TAN KA KEE HISTORIC COLLECTIONS
Tan Ka Kee
Historic Collections
Created By
Dr Iwan Suwandy,MHA
Copyright@2012
Introduction
Remembering Tan Kah Kee
FOUR years ago, the son of Tan Kah Kee
e gave a speech at an event in Beijing that commemorated the 130th anniversary of the late philanthropist’s birth.
“My father didn’t leave behind much fortune for us, but what we inherited is his intellectual assets – which is even more valuable to all of us,” said Tan Yuan Ji, then 89.
The businessman, whose descendants have settled in Singapore and other parts of the world, recalled that his father was very strict with his children and educated them to be prudent in money matters.
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Tan Kah Kee (second from left) inspecting the construction site of Xiamen University. |
According to Yuan Ji, his father led by example and was thrifty in what he ate, wore and used. He expected his children to do the same.
But, when it came to education, the late Kah Kee was extremely lavish.
Throughout his eventful life, Kah Kee channelled all his energy and the money he earned from his overseas businesses – in rubber, a pineapple plantation and manufacturing – back to society.
He founded and funded Jimei University and Xiamen University in his hometown of Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, and other schools such as the Singapore Chinese High School and Tao Nan School, also in Singapore.
When he died in 1961, he donated his remaining savings of three million yuan to education.
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The selflessness exemplified by the late Tan Kah Kee is embraced and highly regarded by students of Jimei University and Xiamen University as well as the people of Xiamen. Tan’s statue is placed at the main entrance of Jimei University to commemmorate the great philanthropist. |
“He visited the Jimei school to examine its construction every day. He was very frugal. He set aside only 15 yuan from his monthly pension of 300 yuan for our food allowance. Each of the children only received 0.15 yuan for pocket money,” Yuan Ji recalled.
The rest of his father’s money, he said, was donated to education.
Born to a humble family of merchants in Jimei Village, Xiamen, in 1874, Kah Kee started school at the age of nine.
At 17, he moved to Singapore to help in his father’s wholesale rice business.
Kah Kee later set up his own pineapple production business and paid off his father’s business debts.
His business expanded to rice and saw milling, manufacturing and a sugar refinery. By 1925, he owned over 15,000 acres of rubber plantation and employed more than 30,000 people in his various businesses.
With a fortune of a million taels of gold, he was hailed as one of the greatest rubber magnates in Singapore and Malaya.
In the wake of the world financial crisis in the 20s and 30s, his businesses suffered and he declared bankruptcy in 1934. But by then, he had already amassed a fortune that enabled him to support a cause close to his heart – education.
A staunch believer that sound education can bring prosperity to a nation, he established his first family school in Jimei at the age of 21. In 1912, he returned to the new Republic of China from Singapore and opened Jimei Primary School the subsequent year.
In an interview with The Star, Xiamen University General Alumni Association editor Huang Zhongshi said, “He had a great vision. He first set up a primary school and later a teacher training college because he wanted to produce adequate teachers for the education system.”
After setting up the teacher training college, Kah Kee expanded the Jimei school village to include a high school, a kindergarten and institutes in agriculture, navigation, commerce, forestry and marine studies as well as other facilities.
These schools and institutes, which still exist today, were fully funded by Kah Kee. Students were invited to class to study for free to encourage them to pursue knowledge, Huang said.
In 1996, Jimei University was formed to bring together all the institutes and faculties. Today, the university has an enrolment of more than 20,000 full-time students.
Founder of universities
Kah Kee travelled between Singapore, Malaya and China to prepare for the setting up of the second university. He spent a million yuan to establish Xiamen University in 1921.
According to university records, it was even bigger in size than the Jimei school village and became one of the most famous overseas Chinese higher learning institutions in the region at that time.
Many of the university’s alumni came from South-East Asia, especially Malaya, Singapore and Indonesia.
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Xiamen University General Alumni Association editor Huang Zongshi: ‘He (Tan Kah Kee) had a great vision.’ |
The philanthropist, who was also a well-respected overseas Chinese leader, hired the best team possible to run the university and educate the students. Among the famed Chinese and Singaporean literary figures and writers who served the university at that time were Lu Xun, Lim Boon Keng and Lin Yutang.
“Why did these academicians come to Xiamen University from Beijing?” Huang said. “This was because the remuneration paid to them was lucrative and the university did not owe them salaries.
“The management paid them on time every month. Lu Xun earned 400 silver dollars while the principal only got 500 silver dollars for coming to the university.”
The late Kah Kee’s selfless contribution to education has made him a respectable icon at the universities and in Xiamen.
Xiamen University post-graduate student He Jinxing said he was attracted by the beauty of the campus at first but he was even more amazed after learning about the tremendous sacrifice of the philanthropist.
“What we have now is the labour of Mr Tan. He established this beautiful university in 1921 and his spirit has made a deep impact on everyone at Xiamen University,” he said.
Jimei University student Lin Danping said: “I didn’t know about Mr Tan when I first came to the university. Only after a visit to Mr Tan’s former residence (in Xiamen) did I get to know about him. It was a turbulent period in the 1910s but he still put his money in education – this was a class act.”
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The beautiful Jimei High School, inspired by architectural characteristics designed by its founder Tan Kah Kee, is still standing in the Jimei school village in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China. |
Kah Kee’s influence is seen not only in his selflessness but also in the architecture of both Jimei and Xiamen universities. The unique red-and-white brick walls of the building clusters, hostels and other facilities were designed by the philanthropist himself.
Many overseas Chinese and alumni, like the late Lee Kong Chian (Kah Kee’s son-in-law and founder of Lee Rubber Company in Johor), have followed in his footsteps by donating money for the expansion of the universities.
His final years
Kah Kee’s love for his motherland and his support for its revolution movement was never a secret. He backed Sun Yat-Sen financially in the latter’s uprising to overthrow the Qing Dynasty which ended 267 years of rule in 1911.
During the Japanese Occupation, Kah Kee fled to Java where he wrote a book entitled A Memoir of an Overseas Chinese while Xiamen University was relocated to Changting in western Fujian to escape destruction.
After the retreat of the Japanese in 1945, Kah Kee was given a hero’s welcome on his return to Singapore. At a ceremony in Chongqing, China, to celebrate his return, the late Chairman Mao Zedong had inscribed a scroll about Kah Kee which read “Banner of Overseas Chinese, Glory of the Nation”.
In 1950, he returned to settle in Xiamen where he devoted his life to the reconstruction of China under the Communist Party’s rule. He served in the Returning Overseas Chinese League, Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
He then set up the Overseas Chinese Museum in Xiamen in 1956 to allow the younger generation to learn about the life of overseas Chinese.
In 1961, he died of cancer in Beijing and, after a state funeral, his body was transported back to Jimei where it was buried at the Ao Yuan Garden.
All in all, the philanthropist contributed an estimated 150 million yuan towards education both in China and abroad.
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The mausoleum of the late Chinese philanthropist Tan Kah Kee at Jimei town in Xiamen, China. |
Hong Yonghong, who co-wrote New Biography of Tan Kah Kee with the philanthropist’s nephew Tan Keong Choon, said: “If you take a look at his whole life, whether it was how he did his business, treated people, set up schools, denounced the Japanese Occupation and had a hand in the formation of New China, I cannot find any weakness in him.”
Hong said many people may have made donations towards education but the late Tan Kah Kee is perhaps the only person to give all his fortune towards this cause.
Leaders of Jimei and Xiamen universities and the people of Xiamen, he said, embrace the institutions’ respective mottos: “Sincerity and Fortitude” and “Strive for Excellence” (which Kah Kee personally penned) as well as the philanthropist’s noble spirit.
Xiamen University student Han Jian said: “In his mind, he had a clear philosophy of life that only education can make the nation prosperous.”
