In 2024-2025, ZeShan Foundation funded MIPCRC to conduct a 9-month study titled Feasibility of Setting Up a Central Depository for Storing ‘Three Instruments of Peace’ in Hong Kong.
2020-Present2020-Present2020-present2020-PresentAgeingHealth & Well BeingOther Health ProjectsOthersVulnerable Groups
Inner Peace
‘May the Five Blessings descend upon your door’ is an auspicious saying commonly exchanged on festive occasions. In fact, ‘Five Blessings’ comes from Confucian classic The Book of Documents and refers to longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and peaceful passing, in its chapter on Great Plan. In today’s Hong Kong, how can we ensure that our loved ones and ourselves enjoy all Five Blessings in our finite lives? ‘Five Blessings’ is Hong Kong’s first professional life-death planning service. It was launched by OneTake ted jointly with two other local social enterprises, ‘ForeverGift.hk’ and ‘Minimal Funeral Limited’. Let it Go.’ Our team of lawyers, doctors, and funeral planners offer a one-stop solution to arranging one’s will, enduring power of attorney, and advanced directive in relation to medical treatment, besides funeral planning and capturing life stories. We organise talks for social service organisations and the public, so as to help people of different socio-economic backgrounds make preparations for themselves and their loved ones with ease. To ensure that underprivileged communities can access such services, we established Hong Kong’s first Five Blessings Center, with funding from ZeShan Foundation, other family foundations, and the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund), as well as support from the Hong Kong Council of Social Service’s Impact Incubator. Our Inner Peace Program aims to popularise life-death planning through public education and professional consultation, as well as offering ‘Five Blessings’ services free-of-charge to older adults and chronically or terminally ill patients referred by social service organisations. Five Blessings Centre, One Take Limited
‘May the Five Blessings descend upon your door’ is an auspicious saying commonly exchanged on festive occasions. In fact, ‘Five Blessings’ comes from Confucian classic The Book of Documents and refers to longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and peaceful passing, in its chapter on Great Plan. In today’s Hong Kong, how can we ensure that our loved ones and ourselves enjoy all Five Blessings in our finite lives? ‘Five Blessings’ is Hong Kong’s first professional life-death planning service. It was launched by OneTake ted jointly with two other local social enterprises, ‘ForeverGift.hk’ and ‘Minimal Funeral Limited’. Let it Go.’ Our team of lawyers, doctors, and funeral planners offer a one-stop solution to arranging one’s will, enduring power of attorney, and advanced directive in relation to medical treatment, besides funeral planning and capturing life stories. We organise talks for social service organisations and the public, so as to help people of different socio-economic backgrounds make preparations for themselves and their loved ones with ease. To ensure that underprivileged communities can access such services, we established Hong Kong’s first Five Blessings Center, with funding from ZeShan Foundation, other family foundations, and the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund), as well as support from the Hong Kong Council of Social Service’s Impact Incubator. Our Inner Peace Program aims to popularise life-death planning through public education and professional consultation, as well as offering ‘Five Blessings’ services free-of-charge to older adults and chronically or terminally ill patients referred by social service organisations. Five Blessings Centre, One Take Limite
Inner Peace
One Take Limited, Hong Kong
Related Links
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Overcoming Loneliness
The World Health Organization has declared loneliness to be a “pressing health threat” worldwide, with health risks comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Many studies have confirmed that loneliness not only increases mortality risks, but also worsens health problems such as hypertension, depression, and anxiety. According to the “Elderly Mental Wellness Telescreening Survey in Hong Kong 2022” conducted by the University of Hong Kong, a third of older adults in Hong Kong suffered from depression, anxiety, or loneliness. Loneliness is clearly spreading in our community and is a cause of mental health issues. Yet, little is known about the practice of Social Prescribing in Hong Kong. Since early 2024, MaD has been receiving funding from ZeShan Foundation and the Phillip K. H. Wong Foundation to launch the Social Prescribing Lab. This program tests how to alleviate loneliness in older adults through exploring community resources and linking them to individuals, going beyond conventional medically-driven frameworks. The program piloted in Tai Kok Tsui and Sai Ying Pun, where Link Workers of different backgrounds and professions were recruited and trained. They were paired with older adults to establish relationships of trust and to co-create Social Prescribing solutions