Kadoorie Family: A Short History 嘉道理家族簡史

The Kadoorie Family has been intimately associated with the development of Hong Kong for over 140 years. In 1880, Elly Kadoorie emigrated from Baghdad, Iraq to the Far East via Bombay, India. Over the following decades, he built up a business empire centred in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Together with his brother Ellis Kadoorie, Elly dedicated much of his time on philanthropy – building schools, hospitals and other institutions in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Europe, India, and the Middle East.
 
After the war, the Kadoorie Family, now under the leadership of Elly's sons, Lawrence and Horace, focused attention on their Hong Kong interests, notably China Light and Power and The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, owner of the world famous Peninsula Hotel group, as well as new enterprises such as Tai Ping Carpets. During this period, the brothers worked closely with the then Military Administration to rebuild a devastated Hong Kong.
 
Meanwhile, the Kadoorie Family's philanthropic efforts continued to grow, bringing benefits – most prominently through the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association (KAAA) – locally, and through their charitable projects across the region. The Kadoorie brothers also served on numerous government committees and received accolades in recognition of their dedication to public service.

 
Today the Family's interests continue to grow under the direction of Lawrence's son, Michael, with the support from other members of the Family.

嘉道理家族扎根香港超過140載，與香港的發展密不可分。1880年，艾利嘉道理從伊拉克巴格達經印度孟買移居遠東。此後數十年，他以香港和上海為基地，開拓龐大的商業集團。同時，艾利及其弟艾理士嘉道理致力投身家族慈善事業，於世界各地包括香港、中國內地、歐洲、印度及中東等地興建學校、醫院及其他慈善組織。
 
二戰結束後，嘉道理家族事業由艾利兩名兒子羅蘭士及賀理士掌管，專注發展香港業務，尤其是中電及香港上海大酒店（旗下包括世界知名的半島酒店集團）以及新業務領域如太平地氈。在戰後復甦時期，嘉道理兄弟亦與英國臨時軍政府密切合作，重建飽經戰事摧殘的香港。
 
與此同時，嘉道理家族繼續投入慈善工作，在香港成立嘉道理農業輔助會（「農輔會」），及在外地推行不同的慈善項目，惠澤各地社群。另外，嘉道理兄弟亦曾參與多個政府委員會，並獲多項獎譽，以表揚其對社會服務的傑出貢獻。
 
今天，在羅蘭士嘉道理的兒子 — 米高的帶領及其他家族成員的支持下，嘉道理家族的業務和慈善事業繼續茁壯發展。

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Voyage to the East

In the early 1880s, a young Elly Kadoorie began to work for the Sassoon Family first in Bombay, India, and later in Hong Kong and the Treaty Ports of China. Elly later returned to Hong Kong to establish a brokerage partnership under the name ‘Kelly’. In 1906 Elly went solo, and in 1927 his firm was renamed “Sir Elly Kadoorie & Sons” to mark the ascension of his sons to the family business. The Kadoories went on to develop commercial interests in both Hong Kong and Shanghai, including in electricity and gas; wharves, docks, and shipyards; hospitality; property development; engineering; and later, textile manufacturing and aviation.

向東闖盪

1880年代初，年輕的艾利嘉道理開始為沙宣家族工作，曾先後駐印度孟買、香港及中國內地的通商口岸。艾利其後返回香港自立門戶，以「Kelly」為姓氏與夥伴合作成立經紀行。他於1906年決定拆夥成立自己的公司。公司1927年易名為嘉道理父子有限公司，以示兩名兒子加入家族企業。嘉道理家族積極於香港及上海進行各項商業投資，包括電力及燃氣、碼頭及船塢、酒店、物業發展、工程，以及後來的紡織業和航空業。

The Kadoorie Family, pictured in the mid-1920s. From left to right: Horace, Elly and Lawrence
嘉道理家族， 由左至右：賀理士，艾利，羅蘭士。1920年代中

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Two Families Unite: Kadoories and Mocattas

Laura Kadoorie (née Mocatta) hailed from a prestigious London Sephardi-Jewish family. She was a keen diarist, painter, and adventurous traveller. Laura met Elly in London in the early 1890s and they were married at the West London Synagogue in 1897. Soon after, Laura bore three sons; Lawrence (1899), Victor (1900) - who died in infancy - and Horace (1902). The family relocated to Hong Kong (c. 1897), and following a brief stint in England, left for Shanghai (1911), where Elly opened his new Head Office. In 1919, Laura tragically died in a fire in the family home at 161 Bubbling Well Road.

