Lee Hysan

Who was Lee Hysan?

Lee Hysan was a renowned businessman in opium trade and refinery, as well as land development in Hong Kong in the early 1900s. The ancestral home of the Lee family was Xinhui, Guangdong, and his father, Lee Leung Yik was heavily involved in the opium business in Hong Kong and China. Hysan Lee was born in Hawaii and attended Punahou school in the United States. At age seventeen, he returned to Hong Kong and continued his studies at Queen's College.

His father achieved great wealth from the opium trade, and Hysan inherited his 'business'. However, he also actively participated in the fast-growing Hong Kong real estate market. In 1923, he bought the Jardine's Hill property, west of Causeway Bay from Jardines for HK$3.8 million, and developed the property as Lee Garden. It is approximately the area around Lee Garden Road, Lee Theatre, Yun Ping Road and Percival Street.

On 30 April 1928 Lee was assassinated due to a growing public resentment of his opium business, which people believed had caused great harm to the Chinese society. At the time of his death, his estate was valued at HK$4.4 million; the present-day Hysan Development Company has a market capitalization in excess of HK$20 billion. His granddaughter is Vivienne Poy, who is currently a Canadian senator.