Kai Ho
Encyclopedia
Sir Kai Ho Kai, CMG
, JP
, MRCS
' onMouseout='HidePop("71485")' href="/topics/Jyutping">Jyutping
: Ho4 Kai2), (1859–1914), born Ho Shan-kai ' onMouseout='HidePop("49942")' href="/topics/Jyutping">Jyutping
: Ho4 San4 Kai2), was a Hong Kong Chinese
barrister, physician and essayist in Colonial Hong Kong
. He played a key role in the relationship between the Hong Kong Chinese community and the British
colonial government. He is mostly remembered as one of the main supporters and teacher of student Sun Yat-sen
. Kai Tak Airport
, Hong Kong
, was named after him and his son-in-law Au Tak
, though he died in 1914, long before the idea of an aerodrome was first mentioned in 1925.
and brother of Ho Miu-ling (wife of Wu Tingfang, Hong Kong's first Chinese barrister and first Chinese member of the Legislative Council, later Chinese Consul-General to the USA). He married Alice Walkden (3 February 1852 – 8 June 1884), eldest daughter of the late John Walkden, Esq, of Blackheath, at St Aubyn's Congregational Church, Upper Norwood, London, England on Dec. 13 1881 and returned to Hong Kong after his studies. Alice gave birth to a daughter, but died of typhoid fever in Hong Kong in 1884. The daughter was taken to England to be brought up by Alice's relatives but she died young and was never married. Kai Ho later married Lily Lai Yuk-hing (d. 1945).
Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital is named for his wife Alice and sister Miu-ling.
. In 1879, he received his MBCM and went to St Thomas' Hospital
to take up clinical training. He became the first Chinese qualified physician and graduated from Aberdeen University in the same year. He then studied law at Lincoln's Inn
and was called to the bar in 1881. He returned to Hong Kong in early 1882, and embarked on changing the landscape of Hong Kong's colleges and universities. The Chinese culture at that time placed a heavy emphasis on Traditional Chinese medicine
and Chinese citizens
of the late 19th century were largely skeptical about Western medicine. Sir Kai not only gained the people's acceptance, but also helped the British make possible a number of health-related establishments that otherwise would have been misunderstood by the public. In 1887, the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese
was opened. He made it an initiative that Chinese doctors too could benefit from an institution that focused on Western medicine. This College later became the basis from which the Hong Kong University was established in 1910.
In 1912 Ho went into a partnership with his son-in-law Au Tak
. It was a land reclamation development project of houses and recreation grounds. The project was named Kai Tak Bund, but it was a failure and was liquidated in 1924. The land was taken back by the government, and was later used by a flying school, then a flying club, then as an airfield for the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, and finally as the Kai Tak airport.
Throughout his lifetime, he was a vocal supporter for Sun Yat-sen
and his revolution to overthrow China's Manchu
-led Qing dynasty
. An example of this was his defence of the 1884 Praya rioters dubiously charged by the colonial administration with the offence of refusing to accept work, the riots being an event Sun Yat-sen said cemented his determination to bring about that revolution. As a minority and Unofficial member of the Legislative Council he had effected limits to legislation that were discriminatory towards Chinese. When the Summoning of Chinese Ordinance, Cap. 40 of 1899, was being read for the second time in the Council, he made the observation that it was a "class legislation", and requested that a clause added being it was being passed. The clause added by Ho and Wei A Yuk (韋玉) places a time limit on the legislation, so that "(t)his Ordinance shall continue in operation for a period of two years from the coming into operation of this Ordinance, and for such further period or periods as may from time to time be determined by resolution of the Legislative Council."
Ho was made a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in 1902 and elevated to knighthood in 1912.
Due to the failure of his various business projects and ill health he died heavily in debt, without a will, and his family destitute.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, MRCS
Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons
MRCS is a professional qualification for surgeons in the UK and IrelandIt means Member of the Royal College of Surgeons. In the United Kingdom, doctors who gain this qualification traditionally no longer use the title 'Dr' but start to use the title 'Mr', 'Mrs', 'Miss' or 'Ms'.There are 4 surgical...
' onMouseout='HidePop("71485")' href="/topics/Jyutping">Jyutping
Jyutping
Jyutping is a romanization system for Cantonese developed by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong in 1993. Its formal name is The Linguistic Society of Hong Kong Cantonese Romanization Scheme...
: Ho4 Kai2), (1859–1914), born Ho Shan-kai ' onMouseout='HidePop("49942")' href="/topics/Jyutping">Jyutping
Jyutping
Jyutping is a romanization system for Cantonese developed by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong in 1993. Its formal name is The Linguistic Society of Hong Kong Cantonese Romanization Scheme...
: Ho4 San4 Kai2), was a Hong Kong Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
barrister, physician and essayist in Colonial Hong Kong
Colonial Hong Kong
In the 19th century the British, Dutch, French, Indians and Americans saw Imperial China as the world's largest untapped market. In 1840 the British Empire launched their first and one of the most aggressive expeditionary forces to claim the territory that would later be known as Hong Kong.In a few...
