In Search of Authenticity
The PEAK Hong Kong|March 2017

Shui On Group Chairman Vincent Lo reflects on business, China's property market, the future of Hong Kong, dealing with The Donald, and the need for authenticity in tumultuous times.

Ryan Swift
In Search of Authenticity

A visit to Vincent Lo’s office at the Shui On Centre in Wan Chai is to take an artistic step back in time. Traditional Chinese art lines the walls. The centrepiece, located in a specially built alcove near Lo’s main office, is a large and very intricate Chinese junk carved out of solid jade. Lo himself can often be seen in traditional Mandarin collar suits, befitting his love of traditional Chinese culture.

Nonetheless, this lover of China’s artistic tradition (don’t look for Lo among the contemporary art at the upcoming Art Basel) is trying to forge an uncharted future for his company, whose fortunes are tied to the bricks and mortar world of China’s property business. In China, he sees great potential, particularly in Shanghai and Wuhan (tier one and tier one-and-a-half cities, in his estimation). Lo has been bullish on China for years, and never fails to note the potential for vast upside.

But China is a changeable beast, as Lo himself would admit. China’s property market has raised eyebrows in recent years, with rising debt levels and prices matched with a slower economy fuelling fears that a correction – or even a crash – is on the cards. Meanwhile, China’s biggest property players have been muscling their way into Hong Kong’s property market.

Amid this turmoil, Vincent Lo has found his own company, Shui On Land, beset by high debt levels. He has taken on a new strategy to forge a path forward, a path that, in part, banks on the good name he has built for himself since founding Shui On in the 1970s. 

In 2004, Lo was the subject of a profile in The Economist, which dubbed him “the King of Guangxi”. It was a well-earned title. In 1984, Lo famously partnered with the Communist Youth League in China to build a hotel in Shanghai, a bold move at the time. The respect and connections that project earned him would benefit him in the years that followed.

Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av The PEAK Hong Kong.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av The PEAK Hong Kong.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE PEAK HONG KONGSe alt
Supercar Condos
The PEAK Hong Kong

Supercar Condos

This new property project is set to be the perfect spot for elite supercar owners to store and show off their rides. 

time-read
1 min  |
October 2017
New Gear
The PEAK Hong Kong

New Gear

Lamborghini unveils an upgraded supercar that boasts breathtaking performance with open-air driving thrills.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2017
Aquatic Timekeeper
The PEAK Hong Kong

Aquatic Timekeeper

As a nod to the futuristic glass bathysphere from The Abyss, this timepiece raises the bar for horological aesthetics by marrying abstract visual concepts with mechanical wonders.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2017
A New Way To Do Business
The PEAK Hong Kong

A New Way To Do Business

Attracting and retaining a creative workforce is a perpetual challenge. The answer may lie in B Corps, a certification process that’s focused on the societal impact a company has.

time-read
4 mins  |
October 2017
Circular Opportunities
The PEAK Hong Kong

Circular Opportunities

Why Hong Kong companies should start turning their waste into a supply source.

time-read
4 mins  |
October 2017
The Game Changer
The PEAK Hong Kong

The Game Changer

After years spent residing in Spain, Paris and the US, Northacre CEO Niccolò Barattieri di San Pietro now has his eyes set on London. The forward-thinking property giant is aiming to restore the former glory back into historical developments in the British capital.

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2017
The Quiet Giant
The PEAK Hong Kong

The Quiet Giant

Dr Jonathan Choi wears a lot of hats and sobriquets as he heads up low profile conglomerate Sunwah Group. But with a rising tide of interest in ASEAN and a pending free trade deal, the quiet days may get a little noiser.

time-read
8 mins  |
October 2017
The Boutique Experience in Mexico City
The PEAK Hong Kong

The Boutique Experience in Mexico City

When it comes to Latin America, Mexico is Hong Kong’s second-largest trading partner and the biggest buyer of Hong Kong exports.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2016
Discovering the Dark Side
The PEAK Hong Kong

Discovering the Dark Side

Following a growth in the number of protected 'dark sky places' and stargazing travel destinations, all of which offer visitors increasingly luxurious ways to gaze in awe at the night sky, there has never been a more exciting time for astrotourism.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2016
The Sparkle Makeover
The PEAK Hong Kong

The Sparkle Makeover

From cars to yachts, here's what one pioneering outfitter is doing to add bling to big ticket items.

time-read
1 min  |
December 2017