兩個家族的結合：嘉道理與毛嘉達

羅拉嘉道理（原姓毛嘉達）出生於倫敦一個塞法迪猶太人望族。她熱衷於日記寫作和油畫，也是一位旅行探險家。羅拉和艾利1890年代初於倫敦相識，兩人在1897年於西倫敦猶太會堂共偕連理。婚後二人共育有三子，分別是羅蘭士(1899)，不幸夭折的Victor(1900)，以及賀理士(1902)。1890年代後期，艾利舉家遷往香港，及後曾在英國短住，1911年決定帶同家人前往上海，開設新總部。1919年，艾利於上海靜安寺路161號的寓所失火，羅拉在意外中不幸遇難。

Artist’s sketch of Laura Kadoorie, née Mocatta, c. 1910
羅拉嘉道理（原姓毛嘉達）的畫像，約1910年

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Education for Girls in the Middle East

Known in his time as a ‘Prince of Philanthropists’, Elly Kadoorie did much to promote education for girls in the Middle East. In 1895, the French-Jewish organisation ‘Alliance Israélite Universelle’ (AIU) opened the first school for girls in Baghdad, then under Ottoman rule. Elly sponsored the school which became the ‘Lady Laura Kadoorie School and Atelier for Girls’ in 1912. For a time, it played an important role in the emancipation of women in Baghdad by providing non-denominational education and promoting a culture of independence. Elly and his sons went on to support several AIU schools across Iraq, Syria, and Iran.

中東女子教育

艾利嘉道理素有「大慈善家」之美譽，其對中東女子教育發展的推動可謂不遺餘力。1895年，以色列世界聯合會（AIU，以法國為中心的猶太團體）於奧圖曼帝國統治下的巴格達開辦第一所女子學校。艾利資助該校，1912年學校更被命名為「羅拉嘉道理夫人女書院」。書院無教派背景的教育及提倡的婦女獨立精神往後在當地婦女解放方面擔當了重要角色。除巴格達外，艾利和他的兒子們亦支持伊拉克、敘利亞及伊朗的AIU學校。

Students and teachers gather for a photograph in the main hall of the Lady Laura Kadoorie School in Baghdad, Iraq, 1920s
師生於伊拉克巴格達羅拉嘉道理夫人女書院禮堂大合照，1920年代

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Education for Chinese and Ethnic Minorities

In 1901, Ellis Kadoorie and Lau Zyu-baak founded the ‘Ellis Kadoorie Chinese Schools Society’ to provide training for Chinese students in the English and Chinese languages for Chinese students in Mainland China and Hong Kong so that they could obtain work with foreign firms more easily. Schools opened in Hong Kong include Ellis Kadoorie Girls’ School, and Ellis Kadoorie School for Chinese Boys. Ellis Kadoorie School for Indians was also opened in Hong Kong to cater to the education needs of ethnic minorities.

華人及少數族裔教育

艾理士嘉道理與劉鑄伯於1901年共同創立育才書社，旨在為中國內地和香港的華人學生提供中、英文課程，讓他們更容易獲洋行聘請。在香港開辦的學包括艾理士嘉道理女書院及艾理士嘉道理華人男校。另外在香港外設有艾理士嘉道理印度子弟學校，照顧少數族裔學生的學習需要。

Opening of the extension to the Ellis Kadoorie School for Indians attended by the Ruttonjee Family and Lawrence Kadoorie (seated third left) and Horace Kadoorie (seated far right)
律敦治家族、羅蘭士嘉道理（左三）和賀理士嘉道理（右方）出席艾理士嘉道理學校的擴建項目開幕禮

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Building a Hotel Empire

The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH) was one of the Kadoorie Family’s earliest and most successful long-term commercial investments. Created out of a merger between two hotel companies in 1923, HSH took control of a vast portfolio of hotels in China and Hong Kong. Elly Kadoorie first purchased 25 shares in The Hongkong Hotel Company in 1890. Sixteen years later, his brother Ellis became a major shareholder and in 1914 he was appointed director. After Elly’s death, Horace Kadoorie took on the family mantle – becoming a director of HSH in 1945 and chairing the company to the heights of success from 1950 to 1985. 


