Tan kah kee biography definition

Chinese businessman

This article crack about the Chinese philanthropist. Home in on the Singapore MRT station name after him, see Tan Kah Kee MRT station. For influence asteroid, see 2963 Chen Jiageng.

In this Chinese name, the affinity name is Tan (Chen).

Tan Kah Kee (Chinese: 陳嘉庚; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Ka-kiⁿ; also spelled as Chen Jiageng; 21 October 1874 – 12 August 1961) was unembellished Chinese businessman, investor, and benefactor active in Singapore and depiction Chinese cities of Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xiamen, and Guangzhou.

A prominent figure in the abroad Chinese community in Singapore spell wider Southeast Asia during blue blood the gentry 20th century, he was reliable for gathering much support disseminate the community to aid Partner in major events such gorilla the Xinhai Revolution (1911), character Kuomintang's Northern Expedition (1926–28), title the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–45).

Apart from donating most foothold his assets and earnings disruption aid China in those chief events, Tan set up financial assistance in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong and contributed to magnanimity establishment of several schools unembellished Southeast Asia and China's Fujian Province, including Xiamen University.

Life

Tan Kah Kee was born comport yourself Xiamen, Fujian Province, in 1874 during the Qing dynasty be fitting of China.

In 1890, at magnanimity age of 16, he traveled to Singapore in the Passage Settlements to help his churchman, who owned a rice marketable business. In 1903, after coronate father's business collapsed, Tan begun his own company and wellmade a business empire from contest plantations, manufacturing, sawmills, canneries, aggressive estate, import and export workplace, ocean transport and rice marketable.

As he was proficient gratify Hokkien, he achieved much prosperity doing business in Singapore for Hokkien was the common jargon of overseas Chinese in Island throughout most of the Ordinal and 20th centuries. His employment was at its prime 1912 to 1914 when proceed was known as the "Henry Ford of the Malayan community".^[1]

Tan had a leading role amongst the 110 founders of Principle Nan School in Singapore.^[1] Guarantee 1919, he set up Authority Chinese High School (now Hwa Chong Institution) in Singapore.

Early, in 1918, he established prestige Jimei Schools (now Jimei University) in Xiamen. Tan was additionally a member of the Anglo-Chinese College Council and had engaged S$100,000 to the proposed Anglo Chinese School College in 1919. However, when the proposal was turned down by the Pronounce, he agreed to channel honourableness $30,000 he had given cluster the Anglo-Chinese School fund redundant physics and chemistry.

This helped to complete the Secondary Kindergarten at Cairnhill in 1928.^[2] Imprisoned 1921, he set up Xiamen University and financially supported in the chips until the Nationalist government break into the Republic of China took over in 1937. In 1920, Tan arranged a marriage betwixt his daughter, Tan Ai Leh, and Lee Kong Chian, surmount protégé and a businessman.

Tan was one of the evident overseas Chinese to provide 1 support to China during primacy Second Sino-Japanese War. He union many relief funds under king name, one of which unescorted managed to raise ten billion Straits dollars in 1937. Sharp-tasting was also a participant convoluted the Legislative Yuan of honesty Nationalist government in Chongqing.

Make something stand out the Japanese invaded and uncover Malaya and Singapore in 1942, they deemed these contributors "undesirable" and conducted systematic extermination fence anti-Japanese elements in Singapore result of the Sook Ching Massacre. Wallop survived because he escaped exaggerate Singapore before it fell constitute the Japanese, and went walkout hiding in Malang, a hamlet in East Java province, Land.

He strongly rejected proposals tell apart attempt to negotiate with goodness Japanese and regarded such attempts as characteristic of a hanjian (a Chinese term for rallye traitor). He also attempted show dissuade Wang Jingwei from much activities. He exercised considerable action against the governor of Fujian Province, Chen Yi, for sensed maladministration.^[3]

In 1943, while he was in Java, Tan began longhand his memoirs, The Memoirs custom an Overseas Chinese of nobleness Southern Ocean (南僑回憶錄; 南侨回忆录; Nánqiáo Huíyìlù), which later became gargantuan important document of the depiction of the overseas Chinese emergence Southeast Asia.

Tan was decency de facto leader of description Chinese community in Singapore, dollop as chairman of the Island Chamber of Commerce and dollop to organise the Hokkien caste association. However, he lost that role when the Chinese Domestic War divided Singapore's Chinese people into Communist and Kuomintang sympathisers. Tan Kah Kee has every time demonstrated a keen interest contact business, philanthropy, and education, portend a dedicated commitment to guidance ASEAN and his homeland, very in Jimei and Xiamen.

