He was recognized as the Kangchu of the Foochows here. Born in Minqing 3rd Du, he decided that he must overcome the problems of poverty by going away to Nanyang. After he heard of the prosperity of New Foochow set up by Wong Nai siong and the pioneer Foochow, he bought a boat ticket to Nanyang in 1914. However when he arrived in Sibu he was told he could only grow vegetables as the government no longer gave out any more free land. So after a few years of working as a gardeer, he went to Kuching, and worked as a handyman in Sekama where he met a fellow 3rd Du Minqing man, Gie Ah Chang who told him about investing in the Baram in the agriculture sector.
In 1920 he went on board a steamer where Datuk Tuanku Abdul Rahman befriended him and engaged him and his family to tap his rubber trees.
Being a far sighted man, Hii obtained the help of the District Officer, and also the Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke to bring in 60 pioneers from Sibu to plant rubber. They signed an agreement with the government.
iN 1927 Hii personally went to Fujian to recruit a second batch of 30 more Foochows to come to the Baram to plant more than 1000 acres of rubber land.
HII and the pioneers established the Hua Nam Primary School in 1936.
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