that were individualized and user-centric. The Link Workers then accompanied the older adults to take part in the prescribed activities. MaD’s localized model aims to go deep into communities and explore untapped resources for primary healthcare, as well as mobilizing manpower reserves (such as ‘mid-old’ retirees and university students) to relieve pressures on health and social care. Through the process of co-creation and experimentation with older adults, it also aims to build ‘meaningful connections’ that foster social capital, so as to support older adults in overcoming social isolation and improving their quality of life. Ultimately, we hope that this exploration of non-medical community resources could offer alternatives that complement the existing system, thus contributing to the development of community-based primary healthcare for all. MaD Social Lab team,
The World Health Organization has declared loneliness to be a “pressing health threat” worldwide, with health risks comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Many studies have confirmed that loneliness not only increases mortality risks, but also worsens health problems such as hypertension, depression, and anxiety. According to the “Elderly Mental Wellness Telescreening Survey in Hong Kong 2022” conducted by the University of Hong Kong, a third of older adults in Hong Kong suffered from depression, anxiety, or loneliness. Loneliness is clearly spreading in our community and is a cause of mental health issues. Yet, little is known about the practice of Social Prescribing in Hong Kong. Since early 2024, MaD has been receiving funding from ZeShan Foundation and the Phillip K. H. Wong Foundation to launch the Social Prescribing Lab. This program tests how to alleviate loneliness in older adults through exploring community resources and linking them to individuals, going beyond conventional medically-driven frameworks. The program piloted in Tai Kok Tsui and Sai Ying Pun, where Link Workers of different backgrounds and professions were recruited and trained. They were paired with older adults to establish relationships of trust and to co-create Social Prescribing solutions that were individualized and user-centric. The Link Workers then accompanied the older adults to take part in the prescribed activities. MaD’s localized model aims to go deep into communities and explore untapped resources for primary healthcare, as well as mobilizing manpower reserves (such as ‘mid-old’ retirees and university students) to relieve pressures on health and social care. Through the process of co-creation and experimentation with older adults, it also aims to build ‘meaningful connections’ that foster social capital, so as to support older adults in overcoming social isolation and improving their quality of life. Ultimately, we hope that this exploration of non-medical community resources could offer alternatives that complement the existing system, thus contributing to the development of community-based primary healthcare for all. MaD Social Lab team,
Overcoming Loneliness
Make A Difference Institute, Hong Kong
Make A Difference Institute
Make A Difference InstituteRelated Links
The escalating conflicts in Myanmar have led to widespread displacement, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis among vulnerable groups, especially children. Numerous families have been forced into precarious living conditions in camps or host communities where basic necessities and essential safeguards are scarce. This displacement has severely disrupted children's education, exposing them to various forms of exploitation and increasing their vulnerabilities to violence. Indiscriminate shelling, airstrikes, and the presence of unexploded ordnances have not only caused physical harm but also instilled a pervasive sense of insecurity and fear, hampering daily activities and economic recovery.
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Care Food: Spoonfuls Of Joy For Everyone
Kerry Group and ZeShan Foundation, to popularise Care Food and promote exchanges in the food & beverage industry. The Working Group will strengthen community outreach and public education through workshops and exhibitions. It also hopes to drive the development of Care Food Seed Restaurants through collaborations in different communities. This network of eateries will enable people with dysphagia to easily find suitable food and enjoy meals at the same table as their family, thus fostering a caring and inclusive society.
Against the backdrop of increased longevity, we have witnessed an influx of expertise and ideas across sectors to reimagine various fronts of life after adulthood, from daily living, to participation in learning, work and social activities. However, when it comes to living space where elders spend most of their time in, we might find it less often to talk about and act on.
Sharing the vision for bridging gaps in senior housing development, ZeShan Foundation teamed up with Ho Cheung Shuk Yuen Charitable Foundation in early 2023 to provide a 2-year capacity building grant for incubating Happy Ageing Lab Foundation as the new think-and-do tank to build a more age-friendly living environment.
