鄧永鏘（DavidTang）中國會、上海灘創辦人
16yearsagothismonthinSeptember,IopenedtheChinaClub.Itwasalabouroflove.Ihadwatchedthatspaceforyears,andfinallytheopportunitycamewhenI.M.PeiwascommissionedtobuildthenewBankofChinaTower.TheoldBankofChinaBuilding,designedbyBritisharchitectsandbuiltbyBritishcontractors,becamevacant.IusedalltheresourcesIhadtosecurethetopthreefloorsofthatbuildinginordertoturnitintoaclub.Throughadominoofgoodfortunesandalittlebitofstring-pulling,Imanagedtosecurethepremises.Itwasoneofthehappiestdaysofmylife.Itwasmyfirstbusinessventure,soIwasexcited;itwasmyfirstopportunitytodisplayChineseworksofart,soIwaselated;anditwasthefirsttimewhensomethingwithamodicumofChinesestylewasfinallycomingbacktoHongKong,againstthetideofWesternmodernism,soIwasproud.
IwellrememberthedayIgotthekeysinmyhand.Ididn'ttellanyone.Alone,Iwentuptothethirteenthfloorbylift,andwentintothemossyatmosphereofwhatwastheboardroomandofficesoftheoldBankofChina.Itwaseerilyquiet,andinthedilapidatedandemptyrooms,Iwalkedthroughthe4floors(only3now)withagreatsensationofthepast.Iknewthatforthebestpartof40years,Chinesemainlandershaveworkedandlivedinthisbuilding,insulatingthemselvesfromBritishrule.Onthetopfloor,Iwentthroughawarrenofbedrooms,allratherutilitarianor,inthecaseofthebathrooms,down-trodden.TheywereusedbymainlandersbeforethedaysoftheXinHuaAgency.ThenIwentonthefamousbalconyonwhichChineseCommunistsbackintheSixtiesusedloud-hailerstomobilizethepeopleofHongKongtostandupagainstBritishcolonialrule.ItwasoneofthemostseriousincidentsofviolenceinHongKong.Thethengovernor,DavidTrench,musthavethoughtotherwise,forhesimplywentonwithhisusualholiday,fishinginScotland.Iwasachildof12then.ButIdidrememberallthecommotion.SoonthathappydaywhenIfoundmyselfaloneonthatbalcony,Ifeltanoverwhelmingsenseofhistory.
Therestisalsohistory.TheClubcameintobeing.ZhouNan,whowasthentheChineseboss,cametoopentheClubtogetherwithmyfriend,MichaelHeseltine,whowasaBritishMinister.LiKa-Shinghelpedtocuttheribbon,andeveryoneelsefromtheFinancialSecretarydowntoournewbutchercame.Itwasaveryjollyandjoyfulday.Mindyou,mycontractorwhohadworkedontheprojectnon-stop,hadtogointohospitaltorestforacoupleofdays!Nonetheless,Iwasfullofexcitementasitwasmyfirstdayofbusiness.
Sincethen,theChinaClubhasmoreorlessbeenfulleveryday,i.e.for16yearsor5,828days.Takingintoaccountofweekendsandholidays,wehavehadabout2.5millionpeoplecomethrough.Ourmembersandtheirguestshavethereforebeenexceedinglyloyal.Thisisoneofthemostgratifyingpiecesofstatisticsinmylife.Icountmyselfasbeingblessedwithluck.AndIhaveenjoyedrunningtheClub,withsomeveryloyalstaff,alltheseyears.
Thecollectionofpaintings,allofwhicharebyChineseartists,someownedbytheClubandsomebymyself,hasprovedtobeaseminalattractionoftheClub.Ourfood,Ibelieve,hasgoneonimproving.Thosewhohavecomeandgonehaveenjoyedtheirvisit,andIprayeverydaythatwecontinuetosurvive.Butmaybeourgreatesttreasureisthecollectionoffondmemoriesthathavebecomeindelibleinthemindsofallthosewhohavecomethrough-fromRoyaltytofamousactorstocelebratedscholarstobillionaires,andalsotobankrupts,small-timerstocriminals,andIdaresaythousandsandthousandsfromeverywalkoflifeandwitheverykindofpast.IhavetosayIlovethediversity.Whenpeopleopenclubs,theyalwayssaythatwanttobe"exclusive",andthattheyshouldonlyembracethoseoflike-mindedness.Itendtodisagree.Aclubshouldactuallybe"inclusive".WhatmakestheChinaClubinteresting,Ithink,isthatanyoneiswelcomed.Wearenotaroundtojudgethecharacterofallthosewhocomethroughourdoor.Wearenotaroundtopasscommentorevaluatethewaysinwhichpeoplelivetheirlives.Wearenotthepolicenortheparoleboardnortheexecutivecommitteeofalunaticasylumnorpriestintheconfessional.Wearemerelyareceptacleofhumansocialhabits,eachofwhomhasdecidedtocomeforenjoyment.Iftheymanagetohaveenjoyedthemselves,thenwewouldhavedoneourjobasadestinationandabusiness.
Onthis16thanniversaryoftheChinaClub,Igivethankstoprovidence,andpraythatitwillgoonflourishingbyprovidingaplaceofenjoymenttothemaximumnumberofpeoplewhowanttocome.ThankyouHongKongforallowingustodoso.