SOHO China
Encyclopedia
SOHO China Limited founded in 1995, is the largest real-estate developer in Beijing
, China
. The company is incorporated in Cayman Islands
. The founders are Pan Shiyi
(潘石屹), a former Oil Ministry employee, and his wife Zhang Xin
(张欣), a former Goldman Sachs employee. The couple ranked the 237th richest 'person' in China a Forbes
ranking in 2006.
According to the Wall Street Journal, when Ms. Zhang and Mr. Pan set up their own property company in 1995, they decided to market units based on Japan's "Small Office, Home Office," or SOHO, concept, with homes doubling as offices.
The company focuses on acquiring properties in Beijing's Central Business District. The company has developed and has completed the construction of approximately 1.75 million square meters of gross floor area (GFA) in central Beijing, more GFA than any other real estate company, with another 1.75 million presently under development.
With the slogan of "building city center prosperity", SOHO China has played a leading role in China's urbanization, with several of its developments becoming landmark structures in Beijing's emerging skyline. SOHO China's completed projects and projects currently under construction in Beijing include: SOHO New Town, Jianwai SOHO, SOHO Shangdu, Chaowai SOHO, Guanghualu SOHO, Guanghualu SOHO II, Beijing SOHO Residences, ZhongGuanCun SOHO, Sanlitun
SOHO, Qianmen Avenue, Chaoyangmen SOHO I, Chaoyangmen SOHO II, and Galaxy SOHO (formerly, Chaoyangmen SOHO III). SOHO China also has built internationally-recognized avant garde projects, Commune by the Great Wall
in Beijing and Boao Canal Village in Boao, Hainan Island. SOHO China's developments are notable for not being gated, which is unusual for upscale residential complexes in China.
On 8 October 2007, SOHO China was listed in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
with a capital
raising of HK$12.8 billion. SOHO China has the distinction of being Asia's largest commercial real estate IPO as of today. The company was also named as one of the "Most Admired Companies" in China by FORTUNE (China) Magazine for four years running from 2006 to 2009.
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The company is incorporated in Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
. The founders are Pan Shiyi
Pan Shiyi
Pan Shiyi is a wealthy businessman from Mainland China. Presently, he is the Chairman of SOHO China, the largest real estate developer in Beijing. He co-founded SOHO China with his wife Zhang Xin in 1995. The couple was described by The Times of London as 'China’s most visible and flamboyant...
(潘石屹), a former Oil Ministry employee, and his wife Zhang Xin
Zhang Xin (businesswoman)
Zhang Xin is a businesswoman from Mainland China. Presently, she is the CEO of SOHO China, the largest real estate developer in Beijing.Her parents returned to China from Burma in the fifties and worked as translators at the Bureau of Foreign Languages...
(张欣), a former Goldman Sachs employee. The couple ranked the 237th richest 'person' in China a Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
ranking in 2006.
According to the Wall Street Journal, when Ms. Zhang and Mr. Pan set up their own property company in 1995, they decided to market units based on Japan's "Small Office, Home Office," or SOHO, concept, with homes doubling as offices.
The company focuses on acquiring properties in Beijing's Central Business District. The company has developed and has completed the construction of approximately 1.75 million square meters of gross floor area (GFA) in central Beijing, more GFA than any other real estate company, with another 1.75 million presently under development.
With the slogan of "building city center prosperity", SOHO China has played a leading role in China's urbanization, with several of its developments becoming landmark structures in Beijing's emerging skyline. SOHO China's completed projects and projects currently under construction in Beijing include: SOHO New Town, Jianwai SOHO, SOHO Shangdu, Chaowai SOHO, Guanghualu SOHO, Guanghualu SOHO II, Beijing SOHO Residences, ZhongGuanCun SOHO, Sanlitun
Sanlitun
Sanlitun is an area of the Chaoyang District, Beijing containing many popular bar streets and international stores.The area has been under almost constant regeneration since the late 20th century as part of a city-wide project of economic regrowth...
SOHO, Qianmen Avenue, Chaoyangmen SOHO I, Chaoyangmen SOHO II, and Galaxy SOHO (formerly, Chaoyangmen SOHO III). SOHO China also has built internationally-recognized avant garde projects, Commune by the Great Wall
Commune by the Great Wall
The Commune by the Great Wall is a private collection of modern architecture in Beijing, China. It was exhibited at La Biennale di Venezia in 2002 and bestowed a special prize...
in Beijing and Boao Canal Village in Boao, Hainan Island. SOHO China's developments are notable for not being gated, which is unusual for upscale residential complexes in China.
On 8 October 2007, SOHO China was listed in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Hong Kong Stock Exchange
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in Hong Kong. It is Asia's third largest stock exchange in terms of market capitalization behind the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange and fifth largest in the world...
with a capital
Financial capital
Financial capital can refer to money used by entrepreneurs and businesses to buy what they need to make their products or provide their services or to that sector of the economy based on its operation, i.e. retail, corporate, investment banking, etc....
raising of HK$12.8 billion. SOHO China has the distinction of being Asia's largest commercial real estate IPO as of today. The company was also named as one of the "Most Admired Companies" in China by FORTUNE (China) Magazine for four years running from 2006 to 2009.