Donald Liao, a Hong Kong civil servant and architect, died on March 12, 2026, at the age of 96.
Taiwanese-born and known also as a landscape architect, he played an instrumental role in the expansion of public housing in Hong Kong in the 1960s and 70s, designing new types of public estates. He served as Secretary for Housing and chairman of the Hong Kong Housing Authority from 1980 to 1985, and later was Secretary for District Administration from 1985 to 1989.
Donald Liao Poon-huai, CBE, JP (Chinese: 廖本懷; 29 October 1929 – 12 March 2026) was a Taiwanese-born Hong Kong government official and landscape architect. He took an instrumental role in the expansion of the public housing in Hong Kong in the 1960s and 70s, designing new types of public estates and was Secretary for Housing and chairman of the Hong Kong Housing Authority from 1980 to 1985. He became the Secretary for District Administration from 1985 to 1989.