Echoing Han’s views, another student Che Hongtu said: “I think Mr Tan Kah Kee was a very charismatic personality. Having a person like him do such an important thing like setting up Xiamen University is indeed very respectable.”
At the 130th anniversary commemoration event, the delegation of 45 members of Kah Kee’s family was given a warm welcome when they visited the universities and Overseas Chinese Museum in Xiamen.
“We know that all this warm welcome was because of the great reputation of Tan Kah Kee,” his grandson Dib Jin said in a speech at the museum.
“The contribution of our grandfather remains unreachable but, as his descendants, we have no excuse not to do our part to continue his legacy.”
Xiamen University’s former vice-chancellor Lim Boon Keng best described the philanthropist in the university’s magazine of 1929: “He is a quiet and honest person who works hard for education. He doesn’t like people to sing praises about what he has done.
“All his factories in Singapore and Johor and the hundreds of acres of rubber estate were set up for nothing but to pay the operational costs of the university.”
Such was the ever generous and philanthropic Tan Kah Kee – a legend who will be remembered forever.
Tan Kah Kee’s timeline
1874 – Born in Jimei, Xiamen, Fujiang Province, China, to businessman Tan Kee Peck.
1890 – Received a letter from his father to help in the latter’s wholesale rice business in Singapore.
1893 – Returned to Jimei to marry Zhang Shi.
1898 – Returned to Jimei because of his mother’s death.
1910 – Joined the league for Chinese revolution, assumed capacity as assistant head of Singapore’s Chinese Chamber of Commerce and raised 50,000 yuan from overseas Chinese born in Fujian, for education.
1912 – Returned to Jimei to set up Jimei Primary School.
1919 – Returned to his hometown to establish Xiamen University.
1921 – Xiamen University opened.
1924 – Established Nanyang Siang Pau (Malaysia’s major Chinese-medium newspaper) in Singapore.
1926 – Faced financial crisis but he continued to pump in funds for Xiamen University and Jimei schools as well other schools in Singapore.
1941 – Led an association comprising overseas Chinese to fight against the Japanese Occupation.
1942 – Fled to Java to escape from Japanese attacks, and wrote Memoir of an Overseas Chinese, and Housing and Hygiene.
1945 – Returned to Singapore after the exile in Java.
1947 – Established Jiyou Bank in Hong Kong to ensure the institutions set up by overseas Chinese would be financially self-reliant.
1949 – Welcomed back to China by Chinese Government and served in the national Chinese People’s Political Consultative Committee.
1950 – Visited Singapore and Malaya for the last time before settling in his hometown Jimei.
1959 – Set up Overseas Chinese Museum in Xiamen.
1961 – Died of cancer in Beijing. His body was buried in Ao Yuan Garden in Jimei.
Brief History
Brief History
Nan Chiau Primary School is one of six schools run by the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan. It was formerly the primary section of Nan Chiau High School. Established in March 1947, it is always progressing with the time, continuously undergoing self-renewal in line with the needs of the nation and making positive contributions to the educational development of Singapore. .
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1941 |
Initiated by Mr Tan Kah Kee, Mr Lee Kong Chian donated a plot of land at Kim Yan Road as the school site for the building of Nan Chiau Teachers’ Training School. |
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1941 |
Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan converted the Nan Chiau Teachers’ Training School to Nan Chiau Girls’ High School including an ancillary primary school. Nan Chiau Girls’ High School was founded. |
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1965 |
Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan invested $2 million in rebuilding the school. The secondary school moved to temporary premises at Guillemard Road while the primary school remained at the original site. |
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1969 |
Nan Chiau Primary School is one of six schools run by the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan. It was formerly the primary section of Nan Chiau High School. Established in March 1947, it is always progressing with the time, continuously undergoing self-renewal in line with the needs of the nation and making positive contributions to the educational development of Singapore. . |
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1979 |
The school began functioning as a full school, with the primary section and the secondary section sharing the same premises. |
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1980 |
The school adopted English as its main medium of instruction. |
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1984 |
With its first intake of male pupils, the school became co-educational and was renamed Nan Chiau High School. |
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2001 |
Relocated to Sengkang New Town in December 2000, Nan Chiau High School and |
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2003 |
Nan Chiau Primary School was officially opened by RAdm Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Education on 8 March 2003. |
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2005 |
The school was selected to join BackPack.NET, a collaborative initiative by MOE, Microsoft and iDA. |
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2006 |
The school was awarded the LEAD IT School status. |
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2007 |
The school achieved the Best School (National) Thinking Culture Award (TCA). |
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2009 |
Nan Chiau Primary School and the Learning Sciences Lab/National Institute of Education jointly set up the Centre for Educational Research and Application in ICT (CERA). |
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2010 |
The school was appointed the North Zone (NZ) Centre of Excellence (CoE) for ICT. |
Biography
Mr. Tan Kah Kee (1874-1961), a renowned Overseas Chinese entrepreneur, social reformer, philanthropist, and educationist in modern history, was an outstanding representative of his peers fighting for nation’s prosperity and revitalization. With deep love for his motherland he generously donated to schools and made remarkable contribution to Chinese nation’s revival.
Mr. Tan Kah Kee departed for Singapore in his youth time to work for his father’s shop, and expanded his business by developing rubber industry and shipping, making himself a successful and outstanding entrepreneur. Mr. Tan had never forgotten his motherland and hometown. He financed a series of world famous schools and universities, such as Jimei Schools, and Xiamen University. In Sino-Japanese War which broke out in 1937, Mr. Tan united mass Chinese people in Singapore and organized many relief funds under his name. He also organized a large number of overseas Chinese back to China to support in Anti-Japanese War. His love for his country and his national integrity are worth admiring by Chinese people forever. Chairman Mao Tse-tung praised Mr. Tan Kah Kee as “flag of overseas Chinese and flame of Chinese nation”. Premier Zhou Enlai spoke highly of Mr. Tan Kah Kee that “he had tried his utmost for national victory and made boundless painstaking efforts for unification in Anti-Japanese War; His heart is to stay untainted in spite of rumors and slanders, and he is never to be subdued by force.”
Tan Kah Kee
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Tan Kah Kee |
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Born |
October 21, 1874(1874-10-21) |
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Died |
August 12, 1961(1961-08-12) |
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Occupation |
Businessman |
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Known for |
Philanthropic work |
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Spouse |
Teo Po Ke |
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Children |
Tan Ai Li (daughter) |
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Parents |
Tan Kee Peck (father) |
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Relatives |
Tan Keng Hian (younger brother) |
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Tan.
Tan Kah Kee (simplified Chinese: 陈嘉庚; traditional Chinese: 陳嘉庚; pinyin: Chén Jiāgēng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Kah-kiⁿ) (October 21, 1874 – August 12, 1961) was a prominent businessman, community leader, and philanthropist in colonial Singapore, and a Communist leader in the People’s Republic of China. [edit] Biography
Early years
Tan was born in Jimei, Tong’an county, Fujian province, China (present-day Jimei District in Xiamen City), and went to Singapore in 1890, when he was 16 years old, to work for his father’s rice store. After his father’s business collapsed in 1903, Tan started his own business and built an empire from rubber plantations and manufacturing, sawmills, canneries, real estate, import and export brokerage, ocean transport to rice trading. His business was at its prime from 1912–1914, where he was known as “Henry Ford of the Malaya community, both in Malaya and his native Fujian province.
Establishment of education institutions
Tan was one of the 110 founding members of Tao Nan School. He set up the Jimei Schools (now Jimei University) in 1913. In 1919, he set up The Chinese High School, now named Hwa Chong Institution in Singapore. While in 1921, he set up the Xiamen University and financially supported it until the Government of the Republic of China took it over in 1937.
Personal
In 1920, he married his daughter Tan Ai Li to Lee Kong Chian, who worked under him and who later became a famous Singaporean philanthropist and businessman.
