeman's leadership, Ocean Park has been revitalized from a loss-making destination to a profit-driven destination in Hong Kong and around the world.
What is even more commendable is that Zeman did not receive a penny from Ocean Park during this period.
It is worth mentioning that Hong Kong Disneyland, a competitor, is still losing money during the same period. In 2007, Ocean Park surpassed Disneyland in attendance, and Zeman was named the "Mickey Mouse Killer".
In 2012, Ocean Park received 7 million visitors, earning it the world's highest accolade for the World's Best Theme Park award and being named one of the top 10 theme parks in the world by Forbes magazine.
Zeman once quipped: "The honour of being at the helm of Ocean Park is even more than the pride I was when I founded Lan Kwai Fong. ”
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Hong Kong, the HKSAR conferred the Grand Bauhinia Medal on Zeman in 2011, the highest honour.
In 2008, Zeman decided to give up his coveted dual citizenship of the United States and Canada and become a Chinese citizen.
It took him eight months to convince his family to strengthen his determination to become a naturalized citizen.
He said affectionately: "I have spent most of my life in the mainland and Hong Kong, which has long become my home, and I prefer to see myself as Chinese." ”
Zeman has a strong sense of belonging to Hong Kong, a move that shocked many when he decided to become a Chinese citizen.
Zeman chose to become a Chinese citizen, not only for business interests, but also because he had witnessed the great changes in Hong Kong before and after the handover, as well as the booming prosperity of the mainland.
He once exclaimed: "Shenzhen used to be a small fishing village, but now it has become a world-famous Silicon Valley, and nothing is impossible for China to do." ”
He often jokes that he is a "white-shelled and yellow-hearted" egg.
After becoming a Chinese citizen, he also experienced some interesting things, such as every time he crossed the border to the mainland, there was always a staff member who reminded him to take the foreigner channel, and Zeman had to show his Hong Kong Home Return Permit to explain that he was Chinese, which often surprised the other party.
What's even more interesting is that despite living in Hong Kong for many years, he still doesn't understand Cantonese, let alone Mandarin.
In 2019, Zeman was invited to participate in the 70th anniversary celebration of the motherland, and he was so excited that he stood on the viewing platform.
He often said: "I have never regretted becoming a naturalized Chinese citizen, and I am proud to be Chinese." ”
With his outstanding achievements, Zeman has become a successful example for foreigners to develop in Hong Kong, and for this he has been widely recognized by the city.
Zeman has been appointed as a policy adviser to the management of the HKSAR and a number of public organisations.
Having lived in Hong Kong for over 40 years, he has worked in a wide range of sectors including real estate, entertainment, gaming, innovation and technology, and has successfully managed commercial, leisure and media businesses.
In 2019, Zeman set his sights on Thailand and joined hands with Li Ka-shing's son Li Zekai to jointly develop a comprehensive project combining a five-star hotel and luxury villas in the small town of Thai Muang near Phuket.
This move not only further broadened his business horizons, but also made him stand out in Thailand, where he was honored as "the third richest man in Phuket" by the official Thai website.
In 2022, "Las Vegas Gambling King" Stephen Wynn invited Zeman to serve as the non-executive chairman of Wynn Macau's board of directors.
Zeman has always been concerned about the future of Hong Kong, and he is often invited to campuses to share his wisdom and experience with the younger generation, and to be a guide for them on their growth path.
Zeman, whose name is more than just a commercial symbol in the hot land of Hong Kong, has written a different legend with his own choices and actions.
When others are pursuing the "lofty" of nationality, he chose the most down-to-earth Chinese nationality, and this courage and determination are admirable.
He is not only a successful businessman, but also a man of flesh and blood, affection and righteousness.
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Resources:
Phoenix TV: "The Father of Lan Kwai Fong: I Have a Ghost Face, But I Have a Chinese Heart"
Chinese businessman Taolu: "70-year-old Jewish Wealthy, Why Do You Want to Become a Chinese Citizen?"
The Most Chinese: "The Jewish Super-Rich, Rejected the United States, Resolutely Joined the Chinese Nationality"
Xinhua News Agency: "I Am a Foreigner, but also an Old Hong Kong - Interview with Dr. Allan Zeman, President of Lan Kwai Fong Group"
Author: Smart
Editor: Willow Leaf chatter