A tranquil garden and library, donated to Hangzhou by a famous Hong Kong novelist, has been turned into a luxury clubhouse serving extravagant meals, according to a mainland media report.
The latest controversy over suspected misuse of donated property came to light yesterday as Sichuan authorities admitted they had been wrong to demolish a school rebuilt using a Hong Kong government donation.
Louis Cha, a prolific writer of wuxia novels, built the sprawling garden and library in the 1990s, beside West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, for 14 million yuan (HK$17.1 million at today's rate).
When it was completed in 1996, Cha donated the Cloudy Pine Sanctum and a collection of 6,000 books to the Hangzhou government. Cha wanted it to be used to promote literature and culture. The place became a popular rendezvous for writers and artists, and cultural groups were setting up offices there.
But China News Service reports that the once-tranquil retreat is now a haunt of wealthy businessmen and government officials for feasts that cost up to 10,000 yuan (HK$12,200).
A major renovation four years ago turned the structure into a luxury clubhouse, offering pricey meals, the report said.