World War Two
Tan was one of the prominent ethnic Chinese Malayans to financially support Chinese efforts in the Second Sino-Japanese War which broke out in 1937 and organized many relief funds under his name. He was also a participant in the Legislative Yuan of the Nationalist Government under Chiang Kai-shek in Chongqing. After the Japanese invaded and occupied Malaya and Singapore during the Battle of Malaya and the Battle of Singapore, these contributors were defined as “undesirables” and were subjected to systematic extermination in the Sook Ching Massacre, although Tan survived. Tan strongly rejected proposals to attempt to negotiate with the Japanese, regarding any such attempts as characteristic of a hanjian (traitor of the Chinese), and petitioned the pessimistic Wang Jingwei to dissuade him from any such activities. Tan also exercised considerable effort against the then-governor of Fujian province, Chen Yi, for perceived maladministration.[1]
Politics
Tan was the de facto leader of the Singaporean Chinese community, serving as chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and helped organise the Hokkien clan association. However, he lost this role when the Chinese Civil War divided the Singaporean Chinese community into Communist Party of China (CPC) and Kuomintang sympathizers. Tan was a CPC supporter as he was disillusioned with the corruption within the Nationalists.[citation needed] After the Communist victory in China, Tan tried to return to Singapore in 1950, but was denied entry by British colonial authority which was concerned about communist influence in Singapore and Malaya. He then moved permanently to China and served in numerous positions within the CPC. He died in 1961 in Beijing and was given a state funeral by the People’s Republic of China. In Singapore, the Tan Kah Kee Scholarship Fund, which later became the Tan Kah Kee Foundation, was established in memory of this philanthropy.
Later years
In 1943, while taking refuge in Java from the Japanese, Tan began writing his memoirs, The Memoirs of an Overseas Chinese of the Southern Ocean (simplified Chinese: 南侨回忆录; traditional Chinese: 南僑回憶錄; pinyin: Nánqíao Húiyìlù). This work became a valuable resource of the history of overseas Chinese.
Image gallery
Statue of Tan Kah Kee in front of his memorial hall in Xiamen University
A statue of Tan Kah Kee in front of the clock tower of Hwa Chong Institution
Tan Kah Kee —”Henry Ford of Asia”
(not the “Chicken guy” of Tan Kah Kee Fried Chicken, but the great “Rubber Magnate!” & founder of Xiamen University)
From ” Xiamen University–Strength of the Nation” .by Dr. Bill Brown & Robin Feifei– almost 400 pages, bilingual Chinese/English parallel, B&W and color photos, drawings, maps.
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A Double Portion of Tan’s Spirit
Innovative education is of course nothing new at XMU. Our university has been pioneering all elements of modern education ever since it was founded in 1921 by the “Henry Ford of Asia,” Mr. Tan Kah Kee. This famous Overseas Chinese patriot gave an estimated USD 100 million to educa-tion, thanks his business acumen and frugal lifestyle. But Mr. Tan left us much more than mere money.
As I teach in Organizational Behavior, organizations’ personalities often reflect those of their founders, and XMU is certainly no exception. XMU’s 85 years of success show it has inherited a double portion of Mr. Tan’s spirit and vision for a better China, a better Asia, and a better humanity.
Our university’s founder, Mr. Tan Kah Kee (Chen Jiageng, 1874-1961), gave an estimated 100 million USD to education over his lifetime but he was born into a humble family of merchants in the village of Jimei, on the mainland across from Xiamen Island. Tan worked the fields and the fishnets until he started school at the age of nine, and in the fall of 1890 he moved to Singapore to help in his father’s rice shop. His father’s business went under in 1904, but the savvy son pulled together enough capital to buy 500 acres of forested land in Singapore and started a pineapple plantation.
The Rubber Magnate Tan rapidly expanded into rice milling, manu-facturing, sawmills, real estate, and ocean transport, but it was rubber that really stretched his fortune. He set aside a few acres of his pineapple planta-tion and eventually had 10,000 acres of rubber trees. His expansion from rubber planting to rubber manufacturing helped create the rubber industry and made him one of the four great Rubber Barons.
By the mid 1920s, the Rubber Magnate’s Singapore-based empire em-ployed over 30,000 people, had 150 offices on 5 continents, and did business with 48 countries. But prices plummeted after 1926 and rubber never quite bounced back. Even worse, after Mr. Tan protested Japan’s brutal “Jinan Massacre” (May 3rd, 1928), his factory was burned to the ground. Yet even as he struggled through the Great Depression he continued to finance Jimei School, Xiamen University, and Chinese and English schools in Singapore—a feat he managed in part because of his frugality.
The Frugal Philanthropist Rich philanthropists generally give but a fraction of their wealth while alive, but leave behind large foundations since the only thing they can take with them when they die is their reputation. But Mr. Tan quite literally gave like a prince while living like a pauper, subsisting on little more than rice porridge and potatoes, and using the same umbrella and battered suitcases for decades. Other rich Chinese of his day built luxurious villas on nearby Gulangyu Islet, but Mr. Tan contented himself with a sim-pler home in his native Jimei. As he wrote to a relative, his hometown still had great needs and “I cannot put myself before the community.”
The Japanese destroyed Tan’s home in 1938, and when the Chinese government offered to rebuilt it after Liberation, Tan insisted that war-damaged school buildings be rebuilt first. His home was finally renovated in 1955 and he lived there from 1958 until 1960, when he moved to Beijing. Tan’s house was restored to its original design in 1980 and is now a museum and meeting place for the Jimei School Committee. I think the most moving exhibits are the battered suitcases, umbrellas and worn-out shoes that the “pauper millionaire” used for decades.
Mr. Tan’s Vision for China Mr. Tan was a social and political reformer from youth. He supported Sun Yat-sen, and at one point accounted for about 1/3 of the Kuomintang’s finances (a feat he no doubt regretted when Chiang Kai Shek absconded to Taiwan with his money and everyone else’s). But Tan’s greatest hope for China was in modern education.
In 1894, at age 21, Tan began a family school in Jimei. In 1912, during the first year of the new Republic of China, Tan returned to China and on January 27, 1913 opened the Jimei Primary School. Between 1920 and 1926 he opened a school a year until Jimei School Village had 11 schools, includ-ing a middle school and schools in agriculture, commerce, forestry, navigation, etc. In addition, Jimei School Village’s education promotion department donated to more than 70 middle schools and primary schools throughout Fujian province.
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Supporting Education Abroad Tan also began or funded at least seven schools in Singapore, including Tao Nan (1907), Ai Tong (1912), Chung Fook Girls School (1915), Chung Poon (1915), the Singapore Chi-nese High School (1918), Nanyang Normal School (1941) and Nan Chaio Girls High School (1947). . His largesse was not limited to Chinese schools. He gave $30,000 to the Anglo-Chinese School in 1919 and in 1941 gave $10,000 to Raffles College, which later merged with the Medical College and eventually became the University of Singapore.
Xiamen University—Apple of Tan’s Eye In early November, 1920, Mr. Tan offered one million Yuan to start Xiamen University, which began with the Normal and Commerce Departments, and later expanded to five Colleges and 17 departments in Literature, Science, Law, Commerce and Education. Xiamen University captured the imagination of Chinese and foreigners alike. In the 1920s, Paul Hutchinson wrote,
“This school [Xiamen University] is entirely a Chinese institution, with no foreign teachers and no foreign connections, and right out in a small Chinese village. The course of study is being made very practical… When we think of the future days, it is one of the most encouraging things to be seen in the whole of China.”
Mr. Tan emphasized quality education. He sent students abroad, hired teachers from other areas, purchased the latest equipment, and emphasized sports. By the spring of 1937, his financial fortunes had so suffered that he allowed the government to take over Xiamen University, but he continued to subsidize it. Tan wrote to the minister of education that he had had “a fine start and a poor finish,” and would “live in perpetual regret.” [If only he could see XMU today!]
