CHUNG Keng Kwee 鄭景貴

Capitan Cheang Keng Kwee of Larut and Penang, merchant / tin mine owner

Born in Xinchun Wei (新村圍), Zengcheng District (增城縣), Guangdong Province (廣東省).

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Birth: ABT 1821 in Cheng Sheng, Kwangtung, China •Emigration: 1841 China to Malaya •Age: 20y •Note: Notes on Emmigration Turbulence in China forced Keng Quee's father, CHUNG, Hsing Fah to migrate toMalaya to seek greener pastures. Worried by the absence of her husband and secondson (Keng Seng followed after his father), Keng Quee's mother, Madam Lai sentKeng Quee to look for them. So in about 1841, Ah Quee, then a brawny youth of 20with a pair of sharp and penetrating eyes braved the storrmy South China Sea in afrail junk for Malaya. The resourceful stripling eventually found his father andbrother in Perak. They had established themselves in business. His brother was soprosperous that he was popularly known as Lui Kung Seng (literally Seng, The godof thunder). Keng Seng's daughter was subsequently married to the well-known "Tinking of Malaya", Towkay FOO, Choo Choon. •Date: 9 JAN 2002

•Title: Mandarin 2nd Rank of the Manchu Imperial Government of the Ching Dynasty of China. •Title: Kapitan China of Perak, Malaya •Title: Leader of the Hai San triad in Malaya •NATI: Malaysian, Chinese, Hakka, Kwangtung, Cheng Sheng •Death: DEC 1901 in Penang, Malaysia •Burial: DEC 1901 Family Burial Plot in Mount Erskine purchased by CHUNG Keng Quee and his daughter CHUNG, Kang Neoh •Note: Birth Notes CHUNG, Keng Quee was born of a hard-working peasant family in the village of Cheng Sheng in Kwantung Province, China. His father, CHUNGT, Hsing Fah had five (5) sons and Ah Quee was the third (3rd). Alternative Death Date While his date of death is recorded as December 1901 in the book, A Gallery of Chinese Kapitans by C. S. Wong, another source reports his death date inscribed on his tombstone as 1898) Notes on Emmigration Turbulence in China forced Keng Quee's father, CHUNG, Hsing Fah to migrate to Malaya to seek greener pastures. Worried by the absence of her husband and second son (Keng Seng followed after his father), Keng Quee's mother, Madam Lai sent Keng Quee to look for them. So in about 1841, Ah Quee, then a brawny youth of 20 with a pair of sharp and penetrating eyes braved the storrmy South China Sea in a frail junk for Malaya. The resourceful stripling eventually found his father and brother in Perak. They had established themselves in business. His brother was so prosperous that he was popularly known as Lui Kung Seng (literally Seng, The god of thunder). Keng Seng's daughter was subsequently married to the well-known "Tin king of Malaya", Towkay FOO, Choo Choon. Notes on Keng Quee CHUNG Keng Quee is also spelt Keng Kwee or Keng Kooi. Venerabe leader of the Hai San's in the Larut Wars, Keng Quee had the good fortune to outwit and outlive SO, Ah Chiang (killed in 1865) and LEE, Ah Khun (drowned in 1872), two fot eh rival Ghee Hin's formidable headmen. In recognition of his munificence, the Manchu Imperial Government conferred on him the title of Mandarin Second Rank retrospectively for three (3) generations. Thus Kapitan CHUNG, Keng Quee, his father CHUNG Hsing Fan and his grandfather CHUNG Tung Lin (the latter two pothumously) became simultaneously Mandarins of the Second Rank, a highly cherished honour in those days. http://penang.thestar.com.my/content/news/2001/12/6/ccqu.asp Thursday, December 6, 2001 Honoured in Penang for his generosity By CATHERINE CHONG WHILE many contributors to society may aspire to have a road named after them, philanthropist Chung Keng Kwee was honoured with two – Lebuh Keng Kwee and Lebuh Ah Quee, both in Penang. Popularly known as Ah Quee in 19th century Malaya, Chung was a man with a colourful history. He was a Hai San secret society leader, tin-miner and kingpin of the coolie trade. He came to Malaya from Cheng Sheng in Kwangtung province, China, in 1849, and eventually led the Hai San throughout the protracted years of conflict with the Ghee Hin during the Perak civil war. He was one of the signatories of the Pangkor Engagement 1874 which led to his appointment as Chinese Kapitan in the first Perak State Council of 1877, sitting next to his Ghee Hin counterpart, Kapitan China Chin Ah Yam. His great-grandson