A farewell in Macau for Lui Che-woo, casino tycoon who founded Galaxy Entertainment

Scores of businessmen, politicians and family friends turned up at a memorial service in Macau to pay their final respects to the late Lui Che-woo, the Hong Kong property and casino magnate who died on November 7 at the age of 95.

Elsie Ao Ieong, Macau’s Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, and José Maria da Fonseca Tavares, the president of the city’s Municipal Affairs Bureau, were among those who gathered to honour Lui’s life and achievements.

The memorial at the Galaxy International Convention Centre will be open to the public up to December 3, from 3pm to 6pm local time, according to a statement issued by Galaxy Entertainment Group.

The family will hold a funeral service at the Hong Kong Funeral Parlour at 3pm local time on December 4, according to an earlier statement on Monday. A public memorial service will take place on December 5, after which his body will be transferred to the Hong Kong Buddhist Cemetery for burial.

Lui rose from humble beginnings selling peanuts and snacks to become one of Asia’s richest tycoons with a portfolio of hotels, casino resorts and property in Hong Kong and Macau. He founded developer K. Wah group in 1995 and won a casino licence in Macau in 2002 through Galaxy.