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XMU Retreats to Changting That same year, Xiamen University relocated to Changting in West Fujian to escape destruction by the Japanese, who had occupied Xiamen. [Read more in the next chapter, “Sa Bendong”]. The Japanese surrendered in August, 1945, and on October 21, 500 mass organizations in Singapore welcomed Tan’s return from a decade of exile in Java. A large meeting in Chongqing on November 18, 1945, celebrated Mr. Tan’s safety, and Chairman Mao inscribed a scroll about Tan which read, “Banner of Overseas Chinese, Glory of the Nation.”
XMU returned to Xiamen after Japan’s defeat and the new president and eminent biologist, Dr. Wang Deyao, immediately set out rebuilding and ex-panding the campus. Tan’s vision and money and Wang’s leadership paid off. XMU was designated a key national university in 1962 and has been mushrooming ever since.
On October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao invited Mr. Tan to Tiananmen to participate in the ceremony of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Tan settled down in his homeland in 1950 and devoted the rest of his life and fortune to its reconstruction.
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Tan’s Final Years During his last years Mr. Tan served in many posts, including Chairman of Returning Overseas Chinese League, Member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, and Vice-Chairman of the CPPCC. He was also responsible for innovations like China’s first sea-spanning bridge (the award-winning Xiamen-Jimei bridge), the Jimei Dragon Boat Pool, which has hosted numerous domestic and international aquatic events, and Jimei’s 15 storey Nanyuan Building, which has a navigational light on the roof to guide fishermen safely home.
Mr. Tan died of cancer in 1961, and after a State Funeral in Beijing, a special train transported his body to his hometown of Jimei. Tan left behind three million Yuan in banks, but the man who gave like a prince and lived like a pauper evidently expected his descendants to do the same—or make their own fortune. He left no money to his family, but gave half a million to Jimei School Foundation, half a million to construct Beijing’s Overseas Chinese Museum, and over two million Yuan for education.
Tan’s International Legacy Altogether, Mr. Tan gave an estimated 100 million USD towards education, both in China and abroad, and the Tan Kah Kee Foundation has been awarding a Postgraduate Scholarship since 1983. In 1986, Nobel Prize Laureate Prof. C.N. Yang set up the Tan Kah Kee Inventors’ Award, and in 1992, Prof Yang and two other Nobel Prize Laureates, Prof Samuel C.C. Ting and Prof Li Yuan Tseh, together with Prof Changlin Tien, former Vice-chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley, and Prof Wang Gungwu, former President of Hong Kong University, set up the Tan Kah Kee International Society Foundation to the advancement of education and culture in the spirit of Tan Kah Kee.
In 1991, Singapore’s president, Dr. Wee Kim Wee, launched the University Endowment Fund in honor of Mr. Tan, and set a goal of raising 1$ billion for education. On 11 March, 1990, the International Asteroid Center of China named Asteroid 2963 “Tan Kah Kee Star.” The naming ceremony was held at Xiamen University.
Lastly, the School of Chemistry in my home state’s University of California, Berkeley, has a “Tan Kah Kee Hall.” I hope more and more foreigners and Chinese alike will come to understand, and emulate, Tan Kah Kee’s spirit of sacrificial giving.
Fujian Province, China
Fujian province is the homeland of my ancestors who left the shores of this coastal province in the 19th century and sank roots in Nanyang – the South Seas. Otherwise known as South East Asia. They lived for generations in Malaysia before my father made his way south to the emerging island dynamo of Singapore which exploded economically not long after he arrived. Being an overseas son many times removed, I can’t think of a single reason why I should be remotely interested in Fujian, other than the stirrings of motherlands that call all who leave its shores from fish to fowl to mankind. Through my background readings, I’d like to paint you a landscape in words. Maybe one day, I’ll be able to fill in the broad strokes…
The Mountains of Fujian
Fujian is predominantly mountainous – walled in on the north, west and south sides. A truly spectacular sight. The precious arable flat land is rich but self limiting for a growing population.
There are over 1,000 islands off the Fujian coast which provides welcome fishing grounds for subsistence and over 600 species of fish.
The islands also provide the geographic shelter that created natural harbours for Fuzhou (Hokchew), Quanzhou (Chuanchew) and Xiamen (Amoy) to develop into trading ports.
In fact, during the Tang dynasty of 608 – 907 AD – China’s Renaissance Period of culture, literature, trade and arts, Chuanchew was a mecca for Arab and European traders who called the city Zaytun.
At the height of such international travel and trade, Hokkiens began to follow the trading routes into South East Asia and setting up trading settlements.
Thus began the Fujian Exodus.
THE STORY OF THE FUJIAN EXODUS
The Fujian Exodus is a story of hope and inspiration.
Of pioneering and sacrifice.
It is a legacy that we can all be proud of.
Trade Winds Fan The Flames Of Fujian Migration
Manila
It takes only three days for a junk to reach Manila from Fujian. Manila was a strategic hub of the galleon trade in the centre of Asia. Manila was a trade depot for Mexican silver on route to China as payment for silk and porcelain. The Hokkiens were well poised to act as intermediaries in Manila for this trade and soon formed a community that still thrives today.
Free Trade in Singapore and Malaya
The promise of limitless fortune lay in the free trade heartland of South East Asia – Singapore and Malaysia – then known as the Straits Settlements of Singapore, Penang and Malacca.
All three cities were natural ports and harbours like Amoy and Chuanchew. Hokkiens went from port to port and formed communities that are entrenched to this day.
Go to Penang, Malacca and Singapore today and the Min’Nan dialect is still the lingua fraca of most Chinese there.
Legacies of Courage and Resilience
Tan Kah Kee. Beloved China Patriot who led the fund raising campaign from Singapore to aid China’s anti-war effort in World War 2. He honoured in Singapore’s Hokkien Huay Kuan, the nation’s largest dialect clan association.
Jimei is also the hometown of Mr. Tan Kah-Kee, a famous overseas Chinese leader who devoted homself wholly to the education cause.He had started various schools in the town, including Jimei Normal School,Jimei Navigation Institute, Xiamen Aquatic Products Technical Institute and Agriculture School besides Jimei Kindergarden, Jimei Primary School and Jimei Middle School.
The former residence of Mr.Tan Kah-Kee is situated on Jiageng Road in the town of Jimei.It is still keeping its old looks to be visited and pondered. Mr.Tan Kah-kee was living frugally all his life. No one can keep unmoved when they see how simple those daily necessities and clothings are.
Tan Kah Kee established Amoy University in Xiamen and built a school district to further the cause of education in our home province. At his death, he was given a state funeral by Beijing.
LOCAL BORN
Hokkiens as a rule, migrated without their women, to save them from a life of hardship worse than the one they leave behind. Consequently, marriages with local Malay women in Singapore, Malaya and the Philippines created a new line of Chinese descendants who never knew the motherland.
In the Philippines, they were known as the Chinese mestizos.
The most famous mestizo of all was none other than the national hero of the Philippines – Jose Rizal, a Philippines patriot who engineered a failed revolution against the Spanish colonialists and was martyred..
In Singapore and Malaya, local born Chinese were called Peranakans because they adopted local Malay customs and blended it with their Hokkien heritage. A small subset of Peranakans are equivalent to the Mestizos because of mixed Hokkien-Malay parentage. Most Peranakans, like my family, were just local born Hokkiens.
This local born community developed a unique culture and cuisine that blended the best from both cultures. They spoke a distinct language based essentially on Malay but laced liberally with Hokkien vernicular.
The Linguistic Influence of Hokkien in other languages
Apparently, words of Hokkien origin have entered the vocabulary of not just Malay but English and Tagalog.
