GRAND OPENING OF THE TAN KAH KEE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - JIMEI, XIAMEN

Tan Kah Kee descendants outside the Tan Kah Kee Residence.ACSians know Tan Kah Kee as one of the School’s Houses. When the ACS House System was introduced in 1930, they were named after distinguished people who have contributed significantly to ACS.

Tan Kah Kee arrived in Singapore as a 17 year old in 1890 to help his businessman father and quickly became a prominent businessman, community leader, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was very passionate about education and as a generous benefactor to schools in Singapore and China, had given large donations to ACS.

He set up the Jimei Schools (now Jimei University) and Xiamen University in China. At the invitation of the Xiamen authorities, over a hundred of his descendants gathered from all over the world on 21 October 2008 to commemorate the Grand Opening of the Tan Kah Kee Memorial Museum in Jimei and to celebrate Jimei High School’s 90th Anniversary.

Among Tan Kah Kee’s descendants were nineteen ACSians, in one case dating back to the class of ‘36. Our class of ’57 was represented by Bill Tan Peck Seng and Albert Lee Seng Gay. As the following photos show, it was indeed a unique opportunity for a photo-shoot not to be missed.

The ACSians gathered at Xiamen were:

  • Tan Guan Chay (92), 7th son of TKK

  • George Hu Tsu Ming (84) Grandson-in law of TKK

  • Tan Kok Kheng (5th son’s family)

    • Tan Soo Tiong, eldest son

    • Catherine Tan Bee Leng, eldest daughter (PSC Class of '57)

    • Tan Soo Tang, second son (Class of ‘55)

    • Juliet Tan Cheng Leng, daughter (PSC class of '66)

    • Tan Wee Meng, son of Tan Soo Tiong (Class of '84)

    • Ch'ng Yi-Ta, son of Tan Bee Leng

  • Tan Guan Kai (6th son’s family)

    • Tan Peck Seng (William), son (Class of '57/59)

    • Tan Poey Gee (Peggy), 2nd daughter (PSC Class of '68)

  • Tan Lai Choo (6th daughter’s family)

    • Chan Suen Meng, grandson

    • Chan Wei Meng, grandson

    • Chan Hee Lian, grand-daughter

    • Alvin Yeo Khim Hoi, husband of Chan Hee Lian

    • Thai Chien Ming (Jason), grandson

    • Richard Lim, grandson

  • Tan Poh Tee (7th daughter’s family):

    • Lee Seng Khoon (Newman), eldest son (Class of '55)

    • Lee Seng Gay (Albert), 3rd son (Class of '57)

    • Lee Beng Ki (Alvin), grandson, eldest son of Lee Seng Khiam.

Jimei University Hall reception

ACSians in front of Tan Kah Kee statue at Xiamen University.

From left to right: Tan Wee Ming, Chan Hee Lian, Chan Wei Meng, Chan Suen Meng, Lee Seng Gay (Albert), Juliet Tan Cheng Leng, George Hu Tsu Ming, Peggy Tan Poey Gee, Tan Guan Chay, Lee Seng Khoon (Newman), Tan Peck Seng (William), Ch'ng Yi-Ta, Tan Soo Tang, Jason Thai Chien Ming & Alvin Lee Beng Ki.

Absent from the photograph is Catherine Tan Bee Leng (Ch'ng). Also absent is Tan Soo Tiong who joined then group in Beijing.

The Grand Opening of the Tan Kah Kee Memorial Museum at Jimei, Xiamen.

Tan Guan Chay, 92, 7th son of Tan Kah Kee, cutting
the ribbon to open the TKK Memorial Museum.

Albert & Helen with their son, Kenneth, and Bill.

Catherine Ch'ng Bee Leng at the TKK Tomb, Jimei.

ACSians at TKK Tomb, Jimei.

Tan Kok Kheng family group at TKK Tomb.

ACSians at the Tan Kah Kee Memorial Museum