Industry News
Nanfang Metropolis Daily--Taking Root in Zhuhai in Next Step發(fā)布時間：
About Yang Feng
A Hakka person born in Shanwei of Guangdong, he has ever been a teacher and a leader in a state-owned enterprise. In 1994, he founded Great Aim Group and he is now chairman of the board of the group.
Creeds of life "Integrity is the precondition to success" and "No stop until perfection is achieved"
In 1999, as Great Aim Group stepped into real estate development, it rose to fame for its first garden community--Yuehai International Garden. However, when Zhuhai was launching reconstruction of urban villages and paused the development of commercial residences, Great Aim Group chose to settle in Zhongshan and expanded its vision to Pearl River Delta and the whole country. In 2006, he returned to Zhuhai again and built a deluxe mansion project Longteng Bay Villas. On November 18 this year, four real estate projects of Great Aim Group in Zhuhai and Zhongshan commenced construction at the same time. The group has also established a long-term development strategy taking root in Zhuhai.
From stepping into the real estate industry, to leaving Zhuhai, and then to returning and taking root in Zhuhai, Great Aim Group's trajectory of real estate development in Zhuhai has reflected the affection of the leader Yang Feng with Zhuhai. As a low-profile person, for over ten years, it is the first time for Yang Feng to receive an interview with the media and share his view on the enterprise, market and life.
Status quo: Four projects in Zhuhai and Zhongshan commenced at once
Reporter: November 18 marks the 15th anniversary of Great Aim Group and the date when its four projects commenced construction in Zhuhai and Zhongshan at once. Can you give a brief introduction to the four projects?
Yang: The four projects are respectively Nanwan International, Lingfeng International, Lanbo Shui'an and Junyi Garden, with a total floor area of over 600,000 ㎡, among which Lanwan International and Lingfeng International are projects in Zhuhai. Reporter: So many projects are launched at once, how is your financial situation?
Yang: Of course there is no problem. Other than our own fund, we also have the international funds and credit granted by several banks. For example, the Nanwan International project is a project in our cooperation system with financial institutions such as the world's largest and strongest private equity and CCB International under CCB which has received much concern at home, which will fill a gap of 3D high-end products in Zhuhai.
We have signed several comprehensive credit agreements with several banks at home, with an amount of credit funds exceeding 10 billion Yuan, which is mainly used to support the project development under Great Aim Group. Therefore, with the strategic cooperation with international fund and the credit of several banks, our project development is supported by sufficient funds.
Stepping into the real estate development and drawing experience from Singapore
Reporter: Yuehai International Garden was the first real estate project developed by Great Aim Group, which had created a "Yuehai phenomenon" in the industry at that time.
Yang: Yes, though it was our first project, we wanted to make it a benchmark for the housing market of Zhuhai. At that time, there was still not a large-scale residential quarter in Zhuhai and most residential quarters had no regular property management and community service. I have never engaged in real estate before. So we led a team on an inspection tour to Singapore. We inspected residential projects one after another and began to understand concepts such as "separation of pedestrians and vehicles' and community management. Therefore, Yuehai International Garden was an attempt of copying development experience of residential projects of Singapore in Zhuhai.
Reporter: You made it in the project.
Yang: Yes, Yeuhai International Garden stirred a sensation when it was put into market, and even won a title as a demonstrative residential quarter for property management nationwide.
Reporter: However, two years ago, Yuehai International Garden was stuck in dispute of property management.
Yang: This issue is very complex. We moved from our headquarters in Zhuhai in 2002, all our employees had left Zhuhai, so it was difficult for us to follow up the subsequent issues.
Leaving Zhuhai for Zhongshan due to the suspension of commercial residence development
Reporter: Now that Yuehai International Garden had made a big success at that time, why did you choose to leave Zhuhai?
Yang: After developing the project, Zhuhai entered a three-year period during which the reconstruction of urban villages was launched and development of commercial residences was paused. So it was impossible for us to develop new commercial houses.
Reporter: The reconstruction of urban villages was also a large market. Many projects of Zhuhai today have been reconstructed from urban villages, why didn't you share the market?
Yang: We also had the chance, at that time, the government also invited us to participate in the project. However, considering the various problems faced by the development of urban villages such as relocation of the villagers, we gave it up since it was not suitable for the group's strategic development. Now I do not regret at all as I recall it. After all, reconstruction of urban villages has not been included in our strategic considerations.
Reporter: After leaving Zhuhai, you developed projects in Zhongshan. How was the effect?