Owen Chung, one-time aide-de-camp to Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman, says that after the end of the Larut Wars in Perak, Keng Kwee helped the people get back on their feet by providing them with monetary aid. In Penang, Keng Kwee was the chief donor to the Sea Pearl Tua Pak Kong Temple in Tanjung Tokong, Penang Chinese Town Hall, Kwangtung and Teochew Cemeteries, and the Kek Lok Si Temple. “In recognition of his liberal generosity, the British Government named two roads in Penang after him. He had to build the roads and present them to the Municipality,” says Owen. “He also allowed the Government to tear down his house fronting Beach Street for the construction of an access road – Ah Quee Street.” The Malays also referred to Ah Quee Street as Lorong Takia because of the kampung that existed there before the street was created. At the age of 20, Keng Kwee alias Keng Kooi joined his father Hsin Fatt, an early settler of Klian Pauh in Perak, and brother Keng Seng in their mining business. Keng Seng had already made a name for himself in Perak and was popularly known as Lui Kun Seng. His daughter married the well-known Tin King of Malaya, Foo Choo Choon. Through his close association with the Menteri of Larut, Ngah Ibrahim, he received tin mining rights to Larut. “He was practically the founder of Taiping town. He was also the first miner to use the hydraulic pump in his Tupai mine,” says Owen. Keng Kwee followed his brother’s example and started amassing his own fortune. He built a business empire that included the lucrative coolie trade. Owen says some people thought his great-grandfather was eccentric because he would buy property in any country wher e there were Chinese immigrants. “He did that to provide these immigrants with accommodation and jobs as labourers,” Owen explains, adding that Keng Kwee had property in England, India, Hong Kong and Australia. In Penang, the family possessions include the former Shan ghai Hotel, the Relau Villa and the most prominent feature, the Chung Keng Kwee temple and mansion at Church Street. In 1893, Keng Kwee took over the headquarters of the rival Ghee Hin in Church Street and built a residence-cum-office named Hai Kee Chan (Sea Remembrance Store). “He also took over the Goh Hock Tong (Five Luck Villa) Chinese school and built a private temple which served as the family’s ancestral hall and family school. “Many believed the temple to be haunted as the well behind the ancestral hall was where Ghee Hin and Hai San members dumped the heads of their enemies after executing them,” says Owen. The ancient well, he adds, was also a secret passage leading to the seafront, which is now Beach Street. Keng Kwee died in 1901 and was buried at Mount Erskine which, along with Fettes Park, had once belonged to the family. He was succeeded by his fourth son, Thye Phin, the last Kapitan China of Perak. Heawood Rubber Estate 3000 Acres at Sungai Siput Malaysia, YongPhin Mine at Kota, Malayaia Leader of the Hai San triad in Malaya Kapitan Chung Keng Kooi's Townhouse, Barrack Road A prominent tin-miner and leader of the Taiping Hakka community, Chung Keng Kooi (1829-1901) was also a Kapitan China of Perak and sat on the Perak State Council. His eldest son Chung Ah Yong, who resided here, was a member of the Taiping Sanitary Board and "all the important racing clubs". He employed anÊ European trainerÊ for his prize-winning race horses and maintained his stables at 12,000 dollars a year. •Note: Notes on Keng Quee CHUNG

Keng Quee is also spelt Keng Kwee or Keng Kooi.

Venerabe leader of the Hai San's in the Larut Wars, Keng Quee had the goodfortune to outwit and outlive SO, Ah Chiang (killed in 1865) and LEE, Ah Khun(drowned in 1872), two fot eh rival Ghee Hin's formidable headmen.

In recognition of his munificence, the Manchu Imperial Government conferredon him the title of Mandarin Second Rank retrospectively for three (3)generations. Thus Kapitan CHUNG, Keng Quee, his father CHUNG HsingFan and his grandfather CHUNG Tung Lin (the latter two pothumously)became simultaneously Mandarins of the Second Rank, a highly cherishedhonour in those days. •Date: 9 JAN 2002

•Note: CHRONOLOGY:

1829 - Birth of Chung Keng Quee 1841 - 1949 Travelled from China to Malaya 1860 - Began to operate his tin mines in Larut District

