YangFeng, vice chairman of China Calligraphy and Painting Association and chairmanof the board of Great Aim, was invited to write an inscription for the tenthanniversary of the Daily's settlement in Zhuhai
GreatAim does not have many projects in Zhuhai, but it keeps working its best.
Profile
Withthe enthusiasm and persistence of Hakka people, having ever been a teacher anda leader in a state-owned enterprise, Yang established Great Aim Group in 1994when the housing market was declining. Based on Zhuhai, guided by a globalvision, he has led the group to go from Zhuhai to the world with a philosophyof "Navigate for life quality pursuers". From a new hand to aprofessional insider, from imitation to innovation, under his leadership thegroup has embarked on a path of diversification with real estate industry andhigh-tech industry.
He isthe steersman of Great Aim Group and also a witness to the housing market ofZhuhai.
Yang'spath for development of commercial residences has started from the developmentof Yuehai International Garden. Before that, his group has played a role ofcontractor in some office building projects. Like, the key national project"China Women's Federation Building" on Chang'an Street of Beijingcompleted in 1996, the "Sub-project of Zhuhai Port InspectionBuilding", a core project for Macau's return completed in 1997 and GreatAim Building of Zhuhai, the headquarters of the group, completed and put intouse in 1999.
In1999, by chance, Great Aim began to step into real estate development. Withoutexperience, Yang chose to copy the garden communities of Singapore and in theend rised to fame. Under the trend of reconstruction of villages in the cityand pause of commercial residence development in Zhuhai, the group chose tosettle in Zhongshan. He made a generous investment on Dengdu Huating projectwhich occupied 380 mu, introduced the international master He Xianyi to designthe project based on the blueprint of Venice, Italy, created an artisticcorridor with European Continent style; and also made a huge investment of 50 million Yuan to directly introduce thehealthy water system of Xijiang River over a distance of 3 km to DengduHuating. Such a model that prioritized environment over project was extremelyrare in Zhuhai at that time and made a big sensation in the local area. Thesubscription rate of villas exceeded 260%. The houses were almost sold out onlyin one year.
"Thepopulation of the town is less than 100,000, but the sales amount in one weekis as high as 600 million Yuan. Thefigure reflects the success of the housing project." Yang recalled.Meanwhile, it had another project Lanbowan with a total floor area of 700,000 ㎡ in Zhongshan, which was the firstall riverview ecological community in Zhongshan.
In2006 he returned to Zhuhai. From then on, every development project of thegroup was a substantial leap from Longteng Bay Villas to Nanwan Internationaland Lingfeng International. Yang Feng upholds a life creed "No stop untilperfection is achieved". While developing real estate, he is striving fordiversification and internationalization of the group, and leading the group fromZhuhai to the world and building it into a large corporate enterpriseintegrating business such as real estate development, high-tech industry,engineering construction, import and export, communication technology service,property management, lighting production, photo services, hotel management andschool education.
Dialogue
Thedevelopment of a real estate enterprise should be based on the urbancharacteristics
Daily:During the decade, Great Aim Group has built not many projects in Zhuhai, whichaccounts for less than 1/5 the total development volume of the group. Otherthan Longteng Bay Villas that has been completed, now only two projects are onsale: Nanwan International and Lingfeng International.
Yang:We have always taken a strategy of advancing steadily. Though we have only twoprojects in Zhuhai, we have also projects in other cities. In recent years, weare also engaged in tourism estates. In these five years, each year we havedeveloped around 1 million ㎡ including the development volumeabroad.
Daily:Do you feel that the development of Great Aim in Zhuhai is too slow? For theseyears, other real estate developers have scrambled for land as soon as there isa chance.
Yang:As a private enterprise, we have our own thinking for each project. For a realestate enterprise, other than its own strategy, its development is more closelyrelated with the city. For example, a city must be strictly considered toidentify whether it has land or projects.
Daily:As we mention the urban development, Great Aim Group has been established fornear 20 years. Its development has become a very important part of thedevelopment history of Zhuhai.
Yang:I name a comparison. In fact a city is a large project, the government decisionmaker is the steersman of the project. Real estate development must rely on theoperation of the large project. We develop based on the city's operation andquantitative upgrade.
Thefirst high-end housing project of Zhuhai taking Singapore as its example
Daily:Be that as it may, the vision of the enterprise itself cannot be neglected.Yuehai International is the first real estate project of Great Aim, but it wasa big success.
Yang:Yes, though it was our first project, we wanted to make it a benchmark for thehousing market of Zhuhai. At that time, there was still not a large-scaleresidential quarter in Zhuhai and most residential quarters had no regularproperty management and community service. I have never engaged in real estatebefore. So we led a team on an inspection tour to Singapore. We inspectedresidential 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 developmentexperience of residential projects of Singapore in Zhuhai.
