Professor Elizabeth Sinn
The University of Hong Kong
(Elizabeth Sinn is an Honorary Professor at the School of Humanities, The University of Hong Kong.  She is a Hong Kong historian who sets Hong Kong in a global context.  Among her works are Power and Charity: The Early History of the Tung Wah Hospital, Hong Kong, and Pacific Crossing: California Gold, Chinese Migration, and the Making of Hong Kong.)

Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong

Ho Amei is a fascinating figure. He was a pioneer in modern capitalist enterprises such as telegraphy, insurance, waterworks, and high-technology mining; he also founded the first Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.  He was a fighter for justice and a champion for fair play.  As a community leader in Hong Kong, among other things, he demanded the abolition of the infamous Night Pass system, the most outrageous mark of racial discrimination.  He supported China’s search for wealth and power, and defended its sovereign rights against imperialist bullying.  He was highly regarded by senior Chinese officials such as Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhidong.  Despite prominence during his lifetime, he is largely unknown today.  In many ways, his work and complex personality mirrored the historical reality of his times.  At the seminar, I will give a brief biographical account of Mr Ho, and highlight some of my experiences–pain as well as pleasure–in researching and writing this biography.