The Fung Shing Group of businesses is building a new 1,600 square meter double storey building at the site of the former Fung Shing Business Centre, which was looted and gutted on November 16 last year.

Fung Shing is the first among a number of businesses that were completely destroyed to start rebuilding, and this time bigger than before.

Fung Shing is a family-owned business of Raymond and Ellen Yu and their children. They are naturalised Tongan-Chinese who have been living in Tonga for nearly 20 years.

The family watched in terror as their businesses went up in smoke during 16/11. The Fung Shing Business Centre and the China Town Hotel on Hala Salote, was looted and set on fire, as was the Fung Shing Photo Shop at Hala Lelue, their supermarket at Hala Vaha'akolo and a shop opposite Vaiola Hospital. Their home at Pahu was also looted. Their total losses were estimated at over $11.7 million pa'anga.

Yu Wei, the eldest son of Raymond and Ellen said the new $3 million pa'anga multi-purpose building will accommodate a supermarket, a restaurant, a karaoke bar and a photo shop. "The rest of the building will be rented out as office space for interested businesses such as banks, money transfers, travel agents and so forth.

"The rebuilding of the China Town Hotel is on hold. We are just taking things step-by-step, and exploring the options whether the Tourism Industry is still profitable after the riot."

Yu said that the construction has started and is moving ahead fast, "because we have imported fabricated steel beams from China and technicians and architects are laying the foundation now.

"The construction will include the interior design of the building excluding the office space that will be rented out, because the businesses that will occupy it may want to do the interior design themselves."

Yu said that that despite their losses and the massive destruction of their businesses in the riots, his family is confident to rebuild and invest in Tonga.

"We hold Tongan passports and Tonga is our country", said Yu.