- 1884 Leader of Penang and Perak Hai San Kongsi 1872 - Drowned his own niece and Lee Ah Khun, the leader of the Ghee Hin Kongsi for commiting adultery 1874 - Signatory to the Pangkor Treaty 1877 - Appointment as Kapitan China at the first Perak State Council 1887 - With others, founded the Cantonese Association, Temple Street (Kwan-tung hui-kuan) 1889 - With Khoo Thean Teik, secured monopoly for tobacco, liquor, opium and gambling farms in Perak 1893 - Built a Chinese school, in Penang, for all the Chinese children irrespective of their dialects

- Converted Ghee Hin headquarters and Goh Hock Tong Chinese school in Church Street into a

personal residence and an ancestral temple respectively - the Goh Hock Tong (Ng Fook Tong or

Five Luck Villa) school was relocated to a new building in Chulia Street in 1898 1901 - Founded, together with other prominent Hakkas, an Educational Institution called Chong Wen She

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BIRTH: CHUNG, Keng Quee was born of a hard-working peasant family in the village of Cheng Sheng in Kwantung Province, China. His father, CHUNG, Hsing Fah had five (5) sons and Ah Quee was the third (3rd).

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DEATH: Alternative Death Date - While his date of death is recorded as December 1901 in the book,A Gallery of Chinese Kapitans by C. S. Wong, another source reports his death date inscribed on his tombstone as 1898) NB: Kuang Shu's 24th Reigning Year (i.e. 1898 The Year of the Dog) was inscribed on the Tombstone of Chung Keng Quee - verified by Jeffery Seow in May 2002 as sighted and photographed.

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The name Chung Keng Quee has been spelt many different ways in various different documents and include Keng Kwee or Keng Kooi and he is also known as Ah Kooi or Kung Kwee. In Hanyu Pinzin his name is Zheng Jing Gui.

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Keng Quee's story begins at a time when turbulence in China forced Keng Quee's father, CHUNG, Hsing Fah to migrate to Malaya to seek greener pastures.

Worried by the absence of her husband and second son (Mdm Lai sent Keng Seng to look for Hsing Fah after not receiving any news from him for a long while), Keng Quee's mother, Madam Lai sent Keng Quee to look for the them.

So in about 1841, Ah Quee, then a brawny youth of 20 with a pair of sharp and penetrating eyes braved the storrmy South China Sea in a frail junk for Malaya.

The resourceful stripling eventually found his father and brother in Perak. They had established themselves in business.

His brother was so prosperous that he was popularly known as Lui Kung Seng (literally Seng, The god of thunder). Keng Seng had a daughter who was subsequently married off to the well-known "Tin king of Malaya", Towkay FOO, Choo Choon.

(From A Gallery of Chinese Kapitans by C. S. Wong)

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He was the leader of the Perak Hai San Kongsi whereas Yap Ah Loy was the Hai San Kongsi leader of Kuala Lumpur.

Chung Keng Quee controlled the tin mining areas of Taiping formerly known as Klian Pauh. He was also the Hai San Kongsi leader in Penang.

In February 1872 Chung Keng Quee caught Lee Ah Khun, the leader of the Ghee Hin Kongsi, commiting adultery with his niece. Zheng Jing Gui put Li Ya Qin and his niece in a pig basket and threw them into an used tin mining pond where they drowned.

Source: Chung Yoon Ngan in the Hakka Chinese Forum at Asiawind

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Larut Wars - Venerable leader of the Hai San's in the Larut Wars, Keng Quee had the good fortune to outwit and outlive SO, Ah Chiang (killed in 1865) and LEE, Ah Khun (drowned in 1872), two of the rival Ghee Hin's formidable headmen.

Taiping formerly known as Klian Pauh, was renamed to commemorate the end of the Larut War in 1874. With the signing of the Pangkor Treaty January 1874, Taiping emerged to be the major town in Perak. Taiping comes from the Chinese word Tai-Peng which means ETERNAL PEACE. This contradicts the legend that Taiping was named after Chung Thye Phin who was born in 1879, five years after the founding of Taiping.

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Mandarin of the Ching Court - In recognition of his munificence, the Manchu Imperial Government conferred on him the title of Mandarin Second Rank retrospectively for three (3) generations. Thus Kapitan CHUNG, Keng Quee, his father CHUNG Hsing Fan and his grandfather CHUNG Tung Lin (the latter two pothumously) became simultaneously Mandarins of the Second Rank, a highly cherished honour in those days.

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In 1893, Chung Keng Kwee
built a Chinese school, in Penang, for all the Chinese children irrespective of their dialects.

