Yung Fung-shee

Yung Fung-shee (; 1900 – 27 August 1972) was a Hong Kong philanthropist. The Yungs were closely associated with the Chartered Bank (now Standard Chartered Bank). Fung-shee's grandfather, Yung Leung was the first comprador of the Chartered Bank, while several of his descendants, including one of his sons Yung Yik-ting, had successively held key positions such as compradors and sub-compradors in the Bank. Fung-shee, who kept a low-profile, had earned large sums of profits investment of securities. Her will in 1969 provided that assets valued at HK$3 million would go to the Hong Kong Government for the construction of free healthcare centres and clinics for the needy. By the time of her death in August 1972, the value of bequest had grown to HK$16 million, and HK$51 million by late 1978, funding Yung Fung Shee Memorial Centre in Kwun Tong, Kowloon and Madam Yung Fung Shee Health Centre in Yuen Long, New Territories, which costed HK$70 million and HK$32 million respectively.

Life

During her lifetime Yung Fung-shee was born in Hong Kong in 1900. With ancestors hailing from Nanping, Zhuhai, Guangdong, Yung Yik-ting (, also named Yung Hin-pong []; 1864 − 1913), one of Leung's sons, who had served at the Tung Wah Hospital and the Po Leung Kuk as director, succeeded Leung as comprador, and in 1906 he was appointed by the Government as an unofficial Justice of the Peace. Among the offspring of Yik-ting, his eldest son Yung Tsze-ming (, also named Yung Hin-chung []; 1883 – 1940) worked as the comprador of Bank; his second son Yung Hin-yan pursued his studies in civil engineering in the United States; while his sixth son Yung Hin-chew had also worked in the Chartered Bank as comprador. Sanford Yung, the son of Hin-fun, founded the Sanford Yung & Co (predecessor of PricewaterhouseCoopers) and was the first Chinese member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. This was because Kwok-tai fathered five sons and two daughters, while Fung-shee made a will in her later years to pass on part of her assets to a brother known as "Yung Hin-kwan", who was believed to be one of Kwok-tai's sons (whose name is rendered as "" in Chinese). Nevertheless, she kept a low profile and lived a frugal life, dressing plainly and had never purchased any new garments in the last ten years of her life. On top of that, she travelled mainly by bus or on foot; she had not bought any car, nor hired a chauffeur.

After her death On 13 October 1969, Yung entrusted the Chartered Bank of Hongkong Trustees Limited to make a will, bestowing HK$3 million worth of assets to the Hong Kong Government, for the construction of free healthcare centres for the needy.

After several years of discussions, the Department decided to build a healthcare centre at Cha Kwo Ling Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon. The project commenced in 1979 and was completed in 1984. The centre was officially opened by Governor Sir Edward Youde on 23 November 1984. Up to HK$70 million was spent on construction and the cost was fully defrayed from Yung's bequest. As indicated in Yung's will, the centre was named the Yung Fung Shee Memorial Centre . The centre is made up of a seven-storey and a two-storey building, with a floor area of 10,200 m2. Serving mainly residents living in East Kowloon, the centre consists of a public health laboratory, a family health service department, a chest and social hygiene clinic, a diagnostic radiology department, a physical and occupational therapy department, as well as a district health education centre. HK$32.5 million was withdrawn to aid the construction of Madam Yung Fung Shee Health Centre located at Sai Ching Street, Yuen Long, New Territories. The opening of the centre was officiated by Lau Wong-fat, a legislative council member and the chairman of Heung Yee Kuk, on 26 March 1991. The centre, which serves primarily Yuen Long residents, is four stories high and provides services such as general outpatient clinic, family health, community nursing, dental and eye care.

Places named after her Yung Fung Shee Memorial Centre , located at Cha Kwo Ling Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, opened in 1984. Madam Yung Fung Shee Health Centre , located at Sai Ching Street, Yuen Long, New Territories, opened in 1991.