Hongkongers to get chance to view personal items from late ‘unofficial mayor’ Hilton Cheong-Leen, including letters exchanged with British colonial officials
- Hilton Cheong-Leen, the first ethnic Chinese chairman of the now-disbanded Urban Council, will be remembered through collection at local university
- His daughter says donated exhibits, most of which never seen before in public, can serve as ‘ideal’ base for national education
A large collection of personal items from Hong Kong’s late “unofficial mayor” Hilton Cheong-Leen, including letters he exchanged with British officials during the colonial era, has been donated to a local university and will soon be available for public viewing for the first time.
Flora Cheong-Leen, daughter of the first ethnic Chinese chairman of the now-disbanded Urban Council, told the Post the collection at Chinese University could serve as an “ideal” base for Hong Kong’s national education, which the city leader said during last month’s policy address would be strengthened.
“The collection forms an important part of Hong Kong’s history,” said Flora Cheong-Leen after the donation ceremony on Monday. “It tells the story about how an ethnic Chinese became the first to serve in a role which had always been served by white people.
“My father was a man of vigour, with a great sense of duty. He told us that service to humanity was the best work in life.”
Cheong-Leen became chairman of the Urban Council in 1981 and held the position for five years, overseeing municipal services on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon. He died in January 2022, at the age of 99.
The Guyana-born businessman turned politician was well-known for his commitment to public service, including a push for nine years of compulsory schooling for children, which was adopted in 1978.