Yang: We developed two projects in Zhongshan, one was Lanbowan, the other was Dengdu Huating. Lanbowan was the first all riverview ecological community in Zhongshan at that time, with a total floor area of 700,000 ㎡, which is still being developed today. Dengdu Huating is located in Guzhen Town of Zhongshan. It can be said, the project has influenced the whole ancient town. The population of the town is less than 100,000, but the sales amount in one week is as high as 600 million Yuan. The figure reflects the success of the housing project.
Returning and taking root in Zhuhai
Reporter: Now that the projects in Zhongshan performed so well, why did you choose to return to Zhuhai again to develop Longteng Bay project in 2006?
Yang: Firstly, commercial residence development was resumed in Zhuhai; secondly, at that time the real estate market of Zhuhai showed a promising future.
Reporter: How about the sales of the project?
Yang: It has almost been sold out. Considered strategically, we promote the project with a limited number to prevent our client chain from being disconnected.
Reporter: You have ever said, no stop until perfection is achieved. Each project will make up the defects of the previous one. The new project in Zhuhai will soon start construction. What defects of Longteng Bay project need to be made up?
Yang: In fact, I feel that the project has been perfect. The perfection is reflected in two areas, firstly its inherent conditions. Like, it backs Fenghuang Mountains, blessed with seascape and distinctive geographic advantages; the other is its development. In developing the project, we fully consider the demands of the market. Whether in product design or price system, we try to satisfy our clients to the largest extent.
Reporter: In what areas specifically?
Yang: In product design, it may be generally considered that basement is often used as garage, for according to the policy, land price is not charged for basement, half price is charged for terrace. So we designed the front half of the basement for parking car, and the rear half into a living room with a garden. The two functional areas are cheap products, which can bring tangible benefits to our clients. Secondly, we did a big terrace and made a full use of the slope for planning, which directly offered the clients with a largest utility rate, which was also very attractive to the owners.
Reporter: After Longteng Bay, another two projects have also been commenced in Zhuhai. Will the group take root in Zhuhai for its strategic development in the future?
Yang: Yes, after all viewed from the prospect of Zhuhai, as the core position of Zhuhai is confirmed, its future can be imagined. At present, the real estate market of Zhuhai is still a low-lying land, especially relative to the national and even global market, which cannot simply be compared with several cities of a similar scale in the surrounding.
Reporter: This year the real estate market of Zhuhai is hot, how do you think of it? How do you judge the trend?
Yang: Now that the prospect of Zhuhai is so good, it's self-evident that the development space for real estate is very broad.
Reporter: How about your land reserve in Zhuhai at present?
Yang: Other than two projects that have been commenced, we also keep a close watch on new plots.
Faith: Corporate responsibility has nothing to do with success
Reporter: Many entrepreneurs talk about social responsibility of their enterprises after they succeed.
Yang: In fact, I don't think that it has anything to do with whether you are rich or not. Perhaps many years ago, I only had the ability to donate dozens of Yuan, so it was not bad for me to donate 10 Yuan. But now, even if you donate millions of Yuan, it still cannot indicate that you are more benevolent than you were in the past. Therefore, the key lies in our mind.
Reporter: How do you reflect social responsibility in your enterprise?
Yang: We have made donations in the company's name over the years. Simply spoken from the enterprise itself, I think at least we should do the three things. Firstly, tax. Paying tax in time reflects our responsibility for the state. Secondly, for our employees, we offer them the basic guarantee by paying wage to them in full amount on time. Thirdly, in the face of natural disasters, our employees have voluntarily and consciously developed a process for fulfilling their social responsibility.
Impression on the reporter
A boss "derelict in duty"
More than ten years ago, in Beijing, Yang Feng received an interview with several news media. That was his last interview with the media. Always being low-profile, it was the first time for him to receive an exclusive interview, which made me a bit nervous. Before the official interview, I heard him play Er-hu in the lounge, which sounded melodious, accompanied by the instructions of some professional such as "a bit higher" and "a bit lower". It was said that the music he played on Er-hu was "Song of Great Aim" which was created by himself and prepared for the celebration of the group's 15th anniversary. At that time, he was testing the music score.
With pragmatism unique to Hakka people and a style of gentility, in his discourse Yang had seldom mentioned his rich experience in the past. He gave up a job of journalist, for which he did not feel pitiful. His teaching experience had not made him inflexible, but maintained scholarly elegance after he became a merchant. Calligraphy, photography, music...which are no more than entertainment to the outsiders, but for him, they are his interest.
He likes to describe himself as "derelict in duty". "In the calligrapher association, my calligraphy can sell at 100,000 Yuan. But I have never made money with calligraphy; in the real estate industry, I am also derelict in duty, for I often participate in various art salons, or disappear for a period just for taking photos..."
Chatting with him is not only a kind of task, but more seem a life guide from the elderly to the younger generation. His life creed is "Behaving goes before doing things. Integrity is the precondition to success".