創建酒店集團

香港上海大酒店集團是嘉道理家族最早、最成功的長線投資之一。集團源於1923年港滬兩家酒店公司的合併，此後坐擁兩地多家酒店。早在1890年，艾利嘉道理首次購入25股香港酒店公司股份。十六年後，其胞弟艾理士成為公司主要股東，更在1914年獲任命為董事。艾利逝世後，其子賀理士嘉道理接手酒店事業 — 他於1945年成為香港上海大酒店集團董事，帶領公司在1950年至1985年間走向頂尖酒店集團的行列。


‘E.S. Kelly’ (Elly Kadoorie) is listed as a shareholder of The Hongkong Hotel Company on 3 March 1890
艾利嘉道理（‘E.S. Kelly’）在香港酒店公司股東名冊上，1890年3月3日

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Reaching the Peak 

Pioneered by enterprising Scotsman Alexander Findlay Smith, the Peak Tram, Asia’s first cable funicular railway, was inaugurated in 1888. The Kadoorie Family has a long-standing association with the Peak Tram which dates back to 1905, when Elly Kadoorie played an active role in transforming the former private company into a public limited company, along with fellow entrepreneurs Sir Paul Chater and H.N. Mody. Lawrence Kadoorie served as a director of the company for many years, and in 1948 Horace Kadoorie took up his seat on the Board. In 1971, HSH acquired the Peak Tramways Company.

登上高峰

山頂纜車是亞洲最早的纜車索道系統，由富有創見的蘇格蘭人亞歷山大•芬梨•史密夫 (Alexander Findlay Smith) 於1888年創辦。1905年艾利嘉道理與企業家遮打爵士 (Sir Paul Chater) 及麼地爵士 (H.N. Mody) 促成與山頂纜車由私人公司轉型為公眾有限公司的計劃，開展家族與山頂纜車的不解緣。羅蘭士嘉道理出任纜車公司的董事多年後，1948年由其胞弟賀理士嘉道理接任。山頂纜車公司1971年被香港上海大酒店集團收購。

Horace Kadoorie cuts a cake in celebration of the Peak Tram’s 90th birthday, 1978
賀理士嘉道理慶祝山頂纜車九十周年的切蛋糕儀式，1978年

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A Powerful Connection

Another company that was to play a formative role in the history of the Kadoorie Family – and vice versa – was China Light and Power (CLP), incorporated in 1901 to provide electricity for Kowloon. Elly Kadoorie was one of the original seven shareholders of CLP, whilst his brother Ellis invested in CLP as early as 1918. In 1930, Lawrence Kadoorie became CLP’s director, and four years later he was appointed chairman, a position he held for 39 years. He would play a pivotal role in the company’s post-war success.

電力連繫

另一個跟嘉道理家族的參與不可或缺的企業是成立於1901年、為九龍半島供電的中電。艾利嘉道理是其中一位中電始創股東，其弟艾理士亦於1918年開始投資中電。1930年，羅蘭士嘉道理成為中電董事，四年後更獲任命為主席。羅蘭士擔任主席的三十九年間所作出的貢獻，對公司在戰後的長足發展可謂舉足輕重。

Lawrence Kadoorie’s memorandum, written in 1938, outlines his vision for CLP’s future
羅蘭士嘉道理寫於1938年的備忘錄，描繪了對中電的願景

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Marble Hall: Family Home in Shanghai

Originally conceived as a Jewish Country Club, Marble Hall became the Kadoorie Family’s home in 1924 and a centre of social and charitable activities in Shanghai. Early guests included the famous Indian poet Sir Rabindranath Tagore and the first American aviators to circumnavigate the globe. After the Second World War, Marble Hall briefly became the unofficial Allied Headquarters in Shanghai. In 1953, soon after the Communists came to power in China, the Kadoories handed Marble Hall to Dr Sun Yat-sen’s widow, Soong Ching-ling, for her ‘Children’s Welfare Institute’. The building still functions today as the Children’s Palace.

