Remembering Ms. Liu Biru, Honorary Trustee of Zhejiang University
Introduction:
This article, originally published by the Zhejiang University Alumni Association on September 23, 2025, reflects on the remarkable life of Ms. Liu Biru, Honorary Trustee of Zhejiang University.
Additional Notes:
This English version has been adapted for accessibility to English-speaking readers, with minor adjustments made for clarity. All images and captions are sourced from the original publication, with copyrights retained by their original creators, included to honor the spirit and details of the initial work. The original article in Chinese is available for viewing here.
Ms. Liu Biru’s life was a warm journey of serving the nation through industry and helping society with compassion. With gentle yet resilient strength, she illuminated both her family and the wider community, living out the Cha family’s ideal of “strengthening the nation through education.” Though she has passed, her spirit shines like the stars, and her family’s steadfast support for Zhejiang University and care for its students will be remembered for generations.
Hong Kong’s Ta Kung Pao recently published a moving tribute by former editor Ye Zhongmin, filled with affection and respect. Ms. Liu Biru passed away on August 29, 2025, at the age of 106. Her funeral was held a few days ago, and she will be buried in her hometown on an auspicious day, where she will be reunited with her husband, the famous patriotic industrialist Mr. Cha Jimin, in the family cemetery in Yuanhua Town, Haining, Zhejiang.
Throughout her century‑long life, Liu Biru embodied traditional virtues: patriotism, devotion to her hometown, care for society, support for her husband, and frugality in managing her household. In 1949 she moved with her husband to Hong Kong, where they established the China Dyeing Factory in Tsuen Wan, later expanded to Nigeria, and eventually developed Discovery Bay on Lantau Island. As a company director, she was hands‑on, personally involved in fabric design, dye improvements, and machinery processes, working alongside master craftsmen until results were perfected. Unlike many wealthy women of her era, she was a true expert in textiles, able to discuss dyes, fabrics, and quality with authority.
Her expertise was inherited: her father, Liu Guojun, was a renowned industrialist in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, founder of Dacheng Dyeing Factory in Changzhou, and creator of the famous “Dacheng Blue” fabric. It was at Dacheng that Cha Jimin began his career, later marrying Liu Biru in what became a lifelong partnership in industry and patriotism.
Together, the couple played pivotal roles in Hong Kong’s development and China’s national interests. When Discovery Bay land was at risk of foreign acquisition, Cha Jimin purchased it to safeguard national security, with Liu Biru’s full support. During Hong Kong’s return in 1997, she accompanied her husband to Beijing meetings, offering counsel and fostering camaraderie among delegates. She even published a poetry collection to commemorate the handover.
The couple also founded the Qiu Shi Science and Technology Foundation, rewarding scientists who made significant contributions to China’s research. Liu Biru warmly hosted the families of committee members and ensured the awards ceremonies were conducted with respect and humility. She herself served as a member of the Jiangsu Provincial CPPCC, Honorary Professor of Zhejiang University, and Chair of Hong Kong Yan Chai Hospital’s board, receiving an honorary doctorate in social sciences from Hong Kong Baptist University.
Known for her forthright personality and capable management, she raised seven successful children and cherished poetry, leaving verses that reflected both hardship and joy. Her life was marked by generosity, humility, and a deep respect for others, qualities that continue to inspire remembrance and admiration.
Attribution & Credentials:
- Original article: Zhejiang University Alumni Association, September 23, 2025.
- Supplementary material adapted from Ta Kung Pao, September 15, 2025, B2 edition.
- Editors: Wang Jing, Hua Xiangli.
- Final review: Shao Di.
