FIVE MINUTES WITH

Five minutes with Xavier Tsang

Cherry Lee meets the founder of BeCandle Sai Kung

Inspired by Bruce Lee’s famous quote ‘Be Water’, Sai Kung’s very own artisan candle shop and factory BeCandle was founded by Xavier Tsang in 2012.

After growing up with his family in Sai Kung, Tsang left to pursue his passion for furniture design in Italy. But his love for the town’s community and spirit brought him back. “It’s the best place to settle down and I’ve even been able to expand the business over the years.” he says.

Each candle is handmade using vegetal wax, imported from Europe. Local companies like BeCandle are not common in Hong Kong, but Tsang made his way with high quality products and intriguing sensory related projects.

His success didn’t come easily. Without a clear business plan Tsang faced a lot of obstacles when he was setting up the brand. He decided to join exhibitions and trade shows to help get the brand’s name out there. However, it didn’t bring him great income and he couldn’t sustain his business.

In 2013, Tsang won both the 40 UNDER 40 Award from Perspective Magazine and the Young Design Talent Special Mention Award by HKDC. From these awards he received many opportunities to work with international brands and build up his reputation. “It’s the biggest accomplishment and support when people appreciated my work,” he says.

Since then he has gone on to feature in exhibitions including his most recent one at Haw Par Mansion a few months ago. His sculpture, 10 Courts of Hell, used fragrance diffusers infused with ten unpleasant scents to remind people of bad feelings, but when the scents blended they became calming, pleasant and nostalgic.

From his Sai Kung-based shop, he is able to handcraft and distribute candles and fragrances internationally to many hotel and luxury brands. “Instead of expanding, I focus more on quality. I want people to spend less and buy something high-quality and made locally,” he says. He hopes to one day pass on the brand to his daughter.

Visit BeCandle at 8 Wang Street, Sai Kung. becandle.com.hk