Happy Ageing Lab Foundation will keep pushing forward on the endeavours in revamping the design and management of local built environment for healthy ageing, through (i) advancing its capacity in knowledge mobilisation (ii) connecting and supporting more like-minded housing providers & professionals, NGOs, and of course residents to pilot innovative age-friendly housing design around Hong Kong.
ZeShan looks forward to seeing where this journey will lead us to. May there be more inclusive housing design ideas in bloom? Would it be possible to enrich existing narratives around active ageing? Let’s stay tuned. Alexa Li
Against the backdrop of increased longevity, we have witnessed an influx of expertise and ideas across sectors to reimagine various fronts of life after adulthood, from daily living, to participation in learning, work and social activities. However, when it comes to living space where elders spend most of their time in, we might find it less often to talk about and act on.
Sharing the vision for bridging gaps in senior housing development, ZeShan Foundation teamed up with Ho Cheung Shuk Yuen Charitable Foundation in early 2023 to provide a 2-year capacity building grant for incubating Happy Ageing Lab Foundation as the new think-and-do tank to build a more age-friendly living environment.
Happy Ageing Lab Foundation will keep pushing forward on the endeavours in revamping the design and management of local built environment for healthy ageing, through (i) advancing its capacity in knowledge mobilisation (ii) connecting and supporting more like-minded housing providers & professionals, NGOs, and of course residents to pilot innovative age-friendly housing design around Hong Kong.
ZeShan looks forward to seeing where this journey will lead us to. May there be more inclusive housing design ideas in bloom? Would it be possible to enrich existing narratives around active ageing? Let’s stay tuned. Alexa Li
House of Senior Wellness
Happy Ageing Lab Foundation, Hong Kong House of Senior Wellness
Happy Ageing Lab Foundation, Hong Kong
Assistant Program Manager
ZeShan Foundation
Assistant Program Manager
ZeShan Foundation
Health inequity in rural areas is sometimes neglected in our city. In Sai Kung alone, there are more than 158,800 senior citizens, accounting for 32% of the district population. It is estimated that at least 10,000 of them are still living dispersedly and remotely among 110 rural villages, very far away from the closest major government-funded healthcare facilities in the urban town of Tseung Kwan O.
In addition, insufficient internet coverage remains as one of the greatest hurdles for implementing telehealth services there, as concluded in our supported pilot project by Sai Kung District Community Centre (SKDCC). Despite numerous barriers, as a community-based NGO, SKDCC continues its pursuit to address the service gaps at the first contact point of primary healthcare system and to explore more effective solutions for ageing-in-place in rural areas.
Since July 2022, ZeShan Foundation, together with Kerry Group, has therefore been co-funding SKDCC’s another 3-year pilot project “Mobile Primary Healthcare in Rural Sai Kung for Elderly”. The team has been reaching out to elderly villagers to strengthen their self-efficacy, through combining the use of smart devices for monitoring, health coaching, mobilisation of community health ambassadors and case management, with a more holistic lens of maintaining a better quality of life in terms of healthcare and social connections. These approaches align with ZeShan’s three guiding principles, namely ‘empowerment’ (by increasing the capacity of older persons to take charge of their own health, and of communities to take care of each), “engagement & collaboration” (by facilitating partnerships among social workers, pharmacies, researchers and community members, including the development of protocols and mechanism of collaboration), and “catalyzing innovations and flexibility” (by providing capital to an NGO such as SKDCC to test new collaborations and engage policy-making stakeholders).
Health inequity in rural areas is sometimes neglected in our city. In Sai Kung alone, there are more than 158,800 senior citizens, accounting for 32% of the district population. It is estimated that at least 10,000 of them are still living dispersedly and remotely among 110 rural villages, very far away from the closest major government-funded healthcare facilities in the urban town of Tseung Kwan O.
In addition, insufficient internet coverage remains as one of the greatest hurdles for implementing telehealth services there, as concluded in our supported pilot project by Sai Kung District Community Centre (SKDCC). Despite numerous barriers, as a community-based NGO, SKDCC continues its pursuit to address the service gaps at the first contact point of primary healthcare system and to explore more effective solutions for ageing-in-place in rural areas.
