It was the year 1939 in March. A famous Chinese painter Xu Bei Hong has just came from China to the Victoria Memorial Hall to exhibit his paintings for the anti-Japanese resistance efforts.
At that time, a local banker purchased many of Xu Bei Hong's painting for helping out in the war chest.
The local banker was Tan Ean Kiam who was born in a fishing village in Tong Ann district, Fukien province in 1881. He came to Singapore in 1899 and worked as a labourer, carting water from public taps to premises in the central business district for a fee.
He later worked as an apprentice for Tan Kah Kee's father who was a merchant dealing in rubber. After several years of apprenticeship, he set up his own business.
Later on, he cofounded the Overseas Chinese Bank (later OCBC) , and later becomg its managing director. He also founded Tong Ann Association in 1931
Xu Bei Hong
(1895 - 1953)
The painter Xu Bei Hong (Xu Bei Hong during one of his visits in Singapore in 1939, painted the highest grossing Chinese oil painting ever sold by auction recently - a staggering US$9.2 million. The subject was his friend Wang Ying, who performed an anti-Japanese street play in Singapore at that time).
Put Down Your Whip
(Wang Ying, performing at a street dance in Singapore in 1939, inspired Xu Bei Hong to draw this Chinese painting
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Since Tan brought so many paintings, upon his request Xu Bei Hong decided to draw a portrait of Tan.
As Tan came from a fishing village, he wanted a picture of him fishing in a river wearing a rain coat and rain hat.
Xu obliged and did the painting.
Then the war came to Singapore.
During the period of the Japanese invasion and serving alongside Mr Tan Kah Kee, Mr
Tan Ean Kiam was the Deputy Chairman ofthe China Relief Organization and made invaluable contributions to the relief work in China.
Tan Ean Kiam was the Deputy Chairman ofthe China Relief Organization and made invaluable contributions to the relief work in China.
Mr Tan also spearheaded many social service activities in the country. For his active leadership in the China Relief Organization, Mr
Tan was imprisoned during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore and eventually died of a heart attack in 1943.
Tan was imprisoned during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore and eventually died of a heart attack in 1943.
The painting of Tan was lost in the war.
In the year 1948, Ean Kiam's son, Tock San was at a restaurant in Happy World when he chanced upon a photographic exhibition of which he saw photos of Xu.. He remember the lost painting done
by Xu for his late father. But he also remembered that somehow, a photograph of that painting exist in his home. Yes, it was his father picture, in rain coat and a rain hat.
He remembered that his father came from the fishing village and when it rained, they would put on their rain coat and rain hat. His father, who also wrote poems from time a time, even composed a poem about this painting about himself.
Tan Ean Kiam portrait by Xu Bei Hong.
Tock San immediately wrote to Xu, who was in Shanghai at that time, telling him that the original painting was lost during the war, and how his missed the painting and his father.
He hoped that Xu would repaint another similar picture based on the previous photo.
One month later, Xu did a similar painting of Ean Kiam in appreciation of Tock san filial piety and sent it to Tock San,
During his life time Tan Ean Kiam helped out the needy and the poor. In particular he donated much for the education, health and to preserve historical sites.
In 1956, as per his wish as requested in his will, Tan Ean Kiam foundation was set up to continue the charity work
In 1970s, a building in Phillip Street was established which houses Tan Ean Kiam Foundation. At that time Tan Tock San wanted to do another act to
remember his father. He named the building after his father. In addition, for the Chinese characters for the building name, he wanted it to be written in his father's actual handwriting.
Tan Ean Kiam building. Note the Chinese characters
For this, he has to rummage through Ean Kiam letters and writings, finally managing to find all the 5 Chinese characters. For the last 2 characters, the word Big - was found in
the word Big War, and the Chinese character Building was from the Chinese word Amoy.
One of his children's gift to Tan Ean Kiam was perhaps the best of all, a beautiful, serene resting place
Tan Ean Kiam tomb - the most well kept grave in Bukit Brown
It was certainly the most well kept grave in the whole of Bukit Brown, complete with Ean Kiam own poem which he composed about dealth, embrossed in the gravestones.
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Tan Tock San died in Jan 2008 at an old age of 83, and one of the grandsons of Ean Kiam, Keng Soon is now taking care of the foundation, contributing
to many worthy educational causes.
A street name Ean Kiam Place in Katong is named after Ean Kiam
Raymond
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Main reference : Roots, Series 3, by Wang Zhen Chun
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