上海居停：大理石宮

原設計用作猶太鄉村俱樂部的大理石宮，1924年成為嘉道理家族的上海宅邸，經常舉行社交和慈善活動。早期接待的賓客包括印度著名詩人泰戈爾爵士（Sir Rabindranath Tagore）和首批環繞地球的美國飛行員。二戰後，大理石宮短暫成為同盟國在上海的非正式總部。中國共產黨上台後，嘉道理家族於1953年將大理石宮贈予孫中山遺孀宋慶齡所領導的中國福利會，成為少年宮並營運至今。

Marble Hall pictured soon after it was built in the 1920s
落成不久的大理石宮，1920年代

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A Garden City in Kowloon

In the early 1930s, Lawrence Kadoorie returned from Shanghai to Hong Kong to re-open a branch of the family business. One of the family’s first investments during this period was in The Hongkong Engineering and Construction Company Limited (HKECC), a struggling civil contractor founded in 1922. The company saw a turn of fortune in 1930, when Jose Pedro Braga was appointed chairman, and Elly Kadoorie, based in Shanghai, also joined the Board. The following year, HKECC purchased 30 acres of barren hills near Kowloon Tong to build a Garden City in Kowloon – today’s ‘Kadoorie Estate’ – a luxury residential enclave. In 1945, Lawrence Kadoorie became HKECC’s chairman.

九龍的花園城市

羅蘭士嘉道理於1930年代初返港主持在香港重開的家族公司辦事處。當時家族的其中一項業務為香港建新營造有限公司。建新營造成立於1922年，這家工程承建商一直艱苦經營，直至1930年布力架（Jose Pedro Braga）出任主席及以上海為基地的艾利嘉道理加入董事局，公司才扭轉頹勢，重上軌道。次年，建新營造購入鄰近九龍塘一幅面積30英畝的荒山土地，建造一座綠意盎然的「花園城市」，亦即今天的「加多利山」住宅區。1945年，羅蘭士嘉道理出任建新營造的主席。

HKECC’s shareholders’ attendance book. Lawrence Kadoorie, based in Hong Kong, was listed as his father’s alternate in 1930
建新營造的股東出席記錄，居港的羅蘭士嘉道理在1930年被委任為其父親的代表

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Aid to European Jewish Refugees in Shanghai

At the beginning of the Second World War, Horace Kadoorie was based in Shanghai, overseeing the family’s investments in companies such as Shanghai Gas.  On seeing the plight of Jewish refugees who had recently escaped Nazism, Horace founded the Shanghai Jewish Youth Association (SJYA)  in 1937 with the aim to ‘relieve suffering and to bring happiness’ to refugee children in the city. As more and more Jewish refugees entered Shanghai, Horace opened the SJYA school in 1939. After the war, as Jewish communities began to leave Shanghai, enrolment dwindled, and the school was closed in 1949.

援助上海的歐洲猶太難民

二戰初期，賀理士嘉道理以上海為基地，管理家族在滬的事業，例如上海燃氣。有見倉皇逃離納粹德國抵達上海的猶太難民生活陷入困境，賀理士於1937年成立上海猶太青年協會，希望為難民兒童「紓緩痛苦，帶來快樂」。隨着愈來愈多猶太難民湧入上海，賀理士於1939年開辦上海猶太人學校。戰後，由於猶太社群陸續離開，收生遽減，上海猶太人學校終於1949年停辦。

A young European Jewish refugee drinks soda pop at the Shanghai Jewish Youth Association Summer Club ‘Fun Fair’ held in the grounds of the Shanghai Jewish School in 1938
猶太難民兒童在上海猶太青年協會舉辦的夏令會同樂日享用汽水，攝於1938年，上海猶太人學校

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The Clouds of War

Shortly after Japanese forces invaded Hong Kong in December 1941, Lawrence was interned in Stanley Camp with his father, wife Muriel and their two children, Rita (18 months), and Michael (6 months), along with other Allied nationals. Later, the family were transferred to Shanghai, and in 1943 interned at Chapei Camp. They were released in 1944 to see Elly on his deathbed at Marble Hall, which was under Japanese occupation. Now living under house arrest but reunited with Horace, Lawrence learned about the atomic bombing of Japanese cities and the Japanese surrender from a friend who owned a clandestine radio.