In March 1901 the Hakka Associations in Penang established an Educational Institution called Chong Wen She. The founders of this Educational Institution were:Liang Bi Ru, Hu Zi Chun, Chung Keng Kwee, Dai Xin Ran, Rao Fu Chang, Xiong Yu Shan, Wen Zong Jin, Lin Shi An, Li Feng Bao, Li Mu San, Zhang Xian Chen and Yang Shao Fen. The Educational Institution organized campaigns to encourage the Chinese in Penang to respect for education. The motto of the campaigns was "Jing Xi Zi Zhi" or to respect the words written on the paper. The Educational Institution established a free of charge private school for all the children irrespective of their dialects. The school also enrolled the locally born Chinese children with the intention of giving them a classical education so that they would not forget about their roots.

From 200 Years of The Hakkas in Penang

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BIOGRAPHY: Honoured in Penang for his generosity
By CATHERINE CHONG The Star, December 6, 2001

WHILE many contributors to society may aspire to have a road named after them, philanthropist Chung Keng Kwee was honoured with two – Lebuh Keng Kwee and Lebuh Ah Quee, both in Penang.

Popularly known as Ah Quee in 19th century Malaya, Keng Kwee was a man with a colourful history. He was a Hai San secret society leader, tin-miner and kingpin of the coolie trade.

He came to Malaya from Cheng Sheng in Kwangtung province, China, in 1849, and eventually led the Hai San throughout the protracted years of conflict with the Ghee Hin during the Perak civil war.

He was one of the signatories of the Pangkor Engagement 1874 that led to his appointment as Chinese Kapitan in the first Perak State Council in 1877. He sat next to his Ghee Hin counterpart, Kapitan China Chin Ah Yam.

His great-grandson Owen Chung, one-time aide-de-camp to Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman, says that after the end of the Larut Wars in Perak, Keng Kwee helped the people get back on their feet by providing them with monetary aid.

In Penang, Keng Kwee was the chief donor to the Sea Pearl Tua Pak Kong Temple in Tanjung Tokong, Penang Chinese Town Hall, Kwangtung and Teochew Cemeteries, and the Kek Lok Si Temple.

“In recognition of his liberal generosity, the British Government named two roads in Penang after him. He had to build the roads and present them to the municipality,” says Owen.

“He also allowed the Government to tear down his house fronting Beach Street for the construction of an access road – Ah Quee Street.”

The Malays referred to Ah Quee Street as Lorong Takia because of the kampung that existed there before the street was created.

At the age of 20, Keng Kwee alias Keng Kooi joined his father Hsin Fatt, an early settler of Klian Pauh in Perak, and brother Keng Seng in their mining business.

Keng Seng had already made a name for himself in Perak and was popularly known as Lui Kun Seng. His daughter married the well-known Tin King of Malaya, Foo Choo Choon.

Through his close association with the Menteri of Larut, Ngah Ibrahim, he received tin mining rights to Larut.

“He was practically the founder of Taiping town. He was the first miner to use the hydraulic pump in his Tupai mine,” says Owen.

Keng Kwee followed his brother’s example and started amassing his own fortune. He built a business empire that included the lucrative coolie trade.

Owen says some people thought his great-grandfather was eccentric because he would buy property in any country where there were Chinese immigrants.

“He did it to provide them with accommodation and jobs, Owen explains, adding that Keng Kwee had property in England, India, Hong Kong and Australia.

In Penang, the family possessions included the former Shanghai Hotel, the Relau Villa and the most prominent feature, the Chung Keng Kwee temple, and a mansion at Church Street.

In 1893, Keng Kwee took over the headquarters of the rival Ghee Hin in Church Street and built a residence-cum-office named Hai Kee Chan (Sea Remembrance Store).

“He also took over the Goh Hock Tong (Five Luck Villa) Chinese school and built a private temple which served as the family’s ancestral hall and family school.

“Many believed the temple to be haunted as the well behind the ancestral hall was where Ghee Hin and Hai San members dumped the heads of their enemies after executing them,” say Owen.

The ancient well, he adds, was also a secret passage leading to the seafront, which is now Beach Street.

Keng Kwee died in 1901 and was buried at Mount Erskine which, along with Fettes Park, had once belonged to the family.

He was succeeded by his fourth son, Thye Phin, the last Kapitan China of Perak.

The Star Thursday, December 6, 2001 http://penang.thestar.com.my/content/news/2001/12/6/ccqu.asp

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"Failing to receive word from her beloved husband, Madam Lai sent Chung Keng Kwee abroad to look for his father and second elder brother who had migrated abroad a few years before that. Boarding a frail junk, he braved the South China Sea and headed towards Malaya, in 1841.