Daily:This project was completed in 1999, but it was the best time for development ofreal estate market. At that time, did you expect that the real estate coulddevelop so fast?
Yang:In fact I did not think much. It was also by chance for us to build thisproject. We had loaned from the bank. At that time, I just wished that it couldbe done sooner and the product quality could be good so that the houses couldbe sold soon and we could repay the loan soon. I did not expect to engage inreal estate industry for long.
Daily:Did you feel pressure? This was the first high-end residential project in Zhuhaiat that time.
Yang:Of course, I had felt a great pressure. At that time, we came up with a slogan:high quality with low threshold.
Daily:After the project was completed, was it accepted by the market?
Yang:The result was to my surprise. On the eve before the project was opened, a longqueue lined up at the gate of the sales center. I remember it was raining andblowing on that day. After I heard about it, I was very excited and told mysubordiantes to reward the top ten customers in the queue, for they had made agood beginning.
(Hu Caihao,director of the legal affairs department of Great Aim Group, recalled, "Atthat time I was working in ICBC. I was the 12th in the queue. As a result, Idid not receive a reward. I was so angry that I told the staff that I would notbuy their house. No sooner later, I regreted, because the price rose for near athousand Yuan/㎡ just in one month.")
Thereconstruction of urban villages not suitable for positioning of Great Aim
Daily:However, after Yuehai International Garden, Great Aim was away from Zhuhai forsome years.
Yang:Yes, at that time Zhuhai stopped supplying land for commercial residencedevelopment (2000-2002), but promoted the reconstruction of urban villages. Butwe had not participated and left Zhuhai.
Daily:Why didn't you participate in reconstruction of urban vilalges? I remember thatat that time many real estate enterprises all coveted it.
Yang:We have our own thinking. We are a private enterprise, so we consider directbenefits from our investment and output and the development cycle. We don'twant a project that takes too long a time. The reconstruction of urban villagesis not suitable for our positioning.
Daily:You will not consider similar projects in the future?
Yang:Not at present.
Daily:So after development of commercial residences was resumed in Zhuhai and realestate was rising, you returned to Zhuhai and build Phase II project ofLongteng Bay?
Yang:Yes, after Longteng Bay project, we developed Nanwan International and LingfengInternational.
Daily:Do you have other projects or reserved land in Zhuhai?
Yang:We have another two plots, between 100,000 and 200,000 ㎡. I can't disclose details now. Ifthere is a chance, we will continue to bid for land in Zhuhai.
Engagedin multiple industries at home and abroad
Daily:Now many enterprises take the path of diversification, how about Great Aim?
Yang:We began planning to step into high-tech industry. For example, our latelydeveloped project was LED white light communication. On December 23 last year,Great Aim signed a contract with National Key Lab for Semi-conductor JointInnovation on the transfer of LED white light communication patentedtechnologies. Meanwhile, the group declared to establish an "InternationalSemi-conductor Lighting Center" based on innovative R&D, technologyincubation, high-end industrial service, and began to select the site for theconstruction of a facotry for fruits commercialization and urged the patenttransferer "National Key Laboratory" to invest and build a"semi-conductor lighting industry manufacturing and service specializedpark" based on advanced manufacturing industry.
Daily:Why do you suddenly step into high-tech industry?
Yang:We feel that this is a sunrise industry and wish that we can add a sustainablesupporting force for the long-term development of the group.
Daily:Will the group's focus of development shift from real estate to high-techindustry?
Yang:No, the real estate industry will continue to be our main industry. We willdevelop several industries at once. At home, we are mainly engaged in twosegments, and abroad we are also engaged in finance, real estate and mining.
Daily:Will these technologies be applied in the real estate development?
Yang:Theoretically we will. As long as there are LED lights, it can be applied. For example,LED lights have been adopted in Nanwan International. In the future, we mayapply the technology in the areas such as locating or remote control.
Leadingthe lifestyle with the concept of "life quality pursuers"
Daily:From Yuehai International Garden, Longteng Bay Villas to today's NanwanInternational and Lingfeng International, it seems that every type of productsis different.
Yang:Yes, we keep learning and seeking positioning and differentiation based on thecharacteristics of each project. For almost each project, we will make a longinspection tour around the world.
Daily:Like Yuehai International Garden, you have made an inspection tour to Singaporeand copied its experience?
Yang:At first it was copying, so we came up with a slogan, "High quality withlow threshold". Nowadays it was more than copying and had blended with ourown development concept and philosophy. For example, now our developmentphilosophy is "Navigate for life quality pursuers". This seems a verybroad concept. You see, we have "calligraphers","historians" and "life quality pursuers". For something Idon't know, I can learn from zero, can't I? So we travelled to Europe and theUS and studied for more than a month.
Daily:In fact the concept life quality pursuer is very broad, how is it reflected inyour projects?
