Sir Robert Ho Tung’s Life in Macao

Separated by only a strip of water, both Macao and Hong Kong are places where Eastern and Western cultures meet and where Chinese and people from different countries live side by side. Born in Hong Kong, Sir Robert Ho Tung always needed to travel for business, so he naturally built a close relationship with Macao.

Separated by only a strip of water, both Macao and Hong Kong are places where Eastern and Western cultures meet and where Chinese and people from different countries live side by side. Born in Hong Kong, Sir Robert Ho Tung always needed to travel for business, so he naturally built a close relationship with Macao. It started as early as 1902, when he bought a large piece of land in the Strada da Bella Vista¹ area of Macao to build a house². From then on, he frequently travelled between Hong Kong and Macao, handling businesses and acquiring lands to build more houses. Among his numerous properties in Macao, the garden mansion at No. 3 St. Augustine’s Square was purchased in 1918, the time when one of the main roads, Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, was completed. This mansion, which is situated in a quiet place among the hustle and bustle, became the place where he stayed for recuperation and vacation.  

The real reason that tied Sir Robert Ho Tung and Macao closely together was the history of China’s Resistance War against Japanese Aggression. In 1941, Hong Kong fell to the hands of the Imperial Japanese, while Macao was fortunately spared because of its relation to Portugal. Unwilling to be forced to work for the Japanese forces, Sir Robert Ho Tung retreated to Macao, resided temporarily in his mansion at St. Augustine’s Square for four years, and only returned to Hong Kong when it was liberated in 1945³.

After the war, Sir Robert Ho Tung continued to fervently engage in social affairs, and support the education and cultural development of Macao. The two institutions named after him, namely Sir Robert Ho Tung Luso-Chinese Primary School and Sir Robert Ho Tung Library, are an testimony to his contributions to the Macao community. In 1949, he donated HK$250,000⁴ to the Macao Government for the establishment of a library and a Chinese-Portuguese tuition-free school, and for the support of out-of-school children. In 1951, Sir Robert Ho Tung Luso-Chinese Primary School (at the time known as Sir Robert Ho Tung Luso-Chinese Primary School for Boys, and Sir Robert Ho Tung Luso-Chinese Primary School for Girls⁵) was opened. In 1955, Sir Robert Ho Tung made a will, bequeathing the property at No.3 St. Augustine’s Square for the establishment of a public library in Macao, and HK$25,000 for the purchase of the Chinese books. This library was open to public in 1958, two years after the date of his passing.

Sir Robert Ho Tung was widely recognised and appreciated by the local community of Macao for his generous sponsorship to support the health care, education and cultural development in the city. In 1924 and 1930 respectively, he was awarded by Portugal the Order of Knights of Portugal, and the Order of Senior Knights of Portugal. On 12 November 1952, he went to Macao to receive the Order of Public Instruction of Portugal, which was presented to him by Macao Governor Joaquim Marques Esparteiro.