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Though popular actor Jackie Chan has a net worth of $400 million, life has not been a bed of roses for him. In 2015, Chan revealed how he received painful news before deciding to donate four antique buildings. Chan purchased these buildings in the southern Anhui province of China more than two decades ago. These buildings are said to be more than 300 years old, belonging to the era of the Ming and Qing dynasties. In his autobiography Never Grow Up, Chan disclosed all the details of the sad news and why he decided to finally donate the buildings to the Singapore University of Technology and Design.
His disclosure is important as many fans were unhappy with Chan’s decision to donate these buildings outside China. The news also shed light on his talks with Hong Kong before deciding to donate his buildings outside China. Chan also described the Hong Kong authorities’ discomfort with his proposal to convert the antique buildings into his memorial as a sightseeing spot. So what were the disheartening news and the negotiations with the Hong Kong authorities which made him decide to donate the buildings to Singapore? Read on to find out!
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Chan related how he met two higher executive officials to discuss his unique proposal to turn his house and the other buildings into his memorial, showcasing all his collections. Continuing, Chan recounted, “They were worried about what people might say, like “Why haven’t we created a memorial like this for Bruce Lee, or Leslie Cheung, or Anita Mui?” Chan further said that he agreed with this point of view.
Afterwards, Chan elaborated that the higher officials suggested that he put these houses (buildings) in Ocean Park. Ocean Park is an amusement park in Hong Kong. Post this Chan questioned the officials if he could visit the buildings at night after the tourists had gone. To this, the higher officials replied in the negative. In his autobiography, Chan expressed, “It made me sad to think I wouldn’t be allowed into the buildings I had donated.”
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Post this, Chan also elucidated how he gave another suggestion that he’ll use one of the buildings as an office after donating the buildings. His reasoning for this was that this would help him supervise which houses required restoration and proceed with the repairs. However, this offer also received a firm ‘No’ from the officials. Reacting to this, Chan vented out his pain, “I’d spent a lot of money on these buildings and I wanted access to them, even after giving them away. Is that too much to ask? Chan had reportedly spent millions to restore these buildings, even hiring workers to carry out the repairs.
Further, the martial arts legend gave an account of how the Hong Kong officials offered a piece of parkland in exchange for the four antique buildings. However, Chan refused this offer since the parkland was too small. Chan also implied how he spoke with four other people as a final attempt to keep the buildings in China. Unfortunately, his efforts were unsuccessful. Finally, Chan decided to donate the buildings to the Singapore University of Technology and Design, that not only bore the costs for shipping the buildings but also took the responsibility for restoring them. He also told how his objective of sending the objects out of China was to spread Chinese culture outside the nation’s borders.
Chan’s admissions indicate how he moved heaven and earth so that the four antique buildings remained in China but it just wasn’t possible for him. Do you think Chan took the right decision to donate the buildings to Singapore after his unfruitful negotiations with Hong Kong? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
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Watch This Story: Jackie Chan Helped Turn His Family’s Darkest Phase Once Into Something Good
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Priya Hinduja
291 articles
Edited By: Anupama Ghosh
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