. He played a key role in the relationship between the Hong Kong Chinese community and the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colonial government. He is mostly remembered as one of the main supporters and teacher of student Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
. Kai Tak Airport
Kai Tak Airport
Kai Tak Airport was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. It was officially known as the Hong Kong International Airport from 1954 to 6 July 1998, when it was closed and replaced by the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok, 30 km to the west...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, was named after him and his son-in-law Au Tak
Au Tak
Au Tak , or Au Chak-mun , was a Hong Kong entrepreneur. He was the proprietor of a furniture shop and the property developers in Central District on Hong Kong Island. He was used to the director of Tung Wah Hospital....
, though he died in 1914, long before the idea of an aerodrome was first mentioned in 1925.
Early years
Kai Ho was the fourth son of the late Reverend Ho Tsun-shin of the London Missionary SocietyLondon Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
and brother of Ho Miu-ling (wife of Wu Tingfang, Hong Kong's first Chinese barrister and first Chinese member of the Legislative Council, later Chinese Consul-General to the USA). He married Alice Walkden (3 February 1852 – 8 June 1884), eldest daughter of the late John Walkden, Esq, of Blackheath, at St Aubyn's Congregational Church, Upper Norwood, London, England on Dec. 13 1881 and returned to Hong Kong after his studies. Alice gave birth to a daughter, but died of typhoid fever in Hong Kong in 1884. The daughter was taken to England to be brought up by Alice's relatives but she died young and was never married. Kai Ho later married Lily Lai Yuk-hing (d. 1945).
Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital is named for his wife Alice and sister Miu-ling.
Career
In 1872, at the age of 13, Ho was sent to United Kingdom to study at Palmer House school, Margate, Kent. In September 1875, he registered at the University of AberdeenUniversity of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
. In 1879, he received his MBCM and went to St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS hospital in London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It has provided health care freely or under charitable auspices since the 12th century and was originally located in Southwark.St Thomas' Hospital is accessible...
to take up clinical training. He became the first Chinese qualified physician and graduated from Aberdeen University in the same year. He then studied law at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
and was called to the bar in 1881. He returned to Hong Kong in early 1882, and embarked on changing the landscape of Hong Kong's colleges and universities. The Chinese culture at that time placed a heavy emphasis on Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
and Chinese citizens
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
of the late 19th century were largely skeptical about Western medicine. Sir Kai not only gained the people's acceptance, but also helped the British make possible a number of health-related establishments that otherwise would have been misunderstood by the public. In 1887, the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese
Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese
The Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese was the first college in Hong Kong to fully adopt and accept Western medical science practices...
was opened. He made it an initiative that Chinese doctors too could benefit from an institution that focused on Western medicine. This College later became the basis from which the Hong Kong University was established in 1910.
In 1912 Ho went into a partnership with his son-in-law Au Tak
Au Tak
Au Tak , or Au Chak-mun , was a Hong Kong entrepreneur. He was the proprietor of a furniture shop and the property developers in Central District on Hong Kong Island. He was used to the director of Tung Wah Hospital....
. It was a land reclamation development project of houses and recreation grounds. The project was named Kai Tak Bund, but it was a failure and was liquidated in 1924. The land was taken back by the government, and was later used by a flying school, then a flying club, then as an airfield for the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, and finally as the Kai Tak airport.
Throughout his lifetime, he was a vocal supporter for Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
and his revolution to overthrow China's Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
-led Qing dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. An example of this was his defence of the 1884 Praya rioters dubiously charged by the colonial administration with the offence of refusing to accept work, the riots being an event Sun Yat-sen said cemented his determination to bring about that revolution. As a minority and Unofficial member of the Legislative Council he had effected limits to legislation that were discriminatory towards Chinese. When the Summoning of Chinese Ordinance, Cap. 40 of 1899, was being read for the second time in the Council, he made the observation that it was a "class legislation", and requested that a clause added being it was being passed. The clause added by Ho and Wei A Yuk (韋玉) places a time limit on the legislation, so that "(t)his Ordinance shall continue in operation for a period of two years from the coming into operation of this Ordinance, and for such further period or periods as may from time to time be determined by resolution of the Legislative Council."
Ho was made a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in 1902 and elevated to knighthood in 1912.
Additional role
He was a key player in many other aspects of Colonial era Hong Kong:- Bubonic EpidemicThird PandemicThird Pandemic is the designation of a major Bubonic plague pandemic that began in the Yunnan province in China in 1855. This episode of bubonic plague spread to all inhabited continents, and ultimately killed more than 12 million people in India and China alone...
- Alice Memorial Hospital
- Po Leung KukPo Leung KukThe Po Leung Kuk is a charitable organisation in Hong Kong that provides support for orphaned children, education and other services.-Founding of Po Leung Kuk:...
- Kai Tak AirportKai Tak AirportKai Tak Airport was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. It was officially known as the Hong Kong International Airport from 1954 to 6 July 1998, when it was closed and replaced by the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok, 30 km to the west...
- Member of the Legislative Council of Hong KongLegislative Council of Hong KongThe Legislative Council is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong.-History:The Legislative Council of Hong Kong was set up in 1843 as a colonial legislature under British rule...
- Member of the Sanitary Board 1890
- Justice of the Peace
Death
Sir Kai died in 1914 and was buried at Hong Kong Happy Valley Cemetery near his first wife Alice.Due to the failure of his various business projects and ill health he died heavily in debt, without a will, and his family destitute.