“Bin Chan House” sounds more like the lair of a secret agent than a memorial hall. Yet, this is one of the former names of the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. Today, we stand before this beautiful colonial-style villa. It commemorates Dr. Sun Yat Sen. He was the founding father of the Republic of China.
The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall played a pivotal role in the 1911 Xinhai Revolution. It served as the Tongmenghui’s base in Southeast Asia. Dr. Sun Yat Sen visited Singapore nine times between 1900 and 1911. This villa, also known as Wan Qing Yuan, was more than just a building. It was the heart of a revolution.
Designed in 1900, the villa was built in 1901 by Boey Chuan Poh. He was a businessman who owned the newspaper Union Times. Some say the villa was a home for his mistress Bin Chan. Hence the name “Bin Chan House”. In 1902, Lim Ah Siang, a timber merchant, bought the villa for $10800.
In 1905, rubber magnate Teo Eng Hock purchased the villa for his mother. He renamed it “Wan Qing Yuan”. This translates to “serene sunset garden”. In July 1905, Sun Yat Sen met Teo, Tan Chor Lam and Lim Nee Soon in Singapore. Teo offered his villa as the Tongmenghui’s headquarters in Southeast Asia.
The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall became a hub. It facilitated planning for uprisings and fundraising. These efforts contributed to the 1911 Xinhai Revolution. This revolution ended imperial rule in China. Three uprisings were planned here. They were the Chaozhou Uprising, the Zhennanguan Uprising and the Hekou Uprising.
Teo and his wife even sewed the flag of the Republic of China in this very villa. After Teo sold the villa in 1912, its ownership changed several times. In 1937, six Chinese businessmen bought it. They donated it to the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce in 1938.
After the Republic of China was established, the villa was refurbished into a memorial hall in 1940. Artefacts related to Sun Yat Sen were gathered. They came from overseas Chinese communities. During the Japanese occupation, the villa was used as a communication base. Many original artefacts were destroyed.
After the war, the Nationalist government restored the villa. It became the Singapore branch of the Kuomintang. In 1951, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce regained ownership. It was renamed the “Sun Yat Sen Villa” after renovations in 1964.
In 1994, the government gazetted the Sun Yat Sen Villa as a National Monument. In 1996, it was renamed the “Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall”. The villa was reopened to the public as a museum in 2001.
Today, the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall houses nearly 400 artefacts. These include calligraphy works, photographs, old books, paintings and sculptures. The villa is decorated in the style of an old Peranakan house.
Take a look at the two-meter tall bronze wall mural. It depicts Singapore’s history from the 1840s to the 1940s. Bronze statues of people who helped Sun Yat Sen are scattered around the garden.
The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall stands as a testament. It signifies Singapore’s contribution to the birth of modern China. It is a place where history and heritage come alive. A place where the spirit of revolution still echoes through its halls.