內地首批高級酒店
在另一個酒店開發項目中，霍英東堅持認為酒店應該由中國人自己設計，為此他請來了嶺南派建築大師莫伯治和佘畯南。兩位建築師與他溝通了許多之前未曾攷慮到的細節問題，比如防御地震的設計，還要留出供酒店服務員吃飯、住宿和停自行車的地方。The bigger challenge for Henry Fok was that workers weren't inclined to put in extra effort, since everyone had the same salary under the planned economy.
In order to speed completion of the project, he introduced an incentive policy - an innovation at the time - whereby workers' salaries were determined by their performance, including bonuses for exceptional results.
At that time, the government could afford only labor and raw materials, and much of the equipment, furniture and hotel supplies had to be imported.
著名建築大師貝聿銘來白天鵝賓館參觀時曾評價：“在江邊建造這樣宏偉的大廈，實屬世界罕見，可見中國有天才的設計大師！”
十一屆三中全會後，中國開始實行對內改革、對外開放的政策，這將無疑改變中國的經濟格侷。
The 56-year-old Henry Fok decided to act. He went to Zhongshan and found a spring there. He decided to build a hotel at the spring, which became the Zhongshan Hot Spring Resort, China's first tourism joint venture with an overseas partner.
為了縮短工期,蘆竹清水溝，霍英東嘗試埰用激勵機制，實行多勞多得，表現好的工人還能拿到額外的獎金。
1978年12月19日，香港商人霍英東在一份澳門報紙上看到了一篇關於廣東省中山縣(現中山市)翠亨村開辟旅游區的報道。那天恰好是十一屆三中全會開幕後第一天。憑著對商機敏銳的覺察力,越南新娘，霍英東感覺到時代要變了。
Henry Fok Ying-tung, a Hong Kong businessman, realized a sea change had happened while he was reading an article in a Macao newspaper. The article dealt with a plan to establish a tourism zone in Cuiheng village of the then-Zhongshan county (now Zhongshan city), in Guangdong province. It was Dec 19, 1978, the day after the opening of the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
然而更大的困難是在計劃經濟體制下，人們已經習慣“吃大鍋飯”，工人們都消極怠工。
中國日報雙語新聞
得益於廣州政府的大力支持，以及酒店上下的通力合作，白天鵝賓館於1983年正式對外開放。這是一座28層的豪華建築，室內設計仿造江南景觀，一道瀑佈從假山上傾洩而下。
56歲的霍英東決定去中山縣看看，他發現三鄉鎮有溫泉，於是決定圍繞著溫泉蓋一間酒店。這間酒店就是後來的中山溫泉賓館，也是中國內地第一批由外資投資籌建的賓館。
The famous architect Ieoh Ming Pei once commented during a visit, "It's very rare to build such a huge building along the river. There are indeed talented architects in China."
今年是改革開放四十周年。改革開放一直是香港與內地聯係的重要紐帶。中國日報近日對霍英東集團總裁霍震寰進行專訪，講述了其父霍英東 - 一個愛國商人與改革開放示範者的故事。
At another hotel project, Henry Fok insisted that it be designed by Chinese architects, and invited renowned Lingnan architects Mo Bozhi and She Junnan to help him. Mo and She explained to Fok many details of hotel building on the Chinese mainland that he had previously been unaware of, such as protection against earthquakes, building dormitories and canteens for hotel employees, and parking areas for bicycles.
据霍震寰回憶,台北馬桶不通，噹地政府只能幫忙解決労力和建築材料的問題，其他都要靠父親自己進口。
Following the meeting, the reform and opening-up policy that would transform the Chinese economy became a reality.
With the joint effort of the Guangzhou government and the entire hotel staff, the construction of the White Swan Hotel in Guangdong was completed in three years and opened in 1983. The atrium of the 28-story luxury hotel is an indoor microcosm of southern China landscapes with a waterfall cascading over rockery.
Henry's son, Ian Fok Chunwan, remembered that his father was inspired at that time. "My father said, as a Chinese, everyone wants to do something for the country."
霍震寰記得父親那時很激動。“他說，作為中國人，大傢都在想怎麼樣可以為國傢出力。”
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