戰雲密佈

1941年12月日軍攻佔香港後，羅蘭士與父親、妻子Muriel及兩名年幼子女麗達（Rita，歲半）和米高（Michael，6個月大）與其他同盟國公民一同被關押在赤柱集中營。後來他們全家被送往上海並於1943年起被關禁在閘北集中營。羅蘭士一家於1944年獲准離開，回到已被日軍佔領的大理石宮，與當時已病重的艾利度過最後的日子。此後，羅蘭士與賀理士被軟禁在家，直至朋友告知，地下電台傳來日本被原子彈轟炸及投降的消息。

Lawrence Kadoorie pictured in G.I. uniform in Kunming, China, after liberation. He is awaiting his return to Hong Kong by RAF flight in early September 1945
羅蘭士嘉道理身穿美軍軍服，等待搭乘英國皇家空軍運輸機返港，攝於1945年9月上旬，中國昆明市

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Rebuilding Hong Kong

After liberation, Hong Kong was ruled for eight months by a Military Administration led by Brigadier David MacDougall, who enlisted Lawrence Kadoorie, one of the first British civilians to return to Hong Kong after the war, to help expediate rebuilding efforts. Kadoorie served as the Chairman of the Building Reconstruction Committee  and on the Labour Advisory Board. Together with Horace, Lawrence helped procure surplus supplies from the U.S. military for Hong Kong. In 1946, Sir Cecil Harcourt, the Commander-in-Chief of Hong Kong, invited Lawrence to join his Consultative Council.  During this time, Lawrence also worked to revive the family businesses which had fallen into Japanese hands.

重建香港

香港重光後由英國臨時軍政府管治約八個月。羅蘭士嘉道理是戰後首批回港的平民，他抵埗不久便獲陸軍准將麥道高(David MacDougall)邀請協助香港的重建工作，擔任建築物重建委員會主席，並加入勞工顧問委員會。羅蘭士與賀理士同時協助香港向美軍採購剩餘軍用物資。1946年，臨時軍政府總司令夏慤爵士邀請羅蘭士加入其諮詢委員會。與此同時，羅蘭士亦致力重振戰時落入日本人手中的家族事業。

Horace Kadoorie (seated middle) signs a contract for the purchase of food for the Hong Kong Government from the American Field Liquidation Commission, c. 1945. Kadoorie is flanked by Alwyne George Neville Ogden, the British Consul General (left), and General Johnson to his right
賀理士嘉道理（中）簽訂合同，代表香港政府向American Field Liquidation Commission採購糧食，1945年。坐者：英國總領事Ogden先生（左）、Johnson將軍（右）

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Help for Farmers

Soon after the end of the Second World War, political instability in China triggered an influx of immigrants into Hong Kong, many of whom survived on subsistence farming in the New Territories. On seeing their plight, Horace and Lawrence established the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association (KAAA)  in 1951. Known as ‘Mr. New Territories’ for his dedication to Hong Kong’s rural people and with a keen interest in horticulture  and agriculture, Horace could often be found working hand-in-hand with rural farmers. He also served on the government’s Rural Development Committee  in the 1950s and 1960s.

輔助農民

二戰過後，中國政局動盪，大批內地難民湧港，其中不少在新界務農為生，生計拮据。眼見這些貧農的苦況，賀理士與羅蘭士於1951年成立嘉道理農業輔助會（KAAA）。賀理士對香港鄉郊居民的貢獻及對農業與園藝的關注使其獲得「新界先生」的稱譽，其親力親為與農民一起工作的身影更時有所見。賀理士亦曾在1950至1960年代擔任鄉郊發展委員會成員。

Distribution of KAAA cement in Sai Kung, Hong Kong
西貢派發嘉道理農業輔助會的水泥

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Lord Kadoorie granted Peerage

Lawrence Kadoorie served on a number of committees during his long career. These included the Executive and Legislative Councils of Hong Kong; the Council of the University of Hong Kong; the Board of Education ; and advisory bodies concerned with such matters as labour, taxation, town planning, and public transport. Nominated by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Lawrence was made a life peer in the 1981 Queen's Birthday Honours List as Baron of Kowloon in Hong Kong and of the City of Westminster (UK). He was the first Hong Kong-born member of the House of Lords in Britain.


嘉道理勳爵獲封貴族

羅蘭士嘉道理曾參與的政府委員會多不勝數，包括行政立法兩局、港大校務委員會、教育委員會、以及勞工、稅務、城市規劃或公共交通的諮詢組織。羅蘭士後獲英國首相戴卓爾夫人提名，在1981年英女皇壽辰授勳名單中獲冊封為終身貴族，成為香港九龍及英國西敏市男爵，是首名香港出生的英國上議院成員。

Lord Kadoorie pictured in the House of Lords (UK), 1982
嘉道理勳爵，攝於1982年英國上議院