It was uncertain if his search was successful. However, it was here in Malaya that he discovered the lucrative trade of tin and became a prominent figure of in the industry. His accumulated much wealth and his fortunes flourished. In his lifetime, Keng Kwee contributed more money than anybody else to the Hakka 'Zeng Long Association' of Penang. When news of his achievements and contributions reached China, the Manchu Imperial Government conferred on him the title of "Mandarin of Second Rank" retrospectively for three generations. Thus overnight (literally) Keng Kwee, and his father and grandfather before him became Mandarins of the Second Rank - a respectable honour in China.

To further enhance his image, Keng Kwee acquired two adjacent properties along Church Street in 1893 - the first was the former headquarters of the Ghee Hin (which would serve as his home) while the second was the Goh Hock Tong Chinese school (which would be converted to a temple).

In order that he may renovate both units to suit his fancy, Keng Kwee relocated the school to another building in Chulia Street.

No expenses were spared in decorating his home, and they were acquired from the four corners of the globe - Glaswegian cast-iron columns, English floor tiles, Chinese wooden panels and screens, and a Columbia Grafonola wind-up gramophone with the latest 78rpm shellacs were just a few of the luxuries he pampered himself with. It is in this very building that the Pinang Peranakan Mansion now resides.

A temple dedicated to himself was built on the former Goh Hock Tong site. Upon entering, visitors are first greeted by a life-sized blackened bronze statue of Keng Kwee in the full regalia of Mandarin lord. In the temple's backyard is found a well with a bloody history - it is believed that unfortunate members of the Ghee Hin Society were thrown and left to die a slow and agonising death. Incidentally, the well which was hitherto hidden, was uncovered during the restoration of the mansion and temple.

With literally so many skeletons in the closet, it comes as no surprise that the temple is rumoured to be haunted. According to Jeffrey Seow, great-grandson of Chung Keng Kwee, his great-grandfather still walks the halls.

Chung Keng Kwee died in Penang in 1898, surrounded by the wealth and opulence he painstakingly acquired. A multi-millionaire at the time of death, he left behind nine sons and prime property in Penang, Perak and Hong Kong. Two streets in Penang were named after him, Keng Kwee Street and Ah Quee Street.

Written by Adrian Cheah

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Author: CHUNG Yoon-Ngan
Date: 04-10-03 08:12

Chung Keng Kwee, the Hakka Kapitan

Chung Keng Kwee (Zheng Jinggui 1829 to 1916) was the third son of Chung Xingfa, a Hakka, who came to Penang, Malaya, in the early 19th century as an indentured labourer. Chung Xingfa was from a village called Xin Cun in Zengcheng county of Guangdong province. He was one of founding members of the Zeng Long Association of Penang.

Tin was discovered in Larut district, in Perak, in the first decades of 19th century. Chung Keng Kwee was the leader of a Hakka company called Hai Shan Kongsi or the Five Groups in Penang. [Note: the Five Groups were:(1) Huizhou, (2) Dapu, (3) Yongding, (4) Zenglong and (5) Jiaying]. In 1860, with the help of a member of the Malay Royal House Chung Keng Kwee began to mine tin in Larut district.

Li Yaqin, a Cantonese, the leader of the Yi Xing Kongsi, with the help of members of the Malay Royal House also mined for tin in the district of Larut, but in different area of Larut, not far the mines belonging to Chung Keng Kwee. In Feburary 1872, Li Yaqin was caught for having an adultery with the niece of Chung Keng Kwee. The adulterer and adulteress were sentenced to death by drowning by Chung Keng Kwee. They were put into a pig basket and threw into an used mining pond. They were drowned. Chen Ya Yan became the leader of Yi Xing Kongsi.

After this unhappy incident antagonism came into existence between the two Kongsi of Hai Shan and Yi Xing. Occasionally, there were sporadic fightings among the members of the two companies.

Yi Xing Kongsi allied with Raja Abdullah grabbed the throne of the State of Perak. Raja Abdullah became the Sultan of Perak. The usurpation caused the wars between the groups in Lower Perak and Upper Perak. The historians called this conflict the Wars of Larut. More than forty thousand Chinese, including the members of the Hai Shan Kongsi and Yi Xing Kongsi, were involved in the conflict.

