RELAX
Here Come
Teochews!
the
In an ongoing series,
we cover the different
Chinese clans in
Singapore and how life
was for them in our
island’s early years. This
month, the Teochew clan
is in the spotlight!
The second largest Chinese group in Singapore after
the Hokkien clan, the Teochew people can trace their
historical origins to the Eight Districts in Southern China.
These Eight Districts are Teo Ann, Theng Hai, Teo Yeonh,
Kit Yeonh, Jeow Pheng, Phow Leng, Hui Lye and Nam Oh.
Most of them grew up poor and disadvantaged and decided
to migrate in search of a better life. The two most popular
destinations were Thailand and Singapore.
January 1819
When Sir Stamford Raffles
sailed into Singapore in search
of a trading post for the English
East India Company, two things
greeted him: marshland and a
local population comprising about
100 Malays and 30 Chinese, most
of whom were Teochew gambier
planters living in the hills.
1821 – 1859
The Teochew people were strong
agriculturalists, in contrast with the Hokkien
clan who had an affinity with the mercantile
trade. During this period, gambier and pepper
experienced a massive expansion, accounting
for 76 percent of the total acreage and 61
percent of the total agricultural gross revenue
in 1848. In fact, in the late 1 840s, the Teochews
made up over 95 percent of the Chinese
gambier and pepper planters and coolies.
1845
Seah Eu Chin, one of the most prominent
and successful Teochew businessmen
during that time (it was said that he was
the first to start pepper and gambier
planting on a large scale and his plantation
stretched for more than eight miles from
River Valley Road to Bukit Timah and
Thomson Road), together with 12 other
prominent members of the Teochew
community, banded together and formed
a self-help organisation named the Ngee
Ann Kongsi. One of the major concerns
the group tackled was finding a proper
burial ground for immigrants who passed
away in Singapore. The committee began
buying pieces of land to be used as sites as
temples or as burial grounds for migrant
Teochews around Singapore.
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Family & Life • Apr 2014