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

opium Opium (also known as poppy tears, or Lachryma papaveris) is the dried latex obtained from the seed Capsule (fruit), capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid mor ...

merchant and philanthropist in

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

. He was recognised by the British colonial administration as head of the local

Hokkien Hokkien ( , ) is a Varieties of Chinese, variety of the Southern Min group of Chinese language, Chinese languages. Native to and originating from the Minnan region in the southeastern part of Fujian in southeastern China, it is also referred ...

Chinese community.

Biography

Cheang was born to Cheang Sam Teo, a Chinese migrant from the Changtai District of southern

Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern 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 capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...

, 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 w ...

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

Telok Ayer Street Telok Ayer Street (Singapore English pronunciation: or , ) 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 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 MRT station, Clarke Quay station. The p ...

. 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 In the Chinese mythology, myths and Chinese folk religion, folk religion of Chinese culture, the Jade Emperor or Yudi is one of the representations of the Primordial Divinity (Tai Di), primordial god. In Taoist theology, he is the assistant of ...

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, co ...

, 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 b ...

, . 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 Street 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 1820s births 1893 deaths 19th-century merchants Singaporean philanthropists People from British Malaya