our history
THE ORIGIN OF HUA LIEN & CASTLE BRIDGE LIMITED
The Origin of Hua Lien can be traced back to late 1974 when a group of young people decided that the time had come for the setting up of a club which would help to promote Chinese culture, assist the needy and provide for the cultural, educational and social advancement and general welfare of its members.
Shortly afterwards, in early 1975, the club vindicated its existence when it succeeded in raising Rs5 000 to provide the needy following the havoc wreaked by cyclone Gervaise. Spurred by this response, the promoters set themselves to the next task which was to provide the club with premises of its own, where its members would meet and help to foster the spirit and purpose of the association.
Given the magnitude of the investment, the promoters decided that the best alternative would be to float a company which would then acquire the premise and put it at Hua Lien’s disposal. In this way, Hua Lien could have the means to pursue its objectives, while at the same time, the investment of the shareholders could be safeguarded. Should Hua Lien not succeed in what it has set itself to accomplish, and this sincerely, we hope will not happen, then it would still be possible for the shareholders to recover their investment (probably at a premium) by selling the property.
So in December 1975, Castle Bridge Ltd was incorporated and it acquired a beautiful mansion ‘Valcreuse’ situated on 2.5 acres of land at Eau Coulée. The purchase was effected on the basis of a deposit of Rs 139,300 and the balance of Rs 525,300 was to be paid over a period of time at 9% interest. The capital was raised by the issue of Ordinary Shares of Rs 100 each.
Ever since its acquisition ‘Valcreuse’ which has been renamed Castle Bridge has been put at the disposal of Hua Lien for its activities.
The activities organized by Hua Lien so far have been many and diverse – Niet Pan, Pat Niet Pan, Spring festival celebrations, open day celebrations, to name a few. The first anniversary celebration, which was a landmark in the history of our club proved a tremendous success, both by the attendance and the enthusiasm which it drew.