GX Foundation opened its global headquarters to the public for the first time on Sunday, welcoming about 1,000 visitors to explore how its humanitarian mission is rooted in a century-old site in Sai Ying Pun. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said the building is “embarking on a new and greater mission… injecting enduring and solid strength into the foundation’s international medical assistance programmes.”

Completed in 1921, the Grade 2 historic building once served as a public health response to a plague outbreak. As founder Leung Chun-ying noted, “Today, this historic building shoulders a brand new humanitarian mission”, following careful restoration of its architecture and facilities.

The open day highlighted GX Foundation’s growing humanitarian work, with educational booths on dengue prevention, clean water, and cataract awareness. Visitors also sampled coffee sourced from partner countries. One parent, guiding his two primary-school children, said: “Through games like simulating cataract surgery, I hope they can better grasp the difficulties the patients face.”

Since its establishment in 2018, the organisation has delivered more than 25,000 free cataract surgeries and advanced public-health initiatives across 10 Belt and Road countries.