Culture Vulture David Tang Wing-cheung
A businessman, socialite, culture vulture, pianist and writer, David Tang Wing-cheung, the founder of Shanghai Tang and the China Club, is a man of many talents. Jan Leung found out about his past, passions and pitfalls.
I was born in 1954 in Hong Kong.
My grandfather, Tang Shiu-kin, loved my grandmother more when she produced a son and heir (my father) because his first two wives were unable to.
My father was very ill before turning one. So that my grandfather would not be very upset if my father died, my great-grandmother lied and said that our family soothsayer had already determined that my father would blacken my grandfather’s life.
It was a lie told out of kindness, but it had far-reaching consequences on my whole family.
My grandfather sent my grandmother and my father away once he was recovered. From that moment on, my grandfather never asked to see either of them ever again.
When I wanted to see my grandfather, I had to ring up his secretary. It was then necessary to look at the Chinese Almanac so as to pick a “good hour” to meet.
I learned what love is through my grandmother.