FATHER’S 30-YEAR CHINATOWN BUSINESS LOST IN FIRE

Hi, my name is Emily Zhang and I am fundraising for my father, Jie Hui Zhang. He runs a small business called Chang Ying Ginseng Hong in the heart of Chicago’s old Chinatown. The shop is a Chinese herbal medicine store that has been serving locals for over 30 years, a well-recognized storefront to many in and out of Chinatown.

He immigrated from China to the U.S. in the 1980s. Since then, he has worked tirelessly, virtually 7 days a week, every week to provide for me and my 2 sisters. Although we begged him to retire and take family vacations, he constantly refused so he could keep the shop open and serve the community with no disruption. Most of the locals would say that my father is a kind and generous man who always looked out for his customers and hardly turned down a discount request. My father always had a strong work ethic and cared for his shop and the community immensely.

On the evening of November 12, 2022, the building containing our shop caught on fire. Flames started moving up the building, engulfing all 3 floors. After the inspections, my father and mother stood outside the shop begging to be let in to retrieve anything that’s salvageable, but the building was burned so badly that it was deemed unsafe to enter.

It breaks my heart knowing that my parents stood out in the freezing cold for hours, watching as the demolitionists started slowly taking apart the building. The inability to retrieve key documents and any inventory that was likely beyond salvation has left them very distraught and unable to sleep for days since the fire. My dad is a very simple man and doesn’t store any of his paperwork electronically, all of his important documents were lost in the fire and insurance would only cover a small portion of the damages he suffered.

Chang Ying Ginseng Hong was not just a workplace for my father, it was his life’s work. He poured all his energy, creativity, sweat and tears into the store, the shop was like a home to him. It was also a place where he made many memories and built many close relationships with Chinatown residents and frequent customers. Now all those years of hard work, dedication, and savings have gone down the drain. My father never asks for anything and would always put everyone else’s needs before his own. I really wish that there was more that I could do for him in such a stressful time. I would sincerely appreciate any donations or shares of this post to help offset some of these losses for him.

Thank you so much.

https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-fire-department-chinatown-chang-ying-ginseng-hong/12448102/

**11/23/22 UPDATE**: (With new photos posted near the bottom of the page)

Thank you to everyone who shared this post, reached out or donated. My family and I are very grateful for the support we've received.

Yesterday, they finally let my family in. Unfortunately, there were only piles of concrete, bricks and rubbish left. The entire store is almost fullly demolished. The first floor is gone and you can see down to the basement where we stored additional inventory, but nothing salvageable in sight.

I would appreciate it if you can please continue to share this post. Thank you again so much.

11/23/22 Update:

(First floor and basement)