Cheang Hong Lim JP (1825 – 11 February 1893) was a Chinese

opium Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which i ...

merchant and philanthropist 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 recognised by the British colonial administration as head of the local

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 ...

Chinese community.

Biography

Cheang was born to Cheang Sam Teo, a Chinese migrant from the

Changtai District is a District (China), District in Zhangzhou in southern Fujian Province in the People's Republic of China. It is located just outside the Zhangzhou's central urban area. Local Dialect The one and only local dialect of Changtai District is ...

of southern

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 ...

, China. He was the eldest of four sons born to his mother Bek E Neo. When his father died, his brother Cheang Hong Guan filed a lawsuit against Cheang (and against Wee Bock Seng, Low Thuan Locke and Tan Beng Chie) alleging forgery of his father's will. Cheang, Wee, Low and Tan were acquitted. Like his father before him, Cheang sold spirits, but further extended his business to include opium and held one of five opium licenses in Singapore, but quickly expanded his business interests to include property. His main business partners were

Tan Seng Poh Tan Seng Poh (1830 - 13 December 1879), was a chairman of the Singapore Municipal Committee, a Justice of the Peace and an honorary magistrate. Biography Tan was born in 1830 in Ipoh, as the son of Tan Ah Hun, the Kapitan Cina of Perak. When he ...

and Tan Yeok Nee, initially trading under the name "Chop Teang Wat Wan Kee" on

Telok Ayer Street Telok Ayer Street is a street located in Singapore's Chinatown within the Outram district, linking Church Street to Cecil Street. Telok Ayer MRT station is located at the junction of Cross Street and this road. Etymology Telok Ayer Street ...

and later "Chop Wan Seng". He is remembered primarily for his philanthropy. In 1876, he donated $900 to the Portuguese Mission Church of St Jose. Also in 1876, he donated $3000 to convert the land in front of the Police Office to become a public garden, and to supply two gardeners to maintain the grounds thereafter. This is the garden now known as

Hong Lim Park Hong Lim Park, formerly known as Hong Lim Green and Dunman's Green, is a heritage park in the Downtown Core district of Singapore located next to the Parkroyal Collection Pickering hotel and Clarke Quay station. The park is notable locally ...

. In 1878, he donated $2,750 to purchase the land on Pyeleang Road for the use by a mosque. He established a fire brigade for the Havelock Road area in 1886. Giok Hong Tian, ( zh, c=玉皇殿), a Taoist temple dedicated to the

Jade Emperor The Jade Emperor or Yudi ( or , ') in Chinese culture, traditional religions and myth is one of the representations of the first god ( '). In Daoist theology he is the assistant of Yuanshi Tianzun, who is one of the Three Pure Ones, the three ...

along Havelock Road was built by Cheang in 1887. He was also patron to the young

Lim Boon Keng Lim Boon Keng (; 18 October 1869 – 1 January 1957) was a Peranakan physician who advocated social and educational reforms in Singapore in the early 20th-century. He also served as the president of Xiamen University in China between 1921 and ...

, at the request of

Richmond William Hullett Richmond William Hullett (15 November 1843 – 1 January 1914) was an English 19th century headmaster, explorer and plant collector. He was often associated with Singapore than Hong Kong. His fields of influence include language and education, con ...

, the then principal of

Raffles Institution Raffles Institution (RI) is an independent educational institution in Singapore. Founded in 1823, it is the oldest school in the country. It provides secondary education for boys only from Year 1 to Year 4, and pre-university education for both ...

, . He sat on the Singapore legislative council, was made one of five Chinese Justices of the Peace in 1872, and was conferred the title of Ronglu mandarin ( zh, t=榮祿大夫) of the Imperial Qing court. He was prominent in Singapore society and entertained the Governor of Singapore and the Sultan of Johor at his home on Havelock Road. Cheang died on 14 February, 1893, from cardiac complications of rheumatic fever. Cheang had 3 daughters and 11 sons. Three of his sons, Cheang Jim Hean, Cheang Jim Chuan, Cheang Jim Khean, had roads in Singapore named after them.

Legacy

There are a number places in Singapore named for Cheang : * Hong Lim Green (later Hong Lim Park) * Hong Lim Market * Cheang Wan Seng Place There were formerly a number of places in Singapore named for Cheang: * Hong Lim Quay (now part of Alkaff Quay) * Cheang Hong Lim Street (used to run from Telok Ayer Steet to Cecil Street, where China Square Food Centre is now) * Cheang Hong Lim Lane (used to run from Pearl’s Hill Road to Covent Market) * Cheang Wan Seng Road (used to run from Havelock Road to Beng Hoon Road) Tomb_of_Cheang_Hong_Lim

Cheang Hong Lim was buried at the Cheang family cemetery off Alexandra Road, but was exhumed and reburied in 1961 at Bukit Brown by his granddaughter Cheang Tew Muey.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheang, Hong Lim 1825 births 1893 deaths Chinese merchants Chinese philanthropists Singaporean people of Chinese descent