A founder of the Novel Group and a prominent member of the Ningbo business community, he was a pioneer of compensation trade in China. Throughout his life, he remained devoted to the nation and Hong Kong, earning recognition for his lifelong service to the country's needs. During the Korean War, he overcame Western embargoes to procure essential supplies. In 1978, he established the Xiangzhou Woollen Mill in Zhuhai, the first mainland factory founded by an overseas entrepreneur after reform and opening-up. In 1985, he founded Dragonair, breaking the British monopoly on Hong Kong's aviation sector. In 1997, at the age of 77, he returned to his hometown to establish Novel Optics, advancing high-end optical instrumentation. He passed away in 2021 at 101, bequeathing his entire estate to Tsinghua University.

Mr. Chao Kee Tung serves as Honorary Chairman of Ningbo Yongxin Optics Co., Ltd. and is the son of the company’s founder, Mr. Chao Kuang Piu. Guided by his father’s entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to national development through industry, he has devoted his career to advancing optical technology and manufacturing. Since taking the helm of Novel Optics in 2007, he has successfully driven technological innovation, business transformation, and strategic growth, leading the company to its successful public listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2018. His earlier leadership in the acquisition and restructuring of Nanjing Jiangnan Optical Instrument Factory played a pivotal role in strengthening China’s indigenous optical industry. For his significant contributions to economic and social development, Mr. Chao has received numerous honors, including Honorary Citizen of Ningbo and Zhejiang Province’s Exemplary Native Award.

Mr. Mao Lei is the Co-Chairman and General Manager of Ningbo Yongxin Optics Co., Ltd. A graduate of Zhejiang University with a specialization in Optical Instrumentation, he joined Novel Optics in 1997 at the invitation of the company’s founder, Mr. Chao Kuang Piu. Bringing extensive technical expertise and a strong commitment to innovation, Mr. Mao has worked closely with successive chairmen to guide the company’s transformation and long-term growth. Under his leadership, Novel Optics has evolved from a collective enterprise primarily focused on educational microscopes into one of China’s leading companies in the specialized optics sector. His contributions to technological innovation and industrial development have earned him numerous honors, including the Zhejiang Scientific Entrepreneur Award, the First Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress from the China Instrument and Control Society, the Second Prize for China Standardization Innovation Contribution, and the Second Prize of the National Technological Invention Award.

Entered the photography and imaging industry

Groundbreaking Ceremony for Medical Optics Equipment and Precision Optical Components Manufacturing Base

Following the end of World War II, the factory was relocated to Majia Street and Hongwu Road in Nanjing.

The factory began manufacturing educational scientific instruments, including optical benches and teaching equipment.

The Scientific Instrument Workshop of the Ministry of Education was renamed the China Scientific Instrument Manufacturing Institute.

The factory was later relocated to Huangjiawei, outside Nanjing’s Central Gate.

Developed China's first 100,000× electron microscope in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

The predecessor of Ningbo Optical Instrument Factory, Ningbo Qinjian Optical Factory, was established.

The project “Improved Design of the 107 Series Biological Microscope” received the Third Prize for Value Engineering Achievement from Zhejiang Province’s Machinery Industry System (1989–1990).