Low Kim Pong (

Simplified Chinese Simplification, Simplify, or Simplified may refer to: Mathematics Simplification is the process of replacing a mathematical expression by an equivalent one, that is simpler (usually shorter), for example * Simplification of algebraic expressions, ...

: 刘金榜;

Traditional Chinese A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

: 劉金榜) (29 November 1837 - 18 December 1909), was a prominent Chinese trader in

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

. He was a leader of the

Hokkien The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages in ...

community in Singapore.

Biography

Low was born on 29 November 1837 in

Zhangzhou Zhangzhou (), alternately romanized as Changchow, is a prefecture-level city in Fujian Province, China. The prefecture around the city proper comprises the southeast corner of the province, facing the Taiwan Strait and surrounding the prefec ...

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...

. He came to Singapore in 1858 as a general trader, and founded Chop Ban San, a medical store, after meeting with success. Chop Ban San later became one of the largest Chinese druggist stores in Singapore. He also established a private banking business, as well as Chop Hock Nam, another medical store. In 1898, both he and his son had an unusual dream of a golden man arriving from the west. He then met Venerable

Xian Hui Xian Hui (; Xiao'erjing: ; born March 1958) is a Chinese politician of Hui people, Hui ethnic heritage. She is serving as Politics of Ningxia, Chairwoman (Governor) of Ningxia, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from July 2016. Along with Bu Xiaolin ...

, who was returning to Fujian after a six-year pilgrimage in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. Low believed that Xian Hui was the man he encountered in his dream, and persuaded him to stay in Singapore. He and

Yeo Poon Seng Yeo is a Chinese, English, and Korean surname. Origins As an English surname, Yeo is a toponymic surname meaning "river", either for people who lived near one of the Rivers Yeo, or any river in general. The word comes from Old English , via sou ...

raised the funds to construct the first Chinese Buddhist temple in Singapore known as

Siong Lim Temple Siong Lim Temple, also known as ''Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery'' (), is a Buddhist monastery located in Toa Payoh, Singapore, next to the Pan Island Expressway. The temple was founded in 1898, but the construction of the premises only began i ...

on Kim Keat Road, which was completed in 1906, and Xian Hui became the temple's first abbot. In 1906, he and several fellow prominent members of the Chinese community in Singapore founded the General Chinese Trade Affairs Association (later known as

Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI; ) is a business chamber in Singapore. The chamber was originally created to protect and promote the commercial interest of the Chinese community in Singapore but it also played a r ...

). He was later appointed director of the chamber, as well as the

Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (SHHK) (), or the Singapore Hokkien Association in English, is a cultural and educational foundation. It was established in 1840 to promote education, social welfare and the preservation of the Chinese language and cultu ...

. He was also a member of the

Singapore Po Leung Kuk The Singapore Po Leung Kuk ( zh, s=保良局) was an institution in Singapore for women and girls who were victims of forced prostitution. The Po Leung Kuk was established by the Chinese Protectorate in 1888, after a similar institution, Po Leung Ku ...

and the Chinese Advisory Board.

Personal life

Low had a wife, two sons, three daughters, and twenty grandchildren. He lived on 99 Devonshire Road. He had donated to the

Victoria Memorial Hall The Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall is a performing arts centre in the Central Area of Singapore, situated along Empress Place. It is a complex of two buildings and a clock tower joined together by a common corridor; the oldest part of the ...

, and the Straits Medical School. For his seventieth birthday, an evening party was held to celebrate the event and over one hundred Europeans attended. A

wayang , also known as ( jv, ꦮꦪꦁ, translit=wayang), is a traditional form of puppet theatre play originating from the Indonesian island of Java. refers to the entire dramatic show. Sometimes the leather puppet itself is referred to as . Perfor ...

was performed at his residence for his seventy-second birthday in 1909. Low died on 18 December 1909. As he did not leave a will, multiple people claimed to be his

next of kin A person's next of kin (NOK) are that person's closest living blood relatives. Some countries, such as the United States, have a legal definition of "next of kin". In other countries, such as the United Kingdom, "next of kin" may have no legal d ...

in order to inherit his estate as he owned a large amount of property. Kim Pong Road was named in honour of him.

References

{{Reflist 1837 births 1909 deaths People from British Singapore