孫錫亭
Tombstone of
Sun Sze Ting (Sun Si Ting, Sun See Ting)
founder of the Tai Thean Kew Circus.
南京
上元縣
民國三十三年甲申潤四月
初十日壽終享壽六十一歲
男
天竺 Thian Chok
雙庚 Sang Keng
女
三寶 Sang Pow
仕英 See Eng
婿
史炳生 Peng Sang
楊少柏 Su Pai
孫
明權 Ming Chuan
明利 Ming Lee
Tombstone inscriptions
Tombstone of Mr. Sun Si Ting , Propeirter(sic) of Tai Thian Kew Circus. Nanking, China. Erected by his sorrowful sons, Thian Chok and Sang Keng | Daughters, Sang Pow and See Eng, Sons-in-law, Peng Sang and Su Pai and Grandsons, Ming Chuan and Ming Lee. Year died 10th day of the 4th moon 33 year of the Chinese Republic. (1944)
Burial Entry
Bukit Brown Blk 4 A, plot no 762
Sun Si Ting
Age 61 years
Death of Date 31.5.44
Date of Internment : 6.6.44
Shanghainese
Sun Si Ting would be born circa 1883
This essay, in a book of stories from old Singapore that were originally published in Lianhe Zaobao, tells the story of how Sun abandoned his business selling fabrics in China to travel around looking for his abducted son. When Sun got to Hong Kong, he met a group of acrobats and they travelled to Southeast Asia together. After seeing a western circus perform, Sun thought it was neat and decided to form his own circus.
During the Japanese invasion, his equipment was destroyed and the animals either died or ran away. Before Sun passed away, he asked his descendants to revive the circus, which they did after the war. The article states that Sun died in 1942, tombstone indicates 1944
華北同鄉會及中華公學 歡迎孫錫亭君
李澤崙謂大天球馬戲團得有今日 全由孫君待人以誠團員樂於服從
新加坡華北同鄉會及中華公學，昨日下午一時開茶會，歡迎大天球馬戲團團長孫錫亭君。到會者有李澤崙、王振玉、李賢本、杜文昌、王鼎華、魏元孝、李澤器、薛前璧、魏元凱等數十人。
主席李澤崙，司儀林希賢。行禮如儀畢，由主席致詞，略謂本日歡迎大天球馬戲團長孫先生。前組織馬戲團，因感於外國人有此技術，整備高超，而堂堂我中華民國尚無一班，遂以此而決定組織。其志誠，其志堅，經數年之努力，乃底於成。其所以能明此者，無他，待人以誠。其團員感其誠懇待人，莫不勇於順從。
吾人今日開歡迎會者，非因其發財，資本家亦非因其為一偉人，欽敬其待人之誠，至有今日之成功也。孫先生之馬戲團，前來星洲已三次，每次改良，並加擴充，現已分為兩團，所到之處莫不受僑衆熱烈歡迎。希望孫先生能本此宗旨繼續努力，其馬戲團能為社會服務云云。
繼由孫先生演說，略謂其個人之努力，無非本着待人之原則，希望同鄉會及中華公學能日趨進步。興演說者有王照華、魏元峯、黎兆彭等，各有一偉論發揮。至茶會散，攝影散會云。
This article captures a moment of immense communal pride just before the Japanese Occupation. Key genealogical and historical details include:
• Northern Chinese Solidarity: The reception was hosted by the Northern Chinese Association (華北同鄉會), confirming Sun Xi Ting's roots and standing within that specific community in Singapore.