1. Satin. From the ancient port of Zaytun, now called Chuanchew in Fujian.
2. Tea. YES! This is actually a Hokkien word which is teh.
3. Junk. The Chinese ship. The Hokkien word for it is “jun”, which was kinda brutally mangled as “junk” by non-Min speakers grasping for a word to describe the odd looking sailing vessel.
PICTURE GALLERY OF FUJIAN
Zhangzhou (Tiongchew) – southern tip of Fujian, China.
Temple grounds of Quanzhou (Chuanchew), Fujian, China
COMMUNITY LEADERS
As prominent businessmen, Tan Kah Kee and Lee Kong Chian not only assumed positions of social authority, they also used their influence to build institutions and networks both locally and abroad, from the huay kuan to institutions of higher learning, that would further their respective causes.
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Tan Kah Kee |
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(Chen Jiageng, 1874-1961) Originally from the village of Jimei, 16 miles from Xiamen in Fujian Province, China, Tan Kah Kee arrived in Singapore at age 16 (1890) to begin his career in his father’s rice store. That business collapsed in 1903, but Tan Kah Kee went on to build an industrial empire ranging from rubber plantations and manufacturing, sawmills, canneries, real estate, import and export brokerage, ocean transport to — rice trading. The years 1912 – 1914 were the best for his enterprises when he amassed a huge fortune. He came to be known as the “Henry Ford of Malaya.”
He spent his fortune not on himself or his family, but on education, for education, not business, was his abiding concern. He founded and financed several schools and other educational institutions in his native Jimei as well as in Singapore. In 1921 he set up Xiamen University where Lim Boon Keng was first Vice-chancellor, and maintained it for 16 years even during his financially difficult years, before the Chinese government took it over in 1937. Among the schools he founded in Singapore are Singapore Chinese High, Daonan, Aitong, Chongfu, Huachiao and Nanyang Girls’ High. Besides Chinese schools he also made contributions to Anglo-Chinese School and Raffles College. He was also active in campaigning for educational and social reforms in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Tan Kah Kee was held in high regard as community leader. He was twice chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and helped reorganize the Hokkien Huay Kuan (Hokkien clan association). In 1923 when he was general manager of the Ee Hoe Hean (Yihexuan) Club, the so-called Millionaires’ Club of Singapore, he launched the Chinese newspaper, Nanyang Siang Pau (Nanyang Shangbao). In the years of China’s struggle against the Japanese invasion he provided leadership in organizing the various Relief Funds. His role as community spokesman, however, ended after World War II when the Singapore Chinese community was split into the pro-Communist and pro-Kuomintang camps. Tan Kah Kee’s sympathies lay with the Communists when he saw the corruption of the Kuomintang at the time. He returned to China in 1950, where he held various posts under the Communist government. He died in Beijing in 1961, and was accorded a state funeral. Tan Kah Kee began writing his memoirs, Nanqiao huiyilu [The memoirs of an overseas Chinese of the South Seas], in 1943 while taking refuge in Java from the Japanese. From his memoirs one could see that he placed more importance on his involvement in education, social reform and politics than on his business undertakings, and the work is a most valuable source for the history of the Chinese community of that time. It was first published in Singapore in 1946 by Tan Kah Kee himself and has since gone through several reprints. Tan Kah Kee became an overseas Chinese hero and legend not merely because of his phenomenal success in business, but chiefly because of what he did for the community, in Singapore and in China. His success derived not only from his enormous energy and drive, his sharp and analytical mind, his shrewdness and courage to take risks, but also from his firm belief in giving to others. He was an example and inspiration to the younger talents he helped nurture. Among these were Lee Kong Chian and Tan Lark Sye. He is still an inspiration today. In 1986 the Nobel Laureate Prof C.N. Yang set up the Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors’ Award, and in 1992 three Nobel Laureates, Prof C.N. Yang, Prof Samuel C.C. Ting and Prof Li Yuan Tseh together with Prof Chang-lin Tien, former Vice-chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley, and Prof Wang Gungwu, former President of Hong Kong University initiated the Foundation of the Tan Kah Kee International Society whose aim is to promote education and culture for the advancement of mankind in accordance with the Tan Kah Kee spirit. References: Tan Kah Kee, The Memoirs of an Overseas Chinese of the South Seas (in Chinese). Taiyuan: Shanxi Guji chuban she,1996.
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A tale of two Chinese legends
TAN Kah Kee and Lee Kong Chian are probably two of the most well-known names among the Chinese community.
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The Lee Pineapple Co Ltd in Singapore was one of the many companies under the Lee Kong Chian empire. |
The duo were not only enterprising businessmen but philanthropists who built schools and universities.
Tan was born in the Fujian Province, China, in 1874. He emigrated to Singapore at the age of 16. He was hailed as the “Henry Ford of Malaya”, having built a vast empire that included real estate, rubber and the rice trade.
He also established the Tan Kah Kee Foundation and set up several schools and a university throughout Malaya, China and Singapore.
He penned The Memoirs of an Overseas Chinese of the Southern Ocean, which became a valuable resource on the history of overseas Chinese. Tan died in 1961.
His son-in-law Lee Kong Chian, who was born in 1893, also became one of the wealthiest men in Southeast Asia between the 1950s and 1960s.
He set up the Lee Foundation in Singapore in 1952, and in Malaya eight years later. He was also the man behind the Lee Pineapple Co Ltd in Singapore and Lee Pineapple Sdn Bhd in Skudai, Johor.
Lee died in 1967 but his legacy continues with his three sons and three daughters.
For the younger generation who would like to learn more about Tan and Lee, an exhibition entitled “The Legacy of Tan Kah Kee and Lee Kong Chian”, will be held at Sutera Mall in Johor Baru from June 20 to July 19.
Spokesman for the organising committee, Goh Lak Jin, said the event aims to capture the spirit of philanthropy and entrepreneurship of these pioneers and serve as an inspiration to youngsters.
The exhibition will be divided into four galleries. Gallery 1 will document the duo’s achievements as entrepreneurs.
Gallery 2 will feature them as promoters of education and Gallery 3 will showcase their lives as community leaders. Gallery 4 will highlight their legacy.
The public, especially students, are encouraged to attend the event which will include the screening of a documentary, old photographs and books on the two men sourced from China, Singapore and Malaysia.
There will also be a host of activities such as quizzes, dance and cultural performances by students of various schools, a calligraphy competition and a book fair.
The advisors of the exhibition are history researchers Jane Wee, Wendy Zoulu, Han Tan Juan and Lim Guan Hock.
Among the joint organisers are the Hokkien Huay Kuan Johor Baru, Federation of Johor Baru Tionghua and South Johor Chinese Press Club
Tan Kah Kee was one of the most prominent ethnic chinese Malayans to financially support chinese efforts in the Second Sino-Japanese war which broke out in 1937 and organised many relief funds under his name. Tan Kah Kee also exercised considerable effort against the then-governor of the Fujian province, Chen Yi, for perceived maladministration.
Tan Kah Kee was also the de facto leader of the Singapore Chinese Community, serving as chairman for the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and helped organise the Hokkien clan association. However he lost this role when the Chinese Civil War divided the Singaporean Chinese Community into Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Kuomintang sympathizers. Tan Kah Kee was a CCP supporter as he was disillusioned with the corruption within the Nationalists.
After the Communist Victory in China, he tried to return to Singapore in 1950 but was denied entry by British colonial authority which was concerned about the Communist influence in Singapore and Malaya.
Tan Kah Kee was born in Jimei, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, and went to Singapore in 1890, when he was 16 years old, to work for his father’s rice store. After his father’s business collapsed in 1903, Tan started his own business and built an empire from rubber plantations and manufacturing, sawmills, canneries, real estate, import and export brokerage, ocean transport to rice trading. His business was at its prime from 1912-1914, where he was known as “Henry Ford of Malaya“.