Yang:We want to lead a lifestyle. For example, the utility rate of the houses inNanwan International is required to reach 100%. The fact proves that the rateis at least 98% and in some houses it even surpasses 100%. To "Navigatefor life quality pursuers", we intend to provide our customers with anatmosphere and breath of home.
Therefore,starting from this point, we have done a lot of product innovation. Forexample, starting from the angle of housewife, garbage like fish and meat willbecome stinky and smelly if it's not cleaned in time. So we mount an agitatorin the vegetable basin, which can directly sort out and discharge such stinkygarbage.
Anotherexample is the safe box at home, we set it in a concealed area. Of course, thecommunity is also equipped with a security guard system. And at the area wherebags are put, we have designed ventilation pipeline system to guard againstmouldiness and dampness. When a person has several watches, without anautomatic wiggler, the idle watches will not work. So we have installed anautomatic wiggler...
Daily:You have learned all these from abroad?
Yang:Yes, we have seen them in different countries.
Daily:Many people say, the styles of Spain and France and European town have changedafter being introduced into China.
Yang:In fact this is the relationship between culture and knowledge. If a realestate enterprise has not well integrated culture and knowledge, it will berepelled by the market. We have such kind of lesson.
Forexample, Longteng Bay Villas, in the earlier stage we learned the experience ofthe US and designed the top floor of seaside villas into a sea-viewing balcony.However, at first the sales was not good. It turned out that Zhuhai peopleliked slope roof, so I changed the design. This made me deeply realize theimportance of integration of knowledge and culture. As a boss, it isinsufficient to simply own knowlege, which is at the levels of technology andprofession. We must also consider blending with local and regional culture.
Daily:Is this your experience accumulated over the years?
Yang:Yes, for this reason, we put forward a slogan "Navigate for life qualitypursuers".
Expectingmore complete facilities and environment of Zhuhai
Daily:From 1994 up to date, has the development of Great Aim lived up to yourearliest anticipation?
Yang:This is a very serious question. Without a dream of Zhuhai, I would have notsettled my enterprise in Zhuhai. We have made concrete efforts and gained,which cannot be quantitized. But for me, thus far Great Aim has lived up to myexpectation and even is better in some area.
Daily:Great Aim took root in Zhuhai in 2009, how about now? And how about afterglobalization?
Yang:For our part at home, we will continue to take root in Zhuhai. Like in whitelight communication, my first consideration is still Zhuhai. Of course, Zhuhaineeds to provide an evnrionment for the project. After all, our carrier shouldcome with many supporting factors such as policy and manpower.
Impressionon the reporter
Onthe shift from behaving to culture
Afterthe interview with Yang Feng in 2009, four years have elapsed and we met onceagain. Yang has not changed much, but was still full of spirit. He said that hehad grown old, but he was very clear about the interview in that year.
Thistime, he did not play Er-hu or recite a poem. Before the interview, he couldnot help showing the latest products of the company: A silver box with apassword. The moment the box was opened, it was believed to be a box of moneyor weapons just like commonly seen in Hong Kong and Taiwan movies. To mysurprise, there were just some nameless instruments and various wires andplugs.
Yangtook out his instruments and placed them properly. After connecting to thecomputer, a black frame appeared on the screen and in the frame was a shiningspot. Yang said, this spot was the display image located by LED lamps. As longas there are LED lamps, after the system is mounted, it can precisely locateany object. "This technology will be applied extensively", he saidproudly.
Onthe topic of real estate, Yang's focus seemed to be distinctively differentfrom the previous time. In the previous interview, the most impressive was thathe said, behaving should go before doing things. This time, he talked mostabout the relationship between knowledge and culture. His opinion was notunderstood at first. In the eyes of most people, knowledge and culture belongedto the same category. Those with culture must have knowledge; those withknowledge mostly have culture.
Yangsaid that all this was realized by him in these years. Knowledge refers toprofession and skill level, while culture refers to the level of thoughts andphilosophy. So is real estate development. Real estate industry does not lackknowledge, for it can be learned; but it lacks culture. A lot of culturescannot be copied directly, but should be gradually comprehended through theaccumulation of experience over the years.
Itturned out that the integration of knowledge and culture was reflected in realestate industry as "people orientation" we often mentioned.
Messagefrom Leadership
ZhuhaiCity is a large project. The government decision-maker is the "chiefengineer" of the project, while bosses of real estate developers may onlyplay a role of construction workers who follow the drawings. The operation of acity is also like that of a large factory. The decision-maker of the governmentis like the engineer of the assembly workshop, while real estate developers areno more than the workshops producing parts and components. The workshopsproduce following the drawings, while the assembly workshop assembles the partsand components following the design.
Inreal estate development, knowledge stands for profession, culture stands forinheritance and thoughts. Only by combining profession and developmentphilosophy can the real estate enterprise develop sustainably.