Since July 2022, ZeShan Foundation, together with Kerry Group, has therefore been co-funding SKDCC’s another 3-year pilot project “Mobile Primary Healthcare in Rural Sai Kung for Elderly”. The team has been reaching out to elderly villagers to strengthen their self-efficacy, through combining the use of smart devices for monitoring, health coaching, mobilisation of community health ambassadors and case management, with a more holistic lens of maintaining a better quality of life in terms of healthcare and social connections. These approaches align with ZeShan’s three guiding principles, namely ‘empowerment’ (by increasing the capacity of older persons to take charge of their own health, and of communities to take care of each), “engagement & collaboration” (by facilitating partnerships among social workers, pharmacies, researchers and community members, including the development of protocols and mechanism of collaboration), and “catalyzing innovations and flexibility” (by providing capital to an NGO such as SKDCC to test new collaborations and engage policy-making stakeholders).
Moreover, this project is also testing a community-based referral system for professional treatment and a co-payment system referencing government subsidy scale like Health Care Voucher and Community Care Service Voucher, etc. Evidence-based evaluation would also be conducted in order to assess the project outcomes, including connectivity between social resources and the actual needs for these underserved communities in remote areas.
As an effort to expand its partnership, SKDCC has also received free health coaching for its nurse staff and free nursing support from the project team of HomeAge of the City University of Hong Kong.
Tsz Kwan Lai
Moreover, this project is also testing a community-based referral system for professional treatment and a co-payment system referencing government subsidy scale like Health Care Voucher and Community Care Service Voucher, etc. Evidence-based evaluation would also be conducted in order to assess the project outcomes, including connectivity between social resources and the actual needs for these underserved communities in remote areas.
As an effort to expand its partnership, SKDCC has also received free health coaching for its nurse staff and free nursing support from the project team of HomeAge of the City University of Hong Kong.
Tsz Kwan Lai
Missing Links between Primary Healthcare and Rural Elderly
Sai Kung District Community Center, Hong KongMissing Links between Primary Healthcare and Rural Elderly
Sai Kung District Community Center, Hong Kong
Assistant Operations Manager
ZeShan Foundation
Assistant Operations Manager
ZeShan Foundation
Like those in other developed economies, Hong Kong people are living longer. Social service support for older adults is gaining increasing traction, ranging from medical care to community participation. Yet, housing support or home improvement for seniors is still rare in public discussion. For many elderly members, their home is where they spend the most time . Age-related declines in capabilities may compromise older people’s ability to respond to health and safety hazards in home environment, causing increased risk of home injuries and threatening ageing-in-place. Recognising the growing demand for more personalised and preventive home support, ZeShan Foundation rolled out a new partnership with Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong in 2022. In this 13-month pilot project, 100 home assessments will be conducted for older adults, with recommendations for home improvements and essential modifications. More importantly, a new set of home assessment indicators will be tested and fine-tuned; and an effective home assessment and modification model will also be developed for the social service sector. Through the partnership, ZeShan hopes to develop an alternative caring model to support the wider application of ageing-in-place in our home city, and also capturing empirical data on the age-friendliness of our housing stock. The phase 2 of the Ageing in Place programme began in January 2024 with support from co-funders: Kerry Group, Yau Family Charitable Foundation and ZeShan Foundation. To provide appropriate home modifications to grassroots households, enabling older adults to live in age-friendly homes, the programme aims to deliver home modifications to a total of 350 households, develop an online resource platform and campaign to raise public awareness towards home modifications, and increase engagement with stakeholders in the private and social welfare sectors. In July 2025, Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong has launched the Ageing in Place Home Safety Assessment online tool and the Let’s talk! outreach campaign which are also the key components in this phase. ZeShan Foundation