Son in law 史炳生 died in Penang
无标题
南洋商报 (Nanyang Siang Pau), 28 February 1983, Page 19
Lianhe Zaobao 9 Sep 1998 Pg 26
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哀启者：
先慈 史门孙氏三宝宝太夫人
劾于1998年9月5日（戊寅年七月十五日）上午8时17分寿终内寝，享寿积闰九十有一，儿孙等随侍在侧，亲视含殓，遵礼成服，泪涸于9月10日（星期四）上午10时移柩发引至阿裕尼路碧珑山火葬场火化。忝属
姻亲族世友乡谊 哀此计闻
夫：史炳生（已故）
孝子：史志远 孝媳：陈淑卿 史明权 柯琼音 史玲芬 王福起 史玲芳 何良成（已故） 史玲玲 史梅芳 傅子民 史梅珍 梁志辉 史金花 何福全
孝孙男： 史永义 史永发 史永福 史永禄 孝孙女： 史秀娟 史秀兰 史慧玲 史慧智
同泣启
丧居：Blk 38 Lor 5 Toa Payoh S310038 大芭窑巷大牌38座楼下 电话：2502247
Lianhe Zaobao 24 Aug 1999 Pg 32
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When will the circus come to town again?
Visitors to Blk 4 of Bukit Brown Heritage Park would have noticed a pair of fairly large tombs.
If you will to ask the tombkeeper there, he would say that these pair of tombs were well visited in the past, and the pair belonged to some well known circus members.
There used to be lorries ferrying circus members here to pay respects.
Few of us born post independence Singapore would hardly knew any of the circus then, such as Kinoshita Circus, Brazil Circus, Tai Thean Kew, Sheum Circus etc.
Here is a photo journey down memory lane.
Tomb picture of Soon Si Ting
Soon Si Ting, the proprietor of Tai Thean Kew was born in Jiangsu and stayed in Nanjing. He was originally not involved in circus,
but in the textile industries. However, his son was kidnapped, and he gave up his business and travelled overseas to look for his son.
When he was in Hongkong, he met up with a group of street entertainers, and together they travelled to Nanyang to seek their fortunes.
There they saw some Western circus in action, and decided that there is a big potential in this area. So he started a small circus called
Tai Thean Kew Circus in 1924.
An advertisement of Tai Thean Kew Circus
Another advertisement
One of the clown Tan Nan, who used to perform in Tai Thean Kew Circus
A wedding of Tan Nam and his wife in Muar under the umbrella of Tan Thean Kew
A Tai Thean Kew’s circus performance
Soon Si Ting died in 1944 at the age of 61 and later on his sons Then Shok and Song Kung together with another 2 partners managed the circu
During Si Ting time, he recruited many of his troupe members from his hometown in Jiangsu province, and one of them was a big and strong man Sheum Cheang Fu.
Sheum Cheang Fu decided to break off from Tai Thean Kew and founded his own circus – Sheum Circus
Sheum’s Circus
ST Article 1952 Oct 19. 52 year old Sheum Cheang Fook has 14 of his 16 children working with him in the ring
The Sheum Circus has come to town!
An advertisement by Sheum’s Circus
At that time, there was also 3 beautiful sisters working in Sheum Circus
Long before the tent doors were opened, little Asian and European children wre waiting outside.
Some brought the inevitable thermos with orange juice and boiled water, others sucked ice balls and drank bilious
looking brown drinks.
ST 25 Sep 1948
Chang Lye Lye, Chang Lye Di, Chang Lye Mei
Pic taken from ST 25 September 1948, Page 8, The Circus comes to KL
Chang Lye Di (Lan Di) sang an golden oldie in the hit movie (The Lark). She died in 1991 after an operation.
Sheum’s mother Mdm Kao died in 1948 at an old age of 74 years and was buried in Bukit Brown next to Soon Si Ting.
She was remembered as a kind and good hearted old lady who always give sweets to children and give them free seats to the circus if they did not have money to enter the circus.
According to Chang Lye Lye, during an interview with National Oral Archives, Sheum Cheang Fook married 3 times, including a 30 year old Malay woman when he was 70 years old. He has many children, and many of them turned out to do well in life.
Reference :
1) Down memory lane in clogs, growing up in Chinatown
2) Newspapers archives
3) Advertisements
4) Tomb inscriptions
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