Dr Haking Wong (1906–1996), born Wong Cho Loy, was one of Hong Kong’s most distinguished entrepreneurs. His ancestral roots lay in Xinhui, Guangdong Province, and he was born in Longtou Village, Shuangshui Town, now part of Jiangmen. His character and outlook were profoundly shaped by the resilience and perseverance of his father, Wong Suen Chung (1872–1930). 

Born into a poor farming family, Wong Suen Chung left China at the age of eighteen and travelled to Siam (present‑day Thailand). After completing a three‑year apprenticeship as a carpenter under his uncle, he rose to prominence as a master craftsman in Bangkok’s Chinatown. His reputation was firmly established when he constructed a remarkable six‑storey building—the tallest of its time—an achievement that brought him to the attention of the Thai royal family. 

He was subsequently invited to the Grand Palace in Bangkok, where he swiftly repaired a door that others had been unable to fix. This led to further royal commissions, including the supply of Chinese furniture and the construction of a Chinese pavilion and palace walls at the Summer Palace in Ayutthaya. In recognition of his exceptional contributions, the King of Thailand awarded him a First‑Class Order of Merit. 

At the age of four, Haking Wong moved with his family to Bangkok’s Chinatown, where he received private tuition at home from a teacher brought from Canton (modern‑day Guangzhou). At seventeen, he married his first wife, Cheung Man Ho. At marriage, he declined a generational name “Wong Chiu Wan” assigned by his family, instead he chose the name Haking Wong, meaning “to prevail through adversity”—a guiding principle that would define his life and legacy.