Eventually, the British came in to mediate on the conflict. The British invited all the parties involved in the war to Pangkor Island to have peace talks. Many conferences were held. The end result was that a treaty called the Pangkor Engagement was signed by all the parties in 1874. The treaty settled the dispute of the Perak throne and the new Sultan Raja Abdullah agreed to accept a British Resident in Perak.

Both Chung Keng Kwee and Chen Ya Yan were bestowed upon the title of Kapitan China or the leader of the Chinese community) by the British. The town of Larut was renamed Taiping.

There are two streets in George Town, Penang, named after Chung Keng Kwee. They are Keng Kwee Street and Ah Kwee Street. Chung Keng Kwee had many children and one of his sons was named Thye Phin in remembrance of the peaceful settlement of the Larut Wars.

Reference books.

(1) 200 years of the Hakkas in Penang By the Federation of Hakka Associations of Malaysia (2) Reveal the True Face of Secret Societies Written by Guo Rende Published by the Malaysian Chinese Cultural Center

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan 10032003

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THE KAPITAN SYSTEM - XI
By Wu Liu (aka C. S. Wong) Sunday Gazette, June 19, 1960

KAPITAN AH QUEE AND HIS FAMILY

Kapitan Ah Quee alias Chung Keng-swee, venerable leader of the Hai Sans in the Larut Wars, had the good fortune to out-wit and outlive So Ah Chiang (killed 1861) and Lee Ah Khun (drowned in 1872), two of Ghee Hin's formidable headmen.

His opponent of the Ghee Hin camp was Chin Ah Yam, later Kapitan Chin Ah Yam, attorney of Ho Ghi-siu (the actual leader of Ghee Hin who always kept himself in the background).

Ah Quee and Ah Yam were the main signatories to the "Engagement" entered into at Pangkor Island by twenty-six Headmen of the Chinese Secret Societies on 20th January, 1874.

On the same day, the Treaty of Pangkor was signed by the Malay chiefs under which Raja Muda Abdullah was recognised as Sultan of Perak. As the Mantri of Larut, an unstable ally of Ah Quee, was not in the good book of Sultan Raja Muda Abdullah, the cause of the Hai Sans seemed hopelessly lost.

The Luckier Winner

Three days afterwards, Ah Quee and Ah Yam were both appointed members of the Pacification Commission headed by Captain S. Dunlop and Messrs. Frank Swettenham and W. A. Pickering, one of whose terms of reference was to arrange for an amicable settlement of the squabbles over the tin mines at Larut.

The wheel of fortune unexpectedly in favourof the Hai Sans when the Commissioners after due investigation and deliberation decided to allocate the mines in Klian Pauh (Taiping) to the Hai Sans and the mines in Klian Bharu (Kamunting) to the Ghee Hins.

As the tin deposits in Klian Pauh were reputed to be superior and rich, the Ghee Hins were extremely dissatisfied.

It was only after the administration of a stern warning by the commissioners (official side) that the Ghee Hins were quietened down but not without great disappointment.

In time, Dame Fortune smiled on Ah Quee, the luckier winner of the Klian Pauh tin-fields.

Ah Quee's Magnanimity

In spite of his riches and the concomitant greatness achieved by him, Kapitan Ah Quee was always magnanimous towards to his less fortunate rival, Kapitan Ah Yam.

Both Kapitan Ah Quee and Kapitan Ah Yam were appointed members of the State Council of Perak which held its first meeting at Kuala Kangsar on 10th September, 1877.

Kapitan Ah Quee's magnanimity is manifestly clear from the Council Minutes of Perak in "Papers on Malay Subjects" by R. J. Wilkinson, F. M. S. Government Press, Kuala Lumpur, 1908.

When in December, 1881, Kapitan Ah Yam applied for a grant of land in Taiping town (Kapitan Ah Quee's sphere of influence) for the erection of a Chinese theatre "for the instruction and amusement of the people" at the Council meeting, it was Ah Quee who supported it, saying that "the people like the idea".

In consequence, the Council agreed to grant a piece of land, 300 feet by 180 feet, on a ten-year lease, free of rent, to Kapitan Ah Yam for his theatre building in the heart of Taiping, subject to certain provisions. (Vide "Papers on Malay Subjects", op. cit., Part IV, p. 30)

Founder of Taiping

Who was this magnanimous public-spirited and loyal Kapitan China of Perak, described by his Chinese biographer as "the Richest Merchant" of his time? (Vide "A Miscellaneous Chronicle of Penang", Kuang Kuo-hsiang, Singapore World Book Company, 1958, p. 108)

According to the Chung family record (See Footnote: A), Chung Keng-kwee alias Ah Quee was born of a hardworking peasant family in the village of Cheng Sheng of the Kwangtung Province. His father, Chung Hsing-fah, had five sons and Ah Quee was the third.