With the profit he made from his business empire, Mr Tan Kah Kee contributed greatly to the community, bothe in Malaya and his native Fujian Province. He was one of the 110 founding membersof Tao Nan School. He set up the Jimei schools, which is now known as the Jimei university, in 1913.In 1919, he set up The Chinese High School, now named Hwa Chong Institution in Singapore.While in 1921, he set up the Xiamen University and financially supported it until the Government of the Republic of China took it over in 1937. In 1920, he married his daughter Tan Ai Li to Lee Kong Chian, who worked under him and who later became a famous Singaporean philanthropist and businessman.
RICH HISTORY & DISTINGUISHED HERITAGE
Founded in 1919 by Mr Tan Kah Kee, The Chinese High School was established to cater to the needs of overseas Chinese primary school leavers in South-east Asia.
Today, it is one of the finest educational institutions for high-achievers and the gifted in the region. Its reputation as a premier school is based not only on the academic excellence of the students but also their determination to excel in all other areas like leadership, sports and games, co-curricular activities, science research, and service to the community.
The Chinese High School has been a school of choice amongst the best and the brightest. Every year it attracts the top 3% of the national PSLE cohort and the top 1% that forms the Gifted Education Programme.
This is not confined to only the high achieving students from Singapore but also those from countries like Malaysia and China. With the merger in 2005, The Chinese High School now forms the High School Section of Hwa Chong Institution.
Hwa Chong Junior College is Singapore’s first government-aided junior college (JC) to be established in 1974. More than 3 decades later, the College remains committed to offering students an unrivalled holistic education.
In 2004, Hwa Chong became the nation’s first JC to turn independent. The College was ranked 1st for the last 4 years of the Junior College Ranking Exercise, based on the university point system.
The lush green surroundings evokes a sense of tranquility. The sound of rustling bamboo swaying with the wind. The occasional tunes of chirping birds can be heard from the trees. A sense of calm prevails. But 66 years ago at this same place, the feelings felt by those who trudged up this same path to the building were vey much different. The building was the Ford Motor Factory located at Upper Bukit Timah Road. The feelings of those present were that of the victors and the vanquished. The historical event was the signing of the surrender papers which took place on 15th Feb 1942 during World War II. The British surrendered to to the Japanese invading forces which led to a three and a half years of Japanese occupation of Singapore, once known to be the “Gibraltar of the East”, an impregnable fortress.
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Tan Kah Kee: the Founding Father of Xiamen University Xiamen University was founded in 1921, the first university in China to be established by an Overseas Chinese leader. Mr. Tan Kah-Kee was the pioneer of private education in China, spending his entire fortune in support of education in his native country. Tan Kah-Kee is an inspirational figure in China’s history of education, and was described by Mao Zedong as a “Standard-bearer of the Overseas Chinese and Glory of the Nation”. He was the first President of the China Overseas Chinese League, and outstanding Overseas Chinese leader, a great patriot, and an eminent entrepreneur, educator and social activist. Standard-bearer of the Overseas Chinese and Glory of the Nation Tan Kah-Kee was born on October 21st, 1874 in Jimei, in what was then Tong’an County in Fujian Province—currently Jimei District of Xiamen. He was born into an Overseas Chinese family, and was sent to a private school at the age of 7, to be educated in the traditional Chinese manner. He left China for Singapore at the age of 17 to work in his father’s business. He took over the company in 1904, but eventually it failed. In 1916, he started his own business in rubber planting and processing. By 1925, Tan Kah-Kee had become famous as an entrepreneur, known as one of the four founders of the “Malaya Rubber Kingdom” in Singapore. Tan Kah-Kee was a real patriot, and considered the revitalisation of the Chinese nation a responsibility. He met Sun Yat-sen and, one year later, joined the United League. After the liberation of Fujian in the1911 Revolution, Tan was chosen to be leader of the Fujian Public Security Committee, to raise money for Sun’s revolution. He became the Chairman of the South Seas China Relief Fund Union following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937 — the incident thought of as the start of the Anti-Japanese War — and in 1939, he sent Wang Jingwei a telegram accusing him in harsh terms of betraying his motherland — Wang Jingwei was originally a close associate of Sun Yat-Sen, but in 1939 was negotiating a settlement with the Japanese, which led in 1940, to his setting up an independent government in Shanghai in opposition to Chiang Kai-Shek. In March 1940, Tan Kah-Kee led a team of Overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia to visit major war zones and Chongqing and Yan’an. He had become disillusioned with the corruption within Kuomintang and the dictatorship of Chiang Kai-shek, and became a firm supporter of the Communist Party as the force to save the people and the nation from chaos. He was the leader of the Singapore Overseas Chinese Anti-invasion Union when the Japanese invaded Malaya, and even though his life was in danger and he was forced to leave Singapore and seek refuge in Java, he never vacillated in sacrificing his own interests to the noble cause of the liberation of China. When the Anti-Japanese War ended in 1945, he returned to Singapore to a warm welcome from every group within the Singaporean community. At the invitation of Chairman Mao, he attended the first National People’s Consultative Conference and the founding ceremony of New China in 1949, and in February 1952, returned to China permanently. Tan Kah-Kee held numerous positions within the Communist Party of China, including Member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Deputy-Chairman of the National People’s Political Consultative Conference. In his later years, he continued to visit cities all over China, in order to understand the primary concerns in life of the common people, and devoted himself to the establishment of the Chinese socialist society. He was also a pre-eminent factor in bringing the Overseas Chinese together to support the development of their hometowns and the nation as a whole. His final wish, even as he lay on his sick-bed was the unification of China. He died in Beijing on August 12th, 1961 at the age of 87, and was given a state funeral. His coffin was sent to his hometown of Jimei, where it is buried in the Turtle Garden. Devoting his all to education Even though he spent much of his life in Singapore, Tan Kah-Kee always retained the deepest love for his motherland. As an alien in a foreign land who had suffered indifference and discrimination, he felt the greatest sympathy for the suffering of the people of China as a result of domestic unrest and foreign invasion. He was an honest and successful businessman, and feeling his responsibilities as a Chinese, he resolved to use his wealth to support education in China as a way of helping the nation’s development. In 1913, Tan founded the Jimei Primary School, followed by the endowment of Jimei High School, Jimei Normal College, Jimei Fishery School, Jimei Navigation College, Jimei Business School and the School of Agriculture, which came to be known collectively as the “Jimei Schools”. In due course, Tan Kah-Kee realised that there was not a single university, neither public nor private, within Fujian Province — a province with a rather large population — with a consequent shortage of professional expertise in both education and other fields. He also realised that there was no possibility of a government-funded university being set up in the province at the time, so, in 1921, he drew on his personal fortune to found Xiamen University. Initially, he saw to every detail himself: the selection of the President; the construction of the necessary buildings; and the recruitment of the academic staff; and, of course, the site for the university — with its back to the hills and its face to the sea, the University is widely acknowledged to have perhaps the most beautiful campus of any university in China. His aim was the development of talented people from both home and abroad, to which end he set up five schools in the University, teaching a total of 17 majors: the School of Liberal Arts, the School of Science, The School of Law, The School of Economics and the School of Education. Tan Kah-Kee’s educational philanthropy in Singapore was equally impressive. He founded a number of schools of various kinds, and his endowments created an extensive, open education system known by his name. In spite of the fact that his business was running into difficulties as a result of an economic recession, he still managed to raise money in every possible way so as to maintain the continued operation of his schools. This commitment extended as far as turning down flat, in 1932, a generous offer from an overseas consortium which would have saved his business, simply because there was a precondition of withdrawing his support for Xiamen University and Jimei School Village. By spring 1937, he could no longer keep it up, having spent every penny of his fortune on supporting Xiamen University, so the Government of the Republic of China took over the university. Even after it became a public-funded university, he still followed its