Lou Lim Ieoc

Born in 1878, Lou Lim Ieoc was the eldest son of Lou Kau, the first gambling mogul of Macao. He became an eminent industrialist, philanthropist and a tycoon in the gaming and entertainment industries of early Macao. Though without acquiring any official posts, he was bestowed with honorary titles (e.g. of Zhejiang province) and awarded symbolic token of official rank by the Qing government out of appreciation for his scholarly integrity. After the Republic of China was founded, President Li Yuanhong awarded him with the decoration of “Order of Golden Grain, Third Class” and a commendatory plaque for his philanthropic undertakings. By the time of the Portuguese governance of Macao, he was again presented with decorations by the Portuguese government. All these are evidences of his esteemed social status.

Like his father, Lou Lim Ieoc spared no effort in advancing education for all and undertaking charity work. In 1913, he founded the “Pou Yan Sin Tong” (Pou Yan Benevolent Society) in the rural areas and opened the Luxi Free School to provide education for the children of rural households. In Macao, he proposed to hold a fundraising for the construction of the Confucius School and drew up the school’s statutes. Children of impoverished families were admitted to the School, providing them with primary and secondary education. It had nurtured numerous young talents throughout the decades.