Like those in other developed economies, Hong Kong people are living longer. Social service support for older adults is gaining increasing traction, ranging from medical care to community participation. Yet, housing support or home improvement for seniors is still rare in public discussion. For many elderly members, their home is where they spend the most time . Age-related declines in capabilities may compromise older people’s ability to respond to health and safety hazards in home environment, causing increased risk of home injuries and threatening ageing-in-place. Recognising the growing demand for more personalised and preventive home support, ZeShan Foundation rolled out a new partnership with Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong in 2022. In this 10-month pilot project, 100 home assessments will be conducted for older adults, with recommendations for home improvements and essential modifications. More importantly, a new set of home assessment indicators will be tested and fine-tuned; and an effective home assessment and modification model will also be developed for the social service sector. Through the partnership, ZeShan hopes to develop an alternative caring model to support the wider application of ageing-in-place in our home city, and also capturing empirical data on the age-friendliness of our housing stock. The phase 2 of the Ageing in Place programme began in January 2024 with support from co-funders: Kerry Group, Yau Family Charitable Foundation and ZeShan Foundation. To provide appropriate home modifications to grassroots households, enabling older adults to live in age-friendly homes, the programme aims to deliver home modifications to a total of 350 households, develop an online resource platform and campaign to raise public awareness towards home modifications, and increase engagement with stakeholders in the private and social welfare sectors. In July 2025, Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong has launched the Ageing in Place Home Safety Assessment online tool and the Let’s talk! outreach campaign which are also the key components in this phase. ZeShan Foundation
Habitat For Humanity Hong Kong Habitat’s Release About the Tool and Campaign News about the tool and campaign (Jul 2025) Ageing in Place: Access the Ageing in Place Home Safety Assessment: Let’s talk! discussion guides:
Unusual Path to Ageing In Place
Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Related Links
More Than Just Renovation
Let’s Assess and Let’s Talk！
Ageing in Place – Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong
Home Safety Assessment | Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong
Discussion Guides | Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong
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China Social Work Research Centre
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Since 2007, Peking University has been rolling out its social work program under its Department of Sociology, in a joint effort and strategic partnership with the Department of Applied Social Sciences (DASS) of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). The primary purposes of the joint program are to foster the integration of social work theory and practice as a way to indigenize and professionalize social work in China, as well as provide training to enhance the problem-solving capacity of social workers towards achieving social development. The two institutes co-founded the PekingU-Hong Kong PolyU China Social Work Research Centre. The Centre is devoted to the development and indigenization of social work theory and practice in China, aiming to develop a pipeline for leading scholars who are committed to the social change of China in the long term. To that end, strengthening the teaching capacity both undergraduate and graduate programs in social work is an integral part of the Center’s mission. In 2012, ZeShan Foundation and Si Yuan Foundation jointly committed RMB20 million to establish a dedicated development fund. The fund will be critical to supporting the sustained growth of the Centre, so that it may develop into a leading institution for teaching and research in social work development, a think tank for social policy, and an international hub linking with social workers and social policy makers from mainland China, Hong Kong and the international community. The fund provides seed funding for research and program capacity building and enable PKU and the Center to leverage for external funding from the government and private sector. In 2013, to commemorate the partnership, the compound of the Centre was renamed Si Shan Yuan (思善苑), taken from the names of the two sister foundations. During the unveiling ceremony on July 20, Prof. Zhou Qifeng, President of Peking University, presented Dr. Thomas Chen with the Outstanding Educational Contribution Award in recognition of his unwavering support for education in China. In January 2014, a 4-day intensive training on social work curriculum development and capacity building was organized for about 100 Master of Social Work (MSW) instructors from various universities across China. Co-organized by Centre, the Social Work Teaching Guidance Committee under the Ministry of Education, and the China Association for Social Work Education, the training program attracted both local and international scholars and senior social work practitioners. Leading pracademics from the University of Chicago and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University participated as trainers in the workshop. Peking University (PKU) is considered a cradle for higher education in modern China. It has been at the forefront in the teaching and research of humanities, social sciences and liberal arts education. Throughout its history, the university has distinguished itself in terms of intellectual freedom and leadership in social sciences and has produced and hosted man prominent Chinese thought leaders.
China Social Work Research Centre
Peking University and Polytechnic University
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