development closely. He returned to China to visit the university in 1940, after it had been forced to move to Changting because of the war, which the university survived in a manner that earned it the honorary title “Strength of the South”. Following his permanent return to Jimei in 1952, Tan Kah-Kee continued his efforts to raise funds for the expansion of the university. But Tan Kah-Kee was not merely dedicated to educational philanthropy; he was a far-sighted, extraordinary visionary. He was a firm advocate of the overall development of the students, physically, intellectually and morally; he stressed the importance of vocational education and teacher training; and he laid emphasis on the decisive role in education of the university leadership and its academic staff. Tan Kah-Kee also promoted social development actively; he founded the museum in the Turtle Garden and it was he who proposed the establishment of the Xiamen Overseas Chinese Museum. According to incomplete figures, Tan Kah Kee’s spent a total of 13.21 billion RMB between 1904 and 1931, including 8.37 billion directly on education itself, and 3.8 billion on interest charges related to his educational funding, in all 92% of his total outgoings. In contrast, his monthly living expenses amounted to less than 1,000 RMB. He said, “My earnings should be spent on public causes, not on personal affairs.” His generosity inspired many Overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia to follow his lead in supporting education. The figures show that, between 1915 and 1948, Overseas Chinese of Fujian Province origin set up 48 high schools in various regions of the Province, proof positive of Tan Kah-Kee’s influence on education in China. On establishing Xiamen University in 1921, Tan Kah-Kee gave it the motto: “Pursue Excellence, Strive for Perfection”. “Strive for Perfection” concerns the persistent effort to pursue ultimate perfection. It refers to the Daxue — “Great Learning” chapter of the Book of Rites: “The way of great learning consists in manifesting one’s shining virtue, in loving the people, in only stopping on achieving perfection.” Zhu Xi, a renowned Song Dynasty scholar explained the term “qin-min” as meaning “xin-min”, or “renovating the people” rather than “loving the people”, emphasising the role of education in fostering people’s inner good qualities. Zhu Xi also laid stress on “persistence” and “perfection” in “only stopping on achieving perfection”. Tan Kah-Kee’s aim in basing the university on ancient wisdom was to inspire the students and staff of the University to maintain a constant pursuit towards the grand goal of perfection and excellence which is the essence of education. Xiamen University has now become a comprehensive university offering programmes and courses in a wide range of disciplines. It is the only high-level national key research university in any of China’s six Special Economic Zones which comes under the state key “211” and “985” projects. Its location in Xiamen facing the ocean on the southeast coast of China gives Xiamen University the unique geographical advantages of close proximity to Taiwan and easy access to Southeast Asia and the outside world. “For me, education is the ultimate way to save the nation. Though it may not bring immediate success, it will at least preserve the nation’s culture and spirit for future revival.” “The wealth and well-being of a nation lies in its citizens, whose development depends on education.” “A person can contribute the public cause within his ability at any time. If you choose to wait until you are wealthy, you will never be a philanthropist.” “In spite of constant difficulties and frustrations, I am fully determined to donate the fortune I have earned to education and the service of the people.” “In simple words, the goals of the University are, on the one hand to pursue scientific development through research, and on the other to promote social progress so that China can become one of the strong nations of this Earth.” “A student should always make the prosperity of his nation and the well-being of his fellow citizens his first priority.” “I would rather shut down my business than close the university.” |
ENTREPRENEURS
While Tan Kah Kee was not very wealthy when he arrived in Singapore and Lee Kong Chian came from a humble background, the two men built up transnational business empires through hard work and keen business sense. This made them influential millionaires and laid the financial foundation for their generous philanthropy.
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Striking out on his own, Tan Kah Kee followed in his father´s footsteps to set up a pineapple cannery. It soon flourished and enabled him to expand into other profitable industries, such as rice and rubber; in fact, Tan became one of the successful pioneers of the rubber industry. Pineapple canning proved to be so successful because of the great worldwide demand for it. At the turn of the 20th century, Singapore supplied about three-quarters of the world´s canned pineapples, making it a good launchpad for Tan´s new business empire. Similarly, rubber was in high demand because cars and the supply of electricity were then the newest technologies being introduced around the world. Rubber was essential for making car tyres and electrical insulation. [ |
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Xiamen covers a relatively small administrative region yet has three highly regarded universities and other educational institutions, many of which are historically linked to overseas Chinese philanthropists who sent money back for their construction. The photo above shows Jimei School Village which was founded by Mr. Tan Kah Kee who made his fortune through rubber plantations and manufacturing businesses.
He also donated millions of dollars to establish Xiamen University (above) and what would later become Jimei University (below) which both have particularly beautiful campuses well worth a visit just to stroll around and enjoy the old traditional buildings and a tranquil lakes. Interestingly the buildings use a unique blend of Western and Chinese architecture with red brick walls and glazed tiles on more traditionally shaped roofs.
Such was his contribution to education in Xiamen that a museum was recently opened (below) to chronicle his life’ work and there are many statues of him dotted around the city. There’s quite a lot of content translated in English but possibly a bit much for a short visit. The beautiful garden is the main attraction.
One thing which struck me was how impeccably clean Xiamen is in comparison to most Chinese cities that are often more than a bit grimy around the edges. Apparently the city was recently voted China’s cleanest and one can imagine that student life here is pretty nice, something which I always appreciated and miss from my time studying in Durham (UK).
In memory of two great men
The exhibition, ‘The Legacy of Tan Kah Kee and Lee Kong Chian’, pays tribute to the two late tycoons famous for not only their wealth but also their generosity of spirit, writes SIM BAK HENG
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A pineapple cannery in 1915. |
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The exhibition, The Legacy of Tan Kah Kee and Lee Kong Chian, is on at the Sutera Mall until July 19. |
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Lee Kong Chian tied the knot with Tan Kah Kee’s eldest daughter, Ai Lay, in 1920. |
FOR many Johoreans and Singaporeans, the names Tan Kah Kee (1874-1961) and Lee Kong Chian (1893-1967) are synonymous with entrepreneurship and philanthrophy.
They were among the Chinese immigrants who made their way up through hard work, and later contributed to society by donating to charity and establishing foundations for education.
Their success stories have inspired many Malaysians and Singaporeans for over a century, as they built their business empires and used their wealth not only for personal enjoyment but for the betterment of society.
Tan left the Fujian province of China for Singapore in 1890 when he was 16. He started off by working in his father’s rice mill.
However, Tan’s father, who also owned a sago mill, pineapple cannery and property investment company, fell into debt and the business folded in 1904.
With $7,000 in hand, Tan followed in his father’s footsteps to set up a pineapple cannery. The business flourished and he ventured into other industries such as rice and rubber.
In less than 10 years, he owned eight canneries in Singapore and Johor. He also made money through the buying and selling of rubber plantations.
By the 1920s, there were 30,000 staff in his business conglomerate spreading across 48 countries in five continents.
During World War 1, Tan ventured into rubber-processing to be less dependent on the fluctuating prices of raw rubber.
Later, he set up Nanyang Siang Pau to promote education as well as to advertise the products made by his factories.
He also ventured into shipping and banking.
Tan’s diversification, however, did not spare him from the effects of the Great Depression. He also faced fierce competitions from Japanese manufacturers and rubber traders.
His empire diminished in 1929, and by 1934, it had collapsed.
Despite his downfall, Tan continued to be respected and admired by the community.
Tan is remembered for saying: “There is no shame in justifiable failure. There is shame only in the fear of failure.”
Lee, meanwhile, arrived in Singapore in 1903 at the age of 10. He began working in 1912, hoping to become an engineer.
But fate had something completely different in store for him.
Lee joined a trading company in 1915 and met Tan in the course of his work.
Impressed by Lee’s fluency in Chinese and English, Tan offered him a job — which proved to be the start of Lee’s foray into the business world.
