Colonial
Singapore offered entrepreneurs various economic opportunities.
Many Chinese migrants were able to build successful businesses and
became very wealthy. As this group’s economic capital
accumulated and as they emerged as a distinct group, new
organizations were founded to serve its needs.
One of these organizations was the Ee Hoe Hean club, 怡和轩俱乐部 founded
in 1895. It was a gathering place for leading Chinese businessman
and a networking place for exploring new political ideas and social
issues.
Its membership was opened to Chinese from any dialect group. This
policy transcended the dialect and/or clan based
social divide among the Chinese community at that time.
As China went
through various political crisis and internal chaos, overseas
Chinese explored different ideas to solve China’s problems. Some of
Ee Hoe Hean club’s members were in favor of political change and
actively supported Sun Yat Sen's 孙中山plan to overthrow the Manchu
government,满清皇朝.
The Qing
dynasty collapse in 1911 but China’s problems
remained unresolved.
In 1925, Ee Hoe Hean Club shifted from its original location in
Duxton Hill to Bukit Pasoh in Singapore
Chinatown. The chairman of Ee Hoe Hean Club was Mr.
Tan Kah Kee, 陈 嘉 庚. Mr. Tan Kah Kee’s chairmanship coincided with
the Second Sino Japanese War that erupted between Japan and China
in 1937.
In 1938, 170 overseas Chinese representatives from the region met
to establish a regional body to co ordinate regional relief work to
support China against Japanese advancement.
These delegates founded the Nanyang Federation of China
Relief Fund, 南洋华侨筹赈祖国难民总会 and elected Mr. Tan Kah
Kee as the chairman. The regional headquarter of China Relief Fund
was located in Ee Hoe Hean Club.
As the chairman of China Relief Fund, Mr. Tan Kah Kee spent a lot
of time in the Ee Hoe Hean office and eventually moved to live
there. The Ee Hoe Hean was also used to host farewell ceremonies
for Nanyang
Volunteers, 南侨技工leaving to serve on the Burma Road.
Mr. Tan Kah Kee and China Relief fund leaders made speeches to
encourage and to motivate these volunteers.
China Relief Fund was disbanded just before British Surrender on 15
February 1942. During the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945,
the Ee Hoe Hean Club was used as an exclusive club for the Japanese
Navy officers.
After the Japanese surrender in 1945, Ee Hoe Hean Club functioned
as a social club again. It was involved in social and charity
activities to serve the needs of post war Singapore. Politically,
it championed citizenship rights and helped in voter’s
registration. On 18 October 1995, Ee Hoe Hean Club was gazetted as
a National Monument.
In 2006/7, the Ee Hoe Hean Club embarked on a restoration project.
In 2008, plans were announced to built a hall, 先贤馆 dedicated to
Chinese pioneers in Singapore.
On 25 June 2011, Ee hoe Hean was the starting
point for a group of Malaysians and a few
Singaporeans driving to Kunming in memory of Nanyang
Volunteers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMUyz8AdfbU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy0zvLUDIdc&feature=related
