Lee Hysan

Lee was born in Hawaii. Lee's father was Lee Leung-yik (Chinese: 利良奕), a businessman who was heavily involved in the opium business in Hong Kong and China. Lee's ancestral home was in Kaiping, Jiangmen, Guangdong, China and Lee Leung-yik immigrated and moved his family to the US during the California Gold Rush at age 49 when immigration from Qing-era China was illegal. After making a small fortune, the family left San Francisco in 1896 and eventually relocated to Xinhui, Guangdong province and then to Hong Kong.

At age seventeen, after arriving in Hong Kong, Lee Hysan continued his studies at Queen's College. Since he spoke English fluently, he later taught English at Queen's College, his alma mater.

Lee's father achieved great wealth from the opium trade, and Lee inherited his father's business. Having amassed a great fortune from his successful opium business, Lee later participated in the fast-growing Hong Kong real estate market.

In 1923, he bought the Jardine's Hill property, west of Causeway Bay, from Jardines for HK$3.8 million. He initially wanted to build opium refinery facilities there, but owing to the global anti-opium movement, he changed his plan and developed the property as Lee Garden. It is approximately the area around Lee Garden Road, Lee Theatre, Yun Ping Road and Percival Street.

In March 1905, Lee's son Richard Charles Lee was born in Hong Kong, as a result of his first marriage. In November 1923, Jung Kong Lee was also born in Hong Kong, from his second marriage.