Lee sealed many international deals for Tan, which prompted the latter to entrust him with more responsibilities.
From managing Tan’s business, Lee slowly built up capital and gained influence, and soon started his own businesses.
These businesses exist till today — established brands such as Lee Rubber, Lee Pineapple and Lee Biscuits are part of his empire.
He was known as Southeast Asia’s rubber and pineapple king during the interwar years. He also played a role in the setting up of the Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation in 1932.
The close relationship between Tan and Lee was sealed when Lee married Tan’s eldest daughter, Ai Lay, in 1920.
With their vast fortunes, Tan and Lee were able to lend financial aid to many social, cultural and educational institutions.
Both believed in the old Chinese saying: “The benefit you get from society should be used to benefit society in return.”
Both were fervent supporters of education, in particular a modern education curriculum that would prepare young people for the demands of an industrialised society.
Lee set up the Lee Foundation to carry on the legacy he had built. The Tan Kah Kee Foundation was set up after the death of Tan to continue contributing to charity, promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship and supporting education.
Jimei School Village, China’s only school village founded by Mr. Tan Kah Kee
: Tan Kah Kee Ao Yuan Jimei School Village
Jimei School Village
Jimei is a small town on the other side of the bank facing north Xiamen Island, 17 kilometers (about 11 miles) from the Xiamen city center. With Gaoji Causeway and Xingji Causeway meeting there, Jimei becomes the sole gateway into Xiamen. Jimei is also the hometown of Mr. Tan Kah Kee (Chen Jiageng) (1874-1961), a famous overseas Chinese leader who devoted himself to the educational causes in China. Nowadays, Jimei is one of the four most popular tourist sites of Xiamen City, especially for its academic atmosphere as well as pretty natural and social sights.
Mr. Tan Kah Kee founded various schools in the town, including Jimei Normal School, Jimei Navigation Institute, Xiamen Aquatic Products Technical Institute and Agriculture School besides Jimei Kindergarten, Jimei Primary School and Jimei Middle School. Equipped with Science Hall, a library and a hospital, these schools brought the town the name “Jimei School Village” which is renowned both at home and abroad.
Jimei School Village, founded by Mr. Tan Kah Kee in 1913, is the only one in China. It occupies an area of over 10 hectares (about 25 acres) on a variety of various levels and schools ranging from primary to higher education and from traditional to vocational schools. The magnificent scale of this project has no equal elsewhere in China.
Jimei University was formed by the amalgamation of five former colleges and it is now Xiamen City’s major center of education and culture and has been given the general designation of Jimei School Village. The buildings of Jimei School Village are a combination of eastern and western styles, facing the beautiful seashore, and they are attractive places for visitors. Recently, Jimei School Village has been selected as a protected cultural relic of the nation together with another spot in Jimei, Ao Yuan.
Ao Yuan (鳌园Turtle Garden)
Ao Yuan (Turtle Garden), lying on the southeastern seashore of Jimei, was built in four years from 1950 by Mr. Tan Kah Kee. The Jimei Liberation Monument of 18 meters height (about 59 feet) and the tomb of Mr. Tan are sited in Ao Yuan. There is a corridor extending from the entrance to the garden. The side walls of the corridor are inscribed with groups of carvings. In addition, various kinds of stone inscriptions can be found all over the garden. The foundation of the monument is surrounded by gray jade carvings and relief sculptures polished with great care, embodying a concentrated reflection of exquisite workmanship and a unique style of south Fujian stone carving art.
Compared to the gorgeous structures in Jimei, a two-storey building appears simple and plain, this is the former residence of Tan Kah Kee. Mr. Tan had made many contributions to the educational undertakings; the schools he set up number more than 100, however, his lifestyle was always frugal and simple. To the west of Mr Tan’s residence is a display charting his life story.
Guilai Tang is to the south of the former residence of Tan Kah Kee. It was built for the wish of Mr. Tan. He wished to provide a place for the overseas Chinese to get together when they returned to their homeland. Guilai Tang was finished one year after Mr. Tan passed away. It occupies an area of more then 4,000 square meters (about 4,784 square yards) and the main body is in a traditional palace style. In front of Guilai Tang, there is Guilai Yuan constructed in 1983, and a bronze statue of Tan Kah Kee stands in the garden.
In addition to the spots mentioned above, Jiageng Park (Kah Kee Park), Dragon Boat Pond, Yanping Gulei, Crocodile Garden, etc. are also appealing to visitors.
Tan Kah Kee Memorial Place
Jimen is a small town on the other side of the bank facing north Xiamen Island, 17 kilometers (about 11 miles) from the Xiamen city center. With Gaoji Causeway and Xingji Causeway meeting there, Jimen becomes the sole gateway into Xiamen. Ji Men is also the hometown of Mr. Tan Kah Kee (Chen Jiageng) (1874-1961), a famous overseas Chinese leader who devoted himself to the educational causes in China. Nowadays, Jimen is one of the four most popular tourist sites of Xiamen City, especially for its academic atmosphere as well as pretty natural and social sights.
Mr. Tan Kah Kee started various schools in the town, including Ji Men Normal School, Ji Men Navigation Institute, Xiamen Aquatic Products Technical Institute and Agriculture School besides Ji Men Kindergarten, Ji Men Primary School and Ji Men Middle School. Equipped with Science Hall, a library and a hospital, these schools brought the town the name “Ji Men School Village” which is renowned at home and abroad.
Jimen Study Village, founded by Mr. Tan Kah Kee in 1913, is the only one in China. It occupies an area of over 10 hectares (about 25 acres) on a variety of various levels and schools ranging from primary to higher education and from traditional to vocational schools. The magnificent scale of this project has no equal elsewhere in China.
Jimen University was formed by the amalgamation of five former colleges and it is now Xiamen City’s major center of education and culture and has been given the general designation of Jimen Study Village. The buildings of Jimen Study Village are a combination of eastern and western styles, facing the beautiful seashore, and they are attractive places for visitors. Recently, Jimen Study Village has been selected as a protected cultural relic of the nation together with another spot in Jimen, Ao Yuan.
Ao Yuan (Turtle Garden)
Ao Yuan (Turtle Garden), lying on the southeastern seashore of Jimen, was built in four years from 1950 by Mr. Tan Kah Kee. The Jimen Liberation Monument of 18 meters height (about 59 feet) and the tomb of Mr. Tan are sited in Ao Yuan. There is a corridor extending from the entrance to the garden. The side walls of the corridor are inscribed with groups of carvings. In addition, various kinds of stone inscriptions can be found all over the garden. The foundation of the monument is surrounded by gray jade carvings and relief sculptures polished with great care, embodying a concentrated reflection of exquisite workmanship and a unique style of south Fujian stone carving art.
Compared to the gorgeous structures in Jimen, a two-storey building appears simple and plain, this is the former residence of Tan Kah Kee. Mr. Tan had made many contributions to the educational undertakings; the schools he set up number more than 100, however, his lifestyle was always frugal and simple. To the west of Mr Tan’s residence is a display charting his life story.
Guilai Tang is to the south of the former residence of Tan Kah Kee. It was built for the wish of Mr. Tan. He wished to provide a place for the overseas Chinese to get together when they returned to their homeland. Guilai Tang was finished one year after Mr. Tan passed away. It occupies an area of more than 4,000 square meters (about 4,784 square yards) and the main body is in a traditional palace style. In front of Guilai Tang, there is Guilai Yuan constructed in 1983, and a bronze statue of Tan Kah Kee stands in the garden.
In addition to the spots mentioned above, Jiageng Park, Dragon Boat Pond, Yanping Gulei, Crocodile Garden, etc. are also appealing to visitors.
Tan Kah Kee — legendary philanthropist
» The grounds of the memorial museum
Tan Kah Kee Memorial Museum
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