Forced by turbulence in China, good old Chung Hsing-fah migrated abroad to seek new pastures. e was later followed by his second son, Chung Keng-seng. A filial son, Chung eng-kwee tilled the soil of the family plot diligently to support his mother, Madam Lai, and the family.

As, after a lapse of some years, there was no news from his father or second elder brother, Madam Lai sent Chung Keng-kwee abroad to look for them. So in about 1841, Chung Keng-kwee, a brawny youth of 20 with a pair of sharp penetrating eyes, braved the stormy South China Sea in a frail junk for Malaya.

Eventually he found his father and elder brother, then well established in business, in Perak. His elder brother, Chung Keng-seng was so prosperous that he was popularly known as "Lui Kung Seng" and his daughter was subsequently married to the well-known "Mining King" of Perak, Towkay Foo Tse-choon. (Kuang Kou-hisang, ibid, pp. 108-109).

That, in a nutshell, was how Ah Quee first came to Malaya, later, as we have shown, to become the founder and maker of Perak's first famous town of Taiping (which means "Supreme" Peace").

Mandarin Of The 2nd Rank

In those days there were no Malayan citizenship laws, and it was the practice of prosperous immigrant Chinese to return to, or pay a visit to China.

Kapitan Ah Quee, now a man of position and opulence, occasionally visited his home village in China, and, in commemoration of the birthday of his mother, Madam Lai, founded and endowed a big scholarship fund for poor Chinese scholars preparing themselves for the time-honoured civil service examinations.

On sundry other occasions, he also contributed generously to charitable works, including a Flood Relief Fund in Chili and a War Relief Fund arising from the Franco-Annam war under the command of Viceroy Li Hung-chang.

In recognition of his munificence, the Manchu Imperial Government fittingly conferred on him the title of "Mandarin of Second Rank" retrospectively for three generations. Thus Kapitan Chung Keng-kwee, his father, Chung Hsing-fah, and his grandfather, Chung Tung-lin, - the latter two posthumously - became simultaneously Mandarins of the Second Rank - a highly cherished honour in China. (Vide "The Chung Family Record", op. cit., p. 4)

Ah Quee's Last Day

Kapitan Ah Quee died in Penang in 1898, a multi-millionaire, leaving behind very extensive landed property in Penang, Hongkong and Perak.

His memory is perpetuated in Penang by two streets named after him: Keng Kwee Street and Ah Quee Street.

A lesser known but more significant fact is an historic temple built by Kapitan Ah Quee, dedicated exclusively to himself. This temple stands on a portion of land, which constituted the former Ghee Hin headquarters at No. 29 Church Street (now occupied by Messrs. Lim, Lim & Oon, Advocates and Solicitors), Penang.

It is a unique private house of worship, wherein a life-sized bronze statue of the late Kapitan is enthroned. The statue is magnificently attired in a Mandarin robe of the Second Rank, topped with a Manchu Mandarin cap.

Behind this august statue, beyond the wall of the outside, is the backyard of the temple. Here in this backyard once lay the notorious well into which victims of the Ghee n Society were thrown.

Some signs of the levelled parapet of the well were still discernible in 1957 when delegates to the Southeast Asian History Conference, sponsored by Professor C. Northcote Parkinson of the University of Malaya, Singapore, were conducted to the site under guidance of Mr. C. O. Lim and myself.

