Fang

Kenneth Fang Hung GBS CBE JP, member of the Fang Zhaozhou family, was a prominent industrialist and philanthropist in Hong Kong engaged in the textile business. He was the former chairman of the Fang Brothers Group and a former member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He was widely known as the "King of Knitting."

Biography

Kenneth Fang was born on November 20, 1938, in Xiaohai Town, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, with ancestral roots in Anhui. He came from the Fang Zhaozhou family, one of the four major textile families in Hong Kong. He was the elder brother of former Legislative Council member Fang Kong. He moved to Hong Kong in 1950 and graduated from Pui Ching Middle School in 1956. He then studied in the United States, obtaining a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1960, and a master's degree in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1962.

Fang was a leading figure in Hong Kong's textile industry, serving as chairman of the Fang Brothers Group, one of the world’s largest garment manufacturing enterprises, with family assets exceeding 10 billion HKD. He was also Honorary President of the Hong Kong Textile Council, the Hong Kong Woollen & Synthetic Knitting Manufacturers' Association, Chairman of the Board of the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel, and a member of the Textile Advisory Board.

In 1986, he was appointed Justice of the Peace. Outside of textiles, he held public positions including Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation and Honorary Advisor of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He served as Chairman of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority from 1990 to 1996, Chairman of the Hong Kong Productivity Council in 1994, Hong Kong Affairs Advisor in 1995, and a member of the Selection Committee in 1996. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the OBE in 1990, the CBE in 1997, and the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2004.

In the 2000s and 2010s, he received several accolades. In 2002, he was named Industrialist of the Year by the Federation of Hong Kong Industries. He received an Honorary University Fellowship from the University of Hong Kong in 2002 and an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2005. In 2012, he was named Outstanding Leader in the Industry/Finance category by Sing Tao News Corporation. In 2014, Nanjing University conferred upon him an honorary doctorate for his philanthropy and contributions to society.

Kenneth Fang passed away on August 28, 2022. His funeral was held on the morning of September 20 at the Hong Kong Funeral Home. Condolences were sent from various local government departments and community associations in Nantong, and representatives from the Nantong Fellowship Association in Hong Kong paid their final respects, remembering his lifelong contributions to education, economic development, and international exchange.

Major Positions During Lifetime

Business

• Chairman, Fang Brothers Group Limited
• Chairman, Fang Brothers Knitting Limited
• Chairman, Yeebo (International Holdings) Limited
• Non-executive Director, HSBC Holdings plc
• Independent Non-executive Director, Wing Tai Properties Limited
• Independent Non-executive Director, Jiangsu Expressway Company Limited
• Independent Non-executive Director, Nanhai Corporation Limited

Organizations

• Member, 9th to 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (Hong Kong)
• Standing Committee Member, Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the CPPCC
• Member, First Hong Kong SAR Government Election Committee
• Founding Chairman, Hong Kong Productivity Council
• Hong Kong Affairs Advisor
• Member, Hong Kong Election Committee
• Chairman, Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation
• Honorary President, Hong Kong Textile Council
• Honorary President, Hong Kong Woollen & Synthetic Knitting Manufacturers' Association
• Chairman, Board of Directors, Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel
• Member, Textile Advisory Board
• Founding Member, Hong Kong Coalition

Honours

Decorations

• Justice of the Peace, Hong Kong (1986)
• Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) (1990)
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) (1997)
• Gold Bauhinia Star (GBS), Hong Kong (2004)

Awards

• Industrialist of the Year, Federation of Hong Kong Industries (2002)
• Honorary Citizen of Nantong (2004)

Academic Honours

• Honorary University Fellow, University of Hong Kong (2002)
• Honorary Doctor of Business Administration, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2005)
• Honorary Doctor, Nanjing University (2014)

Family

Fang was married to Bian Minzhi (Diana) in April 1967. They had three daughters and one son. He resided on Tan Kwai Road, Kowloon Tong. His eldest daughter is Francesca Fang Shuk-kwan; her sisters are Fang Shuk-yee and Fang Shuk-ming. His son is Patrick Fang Yan-tak. Grandchildren include Jonathan Fang Yik-kwan, Joshua Fang Yik-yeung, Lin Ka-hei, and Lin Ka-chi.

Since 1990, Fang had donated over 1 billion RMB to public welfare projects in Nantong and mainland China.

See Also

• Fang Zhaozhou family
• Fang Brothers Knitting
• Yeebo (International Holdings) Limited
• Pringle of Scotland

External Links

• Fang family – Textile Tycoons of Hong Kong