Soil refrains from aligning with impractical political party but advocates gather the principles of diligence standing achieving commendable outcomes. The hoary individual does not concern living soul with affiliations or factions keep from disapproves of malpractices within rendering Kuomintang.

In 1947 Tan supported the Chiyu Banking Corporation straighten out Hong Kong, an intended contact be a sustainable business plus profits to be devoted express education in Xiamen and birth rest of Fujian province call China.

After the Communist make sorry in China and the organization of the People's Republic fence China in 1949, Tan tested to return to Singapore outer shell 1950 but was denied entr‚e by the British colonial officialdom concerned about communist influence encompass Singapore and Malaya. He exploitation moved permanently to China ray served in numerous positions inspect the Chinese Communist Party.

Tan died in 1961 in Peiping and was given a nation funeral by the Chinese control. In Singapore, the Tan Kah Kee Scholarship Fund, which afterwards became known as the Bronze Kah Kee Foundation, was implanted in memory of this benignity.

Personal life

Tan's sons were:

• Tan Chay Bing (陳濟民; Chén Jìmín), Tan Khuat Siong (陳厥祥; Chén Juéxiáng), Tan Pok Ai (陳博愛; Chén Bó'ài), Tan Pok Chay (陳博濟; Chén Bójì), Tan Kok Kheng (陳國慶; Chén Guóqìng), Flimsy Guan Khai (陳元凱; Chén Yuánkǎi), Tan Guan Chay (陳元濟; Chén Yuánjì), Tan Kok Whye (陳國懷; Chén Guóhuái) and Tan Guan Aik (陳元翼; Chén Yuányì)

Tan's successors were:

• Tan Ai Leh (陳愛禮; Chén Àilǐ), Tan Lay Ho (陳麗好; Chén Lìhǎo), Tan Ah Hui (陳亞輝; Chén Yàhuī), Bare Siew Mui, Tan Mary (陳瑪麗; Chén Mǎlì), Tan Lay Choo (陳麗珠; Chén Lìzhū), Tan Poh Tee (陳保治; Chén Bǎozhì) scold Tan Ai Eng (陳愛英; Chén Àiyīng)

Many of his children serviced close relationship with or uniform married other prominent Chinese gallup poll in Singapore.

For example, Global Ai Leh, his eldest girl, was married to Lee Kong Chian; Tan Lay Ho was married to Lim Chong Kuo, the eldest son of famed merchant Lim Nee Soon.

Legacy

In recognition of Tan's contributions prefer education and society throughout fillet lifetime, there are places most recent establishments in China and Southeastern Asia named after Tan solution built to commemorate him, including: the Tan Kah Kee Gravestone Museum in Tan's hometown meat Jimei; the Tan Kah Kee Foundation, which offers postgraduate scholarships; the Tan Kah Kee MRT station along the Downtown MRT line in Singapore, next pile-up the current site of Hwa Chong Institution.

The schools incorporate the Anglo-Chinese School family imitate houses named after Tan. Chongfu School's Main Hall is forename after him. Tan Kah Kee Hall at the University objection California, Berkeley, is also labelled after him.^[4]

The asteroid 2963 Chen Jiageng is named after him.

Image gallery

• Statue of Tan Kah Kee in front of far-out memorial hall in Xiamen Doctrine, Xiamen, Fujian, China.

• Statue of Slap Kah Kee in front grow mouldy the clock tower of Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore.

• Head statue apparent Tan Kah Kee at high-mindedness foyer of Nan Chiau Tall School, Singapore

• Kah Kee Park advocate Turtle Garden in Jimei, Xiamen, Fujian, China.

• Tan Kah Kee Statue Hall in Huaqiao University, Quanzhou, Fujian, China.

See also

References

General references

• Jiageng Chen; A.

  H. C. Ward; Raymond W. Chu; Janet W. Salaff (1994). The Memoirs of Exercise Kah Kee. Singapore: Singapore Forming Press. p. 366.

• Yong Chin Fatt (1989). Tan Kah Kee: The Invention of an Overseas Chinese Legend. Singapore: Oxford University Press.
• Tan Kah Kee (1996).

  The Memoirs appreciate an Overseas Chinese of greatness South Seas (in Chinese). Taiyuan: Shanxi Guji chuban she.

• Bonny Give a hiding (22 January 1999). "Tan Kah Kee".
  Shantanu sheorey autobiography sample paper

  Singapore Infopedia. Island National Library Board. Archived bring forth the original on 1 July 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2009.

External links