A photo of Mr C.E. Chua taken in his office in 2006. Together with his team in the early days, Beijing Riviera and its residents regularly contribute to the local community like China Welfare Fund for the handicapped in 1997, the Yangtze River Floods in 1998, and fundraise for various orphanages and local charities.
A Fond Farewell
to Mr C.E. Chua.
He Retires
After 30 Years
Of Excellence
At Beijing Riviera
Beijing Riviera has undergone a remarkable journey over three decades under the visionary leadership of founder Mr K.C. Gan (also Managing Director of Hong Leong International (HK) Ltd.), and the capable management of Mr C.E. Chua, its general manager. Together, they transformed a rice field into a renowned villa community, adhering to the principles of "ESG" long before the term was widely used.
In this issue of Voices, we recognise the tremendous efforts of Mr Chua who retires this year after 30 years of unwavering dedication in building Beijing Riviera to what it is today.
Hear from Mr Chua as he shares about his exciting journey and the challenges, achievements, and prominent leaders he met along the way!
In 1994, I came to Beijing as the chief representative and project manager of Hong Leong Holdings (HLH) to oversee the construction of Beijing Riviera. I had previously worked at HLH in Singapore and was sent overseas to be the Project General Manager (GM) for the Group’s first project in Taipei, the Grand Hyatt Taipei.
The opportunity to join the project team in Beijing arose when HL International (HK) Ltd. and HLH acquired the site in Beijing at around 1990.
Mr K.C. Gan presenting Mr Chua with a retirement commemorative album, honouring his outstanding contributions and diligent efforts over the years.
The Beijing Riviera team members gathering to celebrate Mr Chua’s birthday in 2020.
As the representative of the shareholders, my main responsibilities were to supervise and control the entire project, communicate and coordinate with various government departments on project procedures, exercise comprehensive oversight and management of the project, and resolve issues among stakeholders to ensure the smooth progress of the project.
When the project first kicked off, the site was still a rice paddy, with the crops having just been harvested. We began recruiting personnel and starting from June that year, we carried out a series of preliminary tasks, including draining the farmland, backfilling the land, and dredging the ditches and canals. Subsequently, the formal groundbreaking of Beijing Riviera commenced.
A milestone photo taken at the site in June 1994: Assistant Managing Director of Hong Leong Holdings Mr Kwek Leng Kee (5th from left); Mr Gan (6th from left); and the project’s team of engineering technicians. 
Mr Chua delivering a speech at the Beijing Riviera Open House Ceremony in 1999.
Meeting challenges head-on
One of the biggest challenges our project team faced was the lack of municipal infrastructure in the area. There were no utilities, and the team had to lay all the cables and pipes to bring in electricity, gas, telephone lines, sewerage facilities, and build a water treatment plant drawing untreated water from the underground, including water softening. Since the low-rise, single-family homes were built for expatriates living in Beijing, the team also constructed schools starting with kindergartens.
Fortunately, the various government departments embraced an open and dynamic approach, providing the project with tremendous support. I quickly assembled a team of over 20 outstanding domestic engineering and technical professionals, and they began to create a beautiful community on the vast expanse of the fields.
An aerial view of the sprawling Beijing Riviera development today, covering 1.5 million square metres and over 600 residential homes, including villas, apartments and townhouses.
The project provided good working conditions for staff, including the few expatriate staff from Singapore. We ensured that the interests of purchasers of the villas and townhouses (including investors), residents, and counterparties like suppliers and contractors were all well looked after.
We asked ourselves how we can look after the natural environment. That motivated us to build the project in the most sustainable manner, using appropriate designs and materials, minimising waste, and incorporating comprehensive landscapes with abundant water features to address climate change concerns about Beijing's poorer air quality in the early days.
Solidifying Beijing Riviera’s position and our transformation today
(L-R) Singapore Ambassador to China Brigadier General Chin Siat Yoon, Mr Chua, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his wife Madam Kwa Geok Choo, and Mr Gan at the Beijing Riviera in September 1999.
Mr Gan (left) and Mr Kwek (centre) welcoming then Prime Minister of Singapore Mr Goh Chok Tong (right) at Beijing Riviera in 2000.
Beijing Riviera was originally a joint venture with the local government and a sovereign fund. It is also perhaps one of the earliest property developments of its kind in mainland China after the country's opening up to foreign investors. This greater responsibility meant that we had to showcase our best practices in our management, rules and regulations, transparency, and comprehensive reporting to all relevant parties.
After the project's construction was completed, I focused on building the company's hardware and software services, with the aim of transforming Beijing Riviera into the most prestigious villa community in Beijing.
Former Prime Minister and now Senior Minister of Singapore Mr Lee Hsien Loong and his wife Madam Ho Ching dined at the Riviera Country Club’s Chinese Restaurant in 2016, pictured here with Mr Chua (left) and Mr Kenny Hon (right). Mr Hon is now Beijing Riviera’s new General Manager.
Today, Beijing Riviera is a sprawling site of lush green pastures, tranquil lakes and spacious houses covering 1.5 million square metres. It also encompasses an exclusive Country Club and a Resident Service Centre to provide a one-stop service centre for all residents.
The project's success was evidenced by the visits from prominent Singaporean leaders, including Singapore's founding father Mr Lee Kuan Yew and former Prime Ministers Goh Chok Tong and Lee Hsien Loong. In 2001, Dr Richard Hu, the Minister of Finance, also visited Beijing Riviera, hailing it as an outstanding example of Singaporean investment.
This has indeed been a challenging but rewarding journey, and I’m greatly appreciative of the teams who have worked tirelessly to achieve this success together. 
