Father's Day 2020: The best advice from Hong Kong dads – and vice versa

Besides the never-ending ‘dad jokes’ (insert collective groan here), dads are also an endless source of wisdom, whether it’s in the form of a one-liner or one-hour monologue.

This Father’s Day, we asked five Hong Kong influencers to share the best advice their dads have ever given them, plus some wise words they’d give back to their pops.

PS. Don’t forget to celebrate Father’s Day this weekend with our luxury gift guides (whether he’s a watch, sports or gadget geek) and unique experiences, or spoil him with a dedicated Dad-themed staycation in Hong Kong!

See all our Father’s Day 2020 articles here

Tim Fung, creative consultant

My dad is… a jet-setting businessman by day and a talented chef, father and husband. He travels quite extensively for work but given the current situation, he’s been staying with me in Hong Kong, which means more quality father-and-son time for us, yay!

What I admire most about him is… that he can be both serious and focused when it comes to work, yet still make time to be silly and easygoing when he’s with his family. He’s honestly one of the most hardworking people you’ll ever meet. A busy body and always creating and building things, which I think early on as a child, I’ve adopted his work ethic.

The best advice my dad’s given me is… go out there and see the world, get your hands dirty and make mistakes. Only then will we learn, grow and live a truly fulfilling life.

My best advice I can give to my dad is… to take more time for himself rather than working so hard to provide for his family. He’s really the best dad in the world and I hope he can also find time to enjoy life!

Follow Tim Fung on Instagram @sunday.son

Zaneta Cheng, fashion writer and stylist

My dad is… someone who always gives more than 100 percent at what he does. When I was in primary school, he had a well-paid and well-respected role at Commercial Radio Hong Kong as COO, but he gave it up to become a freelancer in the media industry. He said he didn’t want to get too comfortable in a cushy job and even though he had responsibilities as a father, he decided that working harder to pursue his ideals was more fulfilling than staying in the comfort zone.

What I admire most about him is… he’s never taught me anything that he doesn’t do himself. I also love how he’s always learning and refusing to become stagnant. I mean, whose dad decides to start a YouTube channel during COVID-19 and then throws two concerts with HK megastars, which then get streamed on every major broadcaster in Hong Kong? Can I just say that I really admire my dad for being a boss at his job?

The best advice my dad’s given me is… never settle into a comfort zone, work damn hard for what you believe in, and always think about the long term regarding life and career. He also taught me to treat everything I do with integrity – be it people I meet on the street or at work. That it’s not important to be friends with 100 people but just two or three people who are extremely good friends. That if faced with people or situations that impinge on my integrity, it’s better to just walk away.

My best advice I can give to my dad is… we should hang out with my fun uncles more (who are also his best friends from youth). They always have a seriously good time and hanging out with them always makes him happy.

Follow Zaneta Cheng on Instagram @zanetacheng

Thierry Chow, feng shui designer

My dad is… a very kind, compassionate and hardworking person. Besides our father-daughter relationship, we also have a student-mentor relationship [in feng shui]. He teaches me a lot about life, wisdom, and ways to communicate with people, so he’s definitely one of my greatest role models.

What I admire most about him is… his determination and kindness towards his work and others.

The best advice my dad’s given me is… to be humble and kind always, and we can always learn more every day with an open mind and heart.

My best advice I can give to my dad is… to slow down more and enjoy life. He loves his work and since he is by nature super hardworking, I think he forgets to slow down sometimes. However, he’s naturally very connected, spiritually, so I think he’ll be just fine.

Follow Thierry Chow on Instagram @thierrychow

Veronica Li, stylist and image consultant

My dad is… a retired accountant who loves his family (e.g. his queen and two princesses) very much. He also has a hidden talent of fruit cutting!

What I admire most about him is… he’s always punctual and either arrives right on time or early. This has set a great example for me, not just in my daily habits but my overall attitude in life. It’s not just a work thing either – even as a dad picking me up from school in Vancouver, he was always on time (sometimes with a surprise bubble tea waiting for me in the car)!

The best advice my dad’s given me is… to be patient with numbers and to pay my taxes! As a professional accountant, he’s probably the best math tutor I could have asked for. He’s also full of real-life examples on problem solving and statistics to help me understand how numbers work in the real world.

My best advice I can give to my dad is… to stay motivated at any stage of life. Motivation isn’t just something that applies to work, it’s an ongoing marathon that makes you feel lively. Now that he’s retired, he can really have the luxury of exploring the world.

Follow Veronica Li on Instagram @vnikali

James Wong, personal trainer

My dad is… a small business owner from Hong Kong who has always been working hard to provide for the family.

What I admire most about him is… his ability to adapt to current situations in order for his business to survive. He’s also not afraid to stand up for his own morals and doing what he believes is right without having an ego.

The best advice my dad’s given me is… to understand that the world does not revolve around me and that you’ve got to work hard in order to accomplish things. Some achievements may take longer than others, but that should never be an excuse.

My best advice I can give to my dad is… keep being a great role model for me and the family!

Follow James Wong on Instagram @jameswnc

See all our Father’s Day 2020 articles here