Zhang Xi’s personal story

Zhang Xi, a native of Dongguan, Guangdong, the "King of Wigs", is the chairman of Zhang Investment Co., Ltd. He came to Hong Kong to make a living in the early 1960s. After many hardships, he finally succeeded. In 1979, he returned to his hometown and founded the country's first rural "three-to-one" enterprise - Longan Zhang's Hair Factory. After years of development, Zhang Xi has many companies in Hong Kong and southern Guangdong. Currently, he serves as the chairman of Hong Kong Zhang Investment Co., Ltd., Dongguan Hailong Hairdressing Products Co., Ltd., Hongda Paper Products Factory, Guangzhou Jinchuangli Real Estate Development Co., Ltd., and Dongguan Grand Hyatt International Hotel (five-star). The company's annual sales revenue exceeds 300 million yuan. Zhang Xi, who started his career by producing practice wigs, has achieved the ultimate in the practice wig industry through his "daring, hard work and skill" and has become the leader in this industry. Today, under the rapid changes in the global economy, the scale of his Zhang's Hair Factory has been continuously expanded, and it has developed into the largest wig manufacturer in the world. In 1997, the Hong Kong Humen Association was established, and he was elected as the first chairman with a high vote. Since 2000, he has served as the president of the Hong Kong Humen Association for many terms. In 2007, he was elected as the president of the 31st Hong Kong Dongguan Association by a high vote, and was re-elected this term. Although Mr. Zhang Xi is in Hong Kong, he is deeply attached to the motherland and his hometown. He has long contributed to the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and the construction of his hometown, showing his deep love for his hometown and his pure heart. It is understood that he has repeatedly donated money for the construction of Humen Nursing Home, Sandong Community Elderly Residential Center, Humen Student Aid Fund, etc. As one of the founders of the country's first village-run "three to one supplement" factory and a famous Hong Kong industrialist, Zhang Xi is a typical representative of the "exodus and return" of Dongguan people. He is a drop of water in the trend of the times, reflecting that A period of transition from fanaticism to rationality. In 2012, he won the "Outstanding Dongguan Businessman" at the World Dongguan Business Conference.

From "exodus" to "return"

In 1980, Zhang Xi once again boarded a fishing boat to escape port. Two years later, he and his younger brother Zhang Guangyi returned to their hometown and shuttled between Dongguan and Hong Kong. Decades passed in the blink of an eye

The 73-year-old Zhang Xi from Longyan Village, Humen Town, Dongguan, is a person who epitomizes the "exodus and return" of Dongguan people. ” Typical of stories.

Time goes back to one late night in 1971, when the north wind blew. Zhang Xi, a native of Dongguan, rowed a small fishing boat and set off towards Sha Kok, Hong Kong. The weather was not helping him, and at dawn he only reached Da Chan Island, where he was captured by the local militia and handed over to the border guards. His first attempt to smuggle in ended in failure.

Nine years later, he embarked on the road of smuggling again. "Reform and opening up was already underway at that time, so I shouldn't have to go to Hong Kong. However, I felt very complicated at the time. First, I was afraid of policy changes, and second, my three children had already arrived in Hong Kong and were fostered in my younger brother's home." Zhang Xi recalled.

I finally went, "I took a small boat with my wife and little daughter, crossing from Lok Ma Chau, Shenzhen, and arrived in Yuen Long in 20 minutes." After arriving in Hong Kong, Zhang Xi was arrested and imprisoned in the police station for two months. During this period, he hired a lawyer to litigate with the Immigration Bureau. Finally, because his three children had no one to take care of him in Hong Kong, he got sympathy from the government and was finally allowed to live in Hong Kong. Two years later, he applied for a child to come to Hong Kong, and Zhang Xi's family was reunited.

A few years later, like other Hong Kong businessmen, the Zhang brothers "returned" to the mainland. Dongguan became their first stop for investing in the mainland. In 1978, a Hong Kong businessman named Zhang Zimi invested in Taiping Handbag Factory, the country's first "three-to-one" enterprise in Dongguan, which was of epoch-making significance. In the same year, Zhang Xi's younger brother Zhang Guang returned to Guan and established the country's first village-run "three to one supplement" factory, and signed Dongguan Light Industry (1979) No. 02, 03, and 04 documents with the Dongguan Light Industry Bureau for investment and cooperation in his hometown. , opened longan hair tools factory, bleaching and dyeing factory, and Dongguan electrical appliance factory in Humen, Dongkeng, and Fucheng respectively. Later, all three factories were run by Zhang Xi.

From "The King of Wigs" to "The Tumbler"

"Don't take risks if you have them, and don't take risks if you don't have them"

Many of Zhang Xi's The scale of the enterprise is not large in the industry, but it is a "roly-poly" in the business world. Currently, Zhang's Hair Factory produces 2,000 varieties of wigs and hair accessories. There is still a shortage of 500,000 wigs in the world every year. About 25% of the world's practice wigs are shipped from Zhang Xi's factory. This small "three-to-one" small workshop has become the largest wig manufacturer in the world.

Zhang Xi seeks stability in everything and hopes to have a clear understanding of the overall situation. "We must win what we fight for, and keep a low profile and take care of the overall situation for what we shouldn't fight for." Zhang Xi himself is also happy to be a "roly-poly". Most entrepreneurs like him who are over 70 years old have retreated to the second line, and He still holds on. He said that it is good to be able to "not fail" as a person and in doing things. "The company has developed to this point. If there is no strong successor, we will not consider continuing to grow."

Zhang Xi originally handed over all the businesses he created in his life to his eldest son, and the other children did not inherit it. However, the eldest son died in a traffic accident four years ago.

In recent years, Zhang Xi’s business and life focus has gradually shifted to the mainland.

Since last year, the Zhang Group has successively invested nearly 200 million yuan in Deqing to build an underwear factory, a tea farm and a real estate company, with nearly 500 acres of land to be developed. Due to the rise in land prices, the market value of Deqing's assets has doubled to approximately NT$400 million.

In September this year, according to Zhang Xi’s plan, the Dongguan Junyuan International Hotel (five-star hotel) built with his friend He Qilin will also have a grand trial opening.