Donor Profile: The Wu Family

Donor Profile: The Wu Family

A Family Gives Back

For the Wu family of San Marino, The Huntington is a perennial favorite on the must-see list for friends and relatives who come to town. But even without guests, Peter Ping-Yuan Wu and his wife Chong Hong visit the gardens and galleries almost every weekend. On one of these visits, Peter noticed that the drawings of the planned Chinese Garden called for a “Lotus Pavilion.” He was struck by a coincidence: the word lotus in Chinese is “lien,” his mother’s name. This connection between the garden and his family inspired Peter, along with his brother Ping Chih Wu, his sister Sue Chiu, and their families to make a gift of $500,000 to the Chinese Garden construction fund—a gift to be recognized at the “Lotus Pavilion.” For the Wu family, it is a perfect way to honor their parents and give back to an institution that has enriched the lives of so many.

Pictured: Hsiu-Chi Wu (seated) and Lai Lien-Chiao Wu.

Peter’s daughter Caroline recalls the family stories of her grandmother, lotus-namesake Lai Lien-Chiao Wu, and grandfather Hsiu-Chi Wu: “As a young girl, I remember hearing how my grandfather, with just an elementary school education, was able to become an extremely successful business man. Through hard work and sheer determination, he worked as a baker, a store bookkeeper, and a salesman, until he rose through the ranks to become chairman at one of Taiwan’s largest conglomerates. Along the way, my grandmother was right there next to him, helping him in the early days by making boxed lunches to earn money, handling finances, and more importantly, tending to a growing family of seven children.”

When Hsiu-Chi and Lai Lien-Chiao gained financial success, they became philanthropists of note in Taiwan, donating gifts for the construction of bridges, pavilions, and university buildings. Today their children continue the family tradition of giving back by serving on a variety of boards that includes the House Ear Institute and the San Marino Schools Foundation. But the Wu family agrees that its most meaningful association is with The Huntington. They know they will be making many trips with friends and relatives to see the “Lotus Pavilion.”