From English Newspapers As Sources of Malaysian History oleh Khoo Kay Kim* at http://kekal-abadi.um.edu.my/filebank/published_article/3904/KA4(3)... Page 10 It is, often, through the newspapers too that one is able to trace family ties especially those effected through marriages. For example, Wellington Koo, a well-known diplomat of China, married the daughter of Oei Tiong Ham, the 'Sugar King' of Indonesia who also had large business interests in Singapore. Allan Loke, the eldest son of Loke Yew, once the richest man in Malaya, married Lam Chooi Lan whose mother, Chung Siew Ying, was the grand-daughter of Kapitan Chung Keng Quee. Loke Yew was a contemporary of Chung Keng Quee in Larut at the time when that territory was continually ravaged by Chinese disturbances. Chua. Boon San, son of Chua Cheng Bok, married Choo Lai Keun, the daughter of Choo Kia Peng, one of the longest serving Federal Councillors before World War II. Chua Cheng Bok, together with his brother Cheng Tuan, founded Cycle and Carriage (a company still flourishing) in 1899. Choo Kia Peng's other daughter, Choo Sim Keun, married Foo Meow Chin, the eldest son of Foo Choo Choon, the 'patriach' of the Foo clan in Ipoh. Foo Choo Choon, of Penang origin, began his mining career in Taiping, subsequently settling down at lpoh but his business interests extended to as far away as Sungei Besi in Selangor. Another interesting link between two influential families resulted from the marriage between Loke Yaik Foo, son of the well-known Kuala Lumpur personality, Loke Chow Kit, and Khong Sun Lun, daughter of Khong Cheong Tak of lpoh, Khong Cheong Tak's brother, Dr. K.T. Khong, was an outstanding sportsman (a Cambridge Blue), a community leader and a State and Federal Councillor. Interestingly, Lake Chow Kit's fourth daughter, Loke Poh Gaik, married Kitson Khong a barrister and brother of Loke Sun Lun.l4

24lt is extremely difficult to obtain information on the links between elite families. This stems also from the paucity of blographical studies. In the case of Chua Cheng Bok, for example, although a history of the Cycle 8< Carriage Lim,ited has been pub• lished (see Eric Jennings, Wheels Of Progress: 75 Years of Cycle & Carriage, Singapore, 1975), the information given on the Chua family is very sketchy. Chua Chena Bok's son, Chua Boon San, is not even mentioned in the books nor is there any reference to the fact that Chua Cheng Tuan spent a great deal of his time managing rubber estates owned by him and his brother in Selangor and Melaka.

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=lawrencet...

Prefix: Kapitan China •Suffix: Leader of the Hai San Triad in Malaya •Sex: M •Birth: ABT 1821 in Cheng Sheng, Kwangtung, China •Emigration: 1841 China to Malaya •Age: 20y •Note: Notes on Emmigration Turbulence in China forced Keng Quee's father, CHUNG, Hsing Fah to migrate toMalaya to seek greener pastures. Worried by the absence of her husband and secondson (Keng Seng followed after his father), Keng Quee's mother, Madam Lai sentKeng Quee to look for them. So in about 1841, Ah Quee, then a brawny youth of 20with a pair of sharp and penetrating eyes braved the storrmy South China Sea in afrail junk for Malaya. The resourceful stripling eventually found his father andbrother in Perak. They had established themselves in business. His brother was soprosperous that he was popularly known as Lui Kung Seng (literally Seng, The godof thunder). Keng Seng's daughter was subsequently married to the well-known "Tinking of Malaya", Towkay FOO, Choo Choon. •Date: 9 JAN 2002

•Title: Mandarin 2nd Rank of the Manchu Imperial Government of the Ching Dynasty of China. •Title: Kapitan China of Perak, Malaya •Title: Leader of the Hai San triad in Malaya •NATI: Malaysian, Chinese, Hakka, Kwangtung, Cheng Sheng •Death: DEC 1901 in Penang, Malaysia •Burial: DEC 1901 Family Burial Plot in Mount Erskine purchased by CHUNG Keng Quee and his daughter CHUNG, Kang Neoh •Note: Birth Notes CHUNG, Keng Quee was born of a hard-working peasant family in the village of Cheng Sheng in Kwantung Province, China. His father, CHUNGT, Hsing Fah had five (5) sons and Ah Quee was the third (3rd). Alternative Death Date While his date of death is recorded as December 1901 in the book, A Gallery of Chinese Kapitans by C. S. Wong, another source reports his death date inscribed on his tombstone as 1898) Notes on Emmigration Turbulence in China forced Keng Quee's father, CHUNG, Hsing Fah to migrate to Malaya to seek greener pastures. Worried by the absence of her husband and second son (Keng Seng followed after his father), Keng Quee's mother, Madam Lai sent Keng Quee to look for them. So in about 1841, Ah Quee, then a brawny youth of 20 with a pair of sharp and penetrating eyes braved the storrmy South China Sea in a frail junk for Malaya. The resourceful stripling eventually found his father and brother in Perak. They had established themselves in business. His brother was so prosperous that he was popularly known as Lui Kung Seng (literally Seng, The god of thunder). Keng Seng's daughter was subsequently married to the well-known "Tin king of Malaya", Towