The Curious case of Feng Shui and Nina Wang in Hong Kong
Curious is not the right phrase - mind boggling is
The J3 Group - Premium Quality Private Tours | Experiences and Insider Chats since 2010
Me Jamie, your host, I am English and I have lived in Hong Kong since January 2nd 1972 - I know the place.
A meaningful blog post with a difference - tips on Travel, Tourism, Tours, Daily Life and my personal thoughts on Hong Kong.
Please do visit Amazing Hong Kong
Hong Kong | Pearl of the Orient
Customised Private Tours & Experiences in Amazing Hong Kong
Pearl of the Orient
Carefully Crafted Personalised and Customised Itineraries by Jamie | Hong Kong’s Most Experienced Private Tour Guide For : Solo Travellers Friends Families Seniors Couples Business People etc.
Private Tours Cultural Tours Walking Tours Sightseeing Tours City Tours Night Tours Layover | Transit Tours Private Shore Excursions Bespoke Tours Personalised Tour s Heritage Tours Luxury Private Tours Day Tours Themed Tours Private Family Tours Private Day Tours Corporate Tours
+ my unique Insider Chat Experience
Just you, your group and Jamie - your dedicated local guide who has lived in Hong Kong for 50+ years!
J3 Group Hong Kong | J3 Consultants Hong Kong | J3 Private Tours Hong Kong
Creating Memories That Will Last A Lifetime
Timeless Hong Kong Stories, Tailored Just for You by Jamie
A Resident since 1972 - Sharing Hong Kong as Only a Local Can
click on the image to enlarge
© Copyright Acknowledged | All rights reserved
Nina Wang | The Tragic Billionaire | Hong Kong
I have lived in Hong Kong for over 50 years
On my private tours and experiences I obviously get asked about Feng Shui and we have some pretty amazing stories here and I have to say I get a lot of skeptical looks and my guests think I am pulling their legs, I am not, everything I say, well these days you can check the facts with Google or AI.
I am not a skeptic at all, I have lived here for too long and the wife has what I called “feng shuied” our apartment in addition I am a Brit and we have a few odd superstitions, mine revolves around Friday 13th because I was born on Friday 13th! of course this cannot compete with Feng Shui in Hong Kong, it is one of the most interesting and fascinating aspects of Chinese Culture and whilst some of it makes no sense to me, that is irrelevant, I was blessed with an open mind and it fits right into my storytelling ethos, however I am NOT an expert, just a storyteller!
…and sometimes I get into conversations about Nina Wang who was pretty darn wealthy and after her husband vanished, never to be seen again, she attracted a fair number of gold diggers and nutcases all wanting a piece of her massive wealth.
This is a fantastic story I pull out of my hat when skeptics call feng shui "mystical claptrap," it's one of the wildest, most high-profile cases in modern Hong Kong history that shows just how seriously (and expensively) some people take it, even at the billionaire level. The Nina Wang saga is basically a real-life soap opera involving billions, romance, forgery, and extreme feng shui rituals. It never fails to grab attention because it's so over-the-top that, as you say, you couldn't make it up.
In a nutshell it is about Feng Shui, the Wang family fortune revolved around property amongst others and Feng Shui plays a major role in this sector
This is the short explanation
Feng Shui ("wind-water") in Hong Kong is the widespread, serious practice of aligning architecture and interior design with natural energy (
) to maximize prosperity and harmony. It is deeply integrated into city life, with masters consulted for office layouts, building designs, and home purchases to attract good fortune and deflect negative energy.
Key Aspects of Hong Kong Feng Shui:
Architecture & Skyline: Iconic buildings often incorporate Feng Shui principles to harness positive energy from the surroundings, such as the HSBC Main Building and its open plaza or the Bank of China Tower's sharp edges.
Location & Geography: Buildings are often positioned between mountains (protection) and water (wealth), such as facing Victoria Harbour.
Business & Daily Life: Beyond homes, it is used to guide corporate decision-making and, in some cases, even investment strategies.
Cultural Significance: Due to history and rapid modernization, Hong Kong retains strong traditional beliefs, making it a place where ancient practices coexist with a modern metropolis.
Key principles include the Form School (landscape shapes) and the Compass School (directions), often utilizing the Luo Pan (magnetic compass) to determine optimal layout, and maintaining a balance of the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water).
In Hong Kong, where feng shui is a blend of ancient tradition and modern lifestyle, the line between a reputable master and a "self-proclaimed" expert is increasingly blurred. As the scene has shifted from strict apprenticeship to accessible training courses, "self-proclaimed" experts often emerge after short courses, utilizing social media and marketing rather than decades of traditional mentorship
I should point out that we have plenty of self proclaimed experts in Feng Shui in Hong Kong and I would not trust personally a Feng Shui Master who was on Instagram, but that is just me! I simply cannot imagine that HSBC for example used anyone other than a famous master with all the right credentials! (no Instagram in 1986 when their new headquarters opened)
The criteria for self-proclaimed Feng Shui experts often include:
Completion of Short Courses: Instead of a traditional, long-term apprenticeship under a master, these individuals often "sign up, get a certificate, then off they go as a feng shui master," providing no guarantee of qualified, in-depth knowledge.
Heavy Social Media Reliance: Unlike established masters who rely on word-of-mouth reputation built over decades, many self-proclaimed practitioners use platforms like Instagram or Facebook to draw new, often younger or international, clients.
Modernizing | Rebranding Tradition: They may rebrand themselves as "interior designers who incorporate feng shui" or lifestyle consultants rather than traditional practitioners, making them more appealing to a contemporary, urban audience.
Lack of Long-Term Lineage or Association Membership: Reputable masters often belong to recognized bodies like the International Feng Shui Association (IFSA), while self-styled consultants frequently lack such affiliations or formal accreditation.
Focus on "Quick Fixes" or Products: A red flag for self-proclaimed experts is a high-pressure, sales-oriented approach that emphasizes buying expensive trinkets, charms, or "cures" over genuine, structural adjustments.
Red Flags Distinguishing Them from Genuine Masters:
Lack of In-Depth Knowledge: They may lack understanding of complex classical methods like Flying Stars or Bazi (Four Pillars of Destiny).
Fear - Based Selling: They may use scare tactics, predicting doom unless high-priced remedies are purchased, rather than offering empowering, practical advice.
No Clear Track Record: They cannot provide, or have few, verifiable long-term case studies or credible testimonials from satisfied clients.
In contrast, established, reputable Hong Kong masters (like Chow Hon-ming or Raymond Lo) are characterized by decades of experience, deep knowledge of Classical Feng Shui, and a reputation built on successful, long-term results
… and yes, for many Feng Shui is related to extreme wealth…..
Quick background story on Nina Wang
Nina Wang (龔如心, nicknamed "Little Sweetie" for her pigtails and petite frame) was once Asia's richest woman, worth an estimated US$4 -12 billion through the Chinachem Group (a massive property and chemical empire she ran after her husband Teddy Wang went missing in 1990 - widely believed kidnapped and possibly murdered, though his body was never found). She died of cancer in April 2007 at age 69. - the image above, well she was definitely a kid at heart!
The Feng Shui Master: Tony Chan (Now Peter Chan)
Enter Tony Chan Chun-chuen (陳振聰), a former bartender and hairdresser who reinvented himself as a self-proclaimed feng shui expert. Wang reportedly hired him around 1992, initially to help "locate" her missing husband through geomancy. Their relationship allegedly turned romantic (he was over 20 years younger, married with kids), and he became her close confidant and adviser.
I always chuckle at this, I have a hairdresser, a weedy kid in his early 20’s and I could not imagine having a conversation with him on the subject Feng Shui (he is pretty good at cutting my hair thought)
Over the years, Wang paid him enormous sums - court testimony revealed hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars (some reports cite around HK$2 Billion (US$256 Million) total in payments, including large cash transfers). Part of this involved bizarre rituals tied to feng shui beliefs:
They dug dozens of deep "feng shui holes" (up to 80 in some accounts, some 30 feet deep) on Chinachem properties across Hong Kong.
Into these holes went jade pieces, gems, ancient coins, statuary, and crucially, truckloads of cash (sometimes delivered in suitcases or sacks late at night).
The purpose? To "appease spirits," improve energy flows, cure her illnesses, prolong her life, or help find her husband—classic high-stakes feng shui to manipulate fortune, health, and fate. Some holes were for "burying" wealth to attract more, or as offerings in rituals..
… and you guessed it, he would often go back to these holes that they dug and retrieve anything of value!
When Nina Wang died, Chan produced a 2006 will claiming she left her entire fortune to him as the sole beneficiary. A competing 2002 will left everything to the Chinachem Charitable Foundation (set up by Wang and her family for philanthropy).
i guess he thought that US$256 Million was not enough to cover his expenses, the real prize was the entire family fortune, clearly he did not think it through
The Court Drama and Outcome
The battle dragged on for years in Hong Kong courts (2007–2013+), captivating the city with lurid details: secret affair admissions, pigtail locks as love tokens, model helicopter building as couple activities, and those ritual holes/cash burials. The court ultimately ruled in 2010 (upheld on appeal) that the 2006 will was a forgery—Chan's signature claim was a "highly skilled simulation." The fortune went to charity, not him.
Chan was later convicted of forgery in 2013 and sentenced to 12 years in prison (he served about 8 before early release in 2021, changed his name to Peter Chan after converting to Christianity, and has faced bankruptcy extensions since).
The old chestnut of “finding God” - always a convenient explanation to cover your misdeeds, in this case an epic scam issue and yes I appreciate that many people do find God but with this chap, well you could see right through him, he had few morals and scruples and his only mission was to get all of that money.
It's the perfect counter to doubters: here's one of the world's richest women, pragmatic in business, handing over hundreds of millions (including literal buried suitcases of cash) to a self-taught "expert" for feng shui rituals involving holes, spirits, and energy appeasement. It shows feng shui isn't just quirky home tips in Hong Kong - it's a force that can influence massive decisions, even when mixed with personal relationships or greed.
You couldn't script it better - "Even Asia's richest woman buried fortunes in the ground believing it would bring more - talk about faith in the unseen!" when I tell this story skeptical Americans in particular especially perk up because it contrasts so sharply with their "lite" version of traditional Hong Kong feng shui - no rearranging cushions here; we're talking literal treasure burials for cosmic favor.
The Nina Wang story is like a perfect spotlight on those deep cultural differences between East and West.
I use the term Feng Shui lite because I cannot think of a better phrase, even the wife does not delve too deeply because you can get so caught up in it, you start to make bad decisions and you become irrational (like Nina Wang)
In the West (especially the U.S. and much of Europe), belief systems around luck, energy, or fate tend to be either:
Dismissed as superstition or "claptrap" by the skeptical majority,
Treated as fun, optional lifestyle tweaks (feng shui lite, crystals, astrology apps, manifesting on vision boards),
Or kept very private if someone does take them seriously - no one wants to look irrational in a culture that prizes logic, evidence, and individualism.
Handing over hundreds of millions (with suitcases of cash buried in ritual holes) to influence unseen forces would be seen as wildly eccentric at best, fraudulent or delusional at worst. The court case itself became tabloid fodder partly because the amounts were so staggering and the rituals so theatrical - it shocked people precisely because it clashed with that rational, secular default.
In Hong Kong (and much of East Asia), the worldview is different at a foundational level and I absolutely believe that.
The line between the material and the spiritual is blurrier. Qi, spirits, ancestral influence, and cosmic balance aren't "supernatural" add-ons - they're part of how the world works.
Prosperity isn't just about hard work or smart deals; it's also about being in harmony with unseen flows. A billionaire consulting a feng shui master isn't seen as weak-minded - it's seen as prudent, like insuring your assets or diversifying investments.
Publicly admitting or even boasting about it carries less stigma. It's normalized in business circles, family decisions, and major projects. The idea that ignoring it could invite real misfortune is taken seriously enough that people act on it at scale.
How Mr. Chan "Blew" So Much Money in such a Short Time
Chan didn't exactly "blow" a fortune post-2007 in the classic spendthrift sense after Nina Wang's death - because he never actually inherited her billions in the end. The courts ruled his claimed 2006 will was a forgery, so the estate (estimated HK$83 billion / ~US$10-12 billion at the time) went to the Chinachem Charitable Foundation instead.
What he did accumulate during Wang's lifetime (roughly 1992–2007) was enormous: he received payments totaling around HK$2.7–3.2 billion (US$350–400 million+) from her, framed as "feng shui fees" for services like digging those ritual holes on Chinachem properties, "Zhong Sheng Ji" (life-prolonging) arrangements, and other geomancy work. Some reports break it down with massive lump sums, like three separate HK$688 million or US$88 million payments between 2005 - 2006 alone.
With that influx, he lived extravagantly while Wang was alive and in the years immediately after her death (before the full legal fallout):
Bought a luxury Airbus A318 Elite private jet in Dubai (over HK$1.5 billion / ~US$190 million in 2007), reportedly the first individual buyer of that model.
Already owned a Gulfstream private jet worth HK$280 million or US$36 Million
Lived in high-end properties (including a reported HK234 million or US$$30 million home at one point).
Invested in or owned stakes in businesses, like partial ownership in RCG Holdings (a biometrics/RFID company listed on HK and London exchanges, partly funded via Wang connections).
Other luxuries tied to his lifestyle upgrade from public housing roots and that phrase is steeped in irony
Once the courts rejected his inheritance claim (final rulings 2010 - 2011), the money dried up fast due to:
Massive legal costs (he was ordered to pay HK$400 million+ or US$51 million in fees).
Tax demands (Inland Revenue chased HK$300 - 340 million or US$38 to US$43 million in back taxes on those "gifts/fees").
Asset seizures (six properties taken post-release to repay debts).
Bankruptcy declaration in 2021 after failing to settle debts, with extensions—most recently in 2025, his bankruptcy was extended another four years (to at least 2029) for non-payment and lack of financial disclosure (including HK$28.4 million or US$3,7 miilion in unpaid legal fees to the foundation).
He served 8 years of his 12- year sentence (released early in 2021 for good behavior), converted to Christianity (hence the name change to Peter), renounced feng shui as "evil," and has been low-profile since. No evidence of wild post-prison spending - he's been mired in debt and legal restrictions.
So what is the moral of the story, who the heck knows but greed is clearly the big issue HK$2 Billion (US$256 Million) I am pretty certain myself and the missus could live quite comfortably with that but for this chap, well he believed his own publicity and decided that the amount he got was pocket money, he wanted the whole kit and kaboodle and that was his downfall, on the plus side, he lived the highlife for quite a few years and hopefully he felt remorse about conning a lovely lady out of a large portion of her wealth
So there you go, as stories go, well, top that!
I do not do food tours
I am pleased to say a lot of Food Tour Companies will have egg tarts on their tasting menu
I have very specific reasons and part of it is that I do not speak Cantonese or write Chinese, I am from Yorkshire in England and I lack the language gene and it is not through lack of trying and yes a lot of restaurants do not have English menu’s or staff who speak conversational English.
.. and yet I have eaten at close to 1,400 restaurants in Hong Kong since January 2nd 1972, my wife was born in Hong Kong and we have been together over 40 years and her first language is Cantonese and a lot of her family are Chinese or half Chinese so I have never had much of an issue!
This does not translate to doing food tours though, yes, I could do them, no problem there but they would never ever be as good as the food tours done by my friends (see the 3 links above) most of their awesome guides are locally born Hong Kong Chinese and obviously food culture is part of their DNA, it is impossible for me to compete with that!
So please feel free to contact them for food tours
© Jamie Lloyd | J3 Consultants Hong Kong | J3 Private Tours Hong Kong |
| 2010 - 2026 All rights reserved. |
Click on any image to enlarge to full screen
Current images from my Instagram feed
