Hins Cheung

Born and raised in Guangzhou, Hins Cheung’s path to becoming the Mando-pop and Canto-pop heartthrob he is today wasn’t without its setbacks. He started singing in bars as a teenager and, when he was 17, took a leap of faith, giving up an opportunity to work in banking, and signing a recording contract in Hong Kong. This turned out to be a scam. Undeterred from pursuing his dream, he borrowed 50,000 RMB from his mother, wrote his own songs, reached out to music radio stations and produced his first album, Hins’ First, on his own.

The first album received rave reviews and opened doors for him in the music industry. He spent the next several years performing at schools while continuing to write and produce songs such as the popular Passing Rain, Ardently Love, Under the Sakura and My Way. Cheung has since won music awards such as the Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award, and My Favourite Male Singer at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards.

With his success, Cheung has also had the means to indulge his passion for heritage preservation. In 2015 he took over the operation of the historic Avon Recording Studios and refitted it with classic analogue equipment. In 2018 he recreated Juno, the city’s first revolving restaurant, as Junon, a French cabaret restaurant in Wan Chai. In 2021, he transformed the 150-year-old watch and jewellery brand Sennet Frères into a modern bridal boutique.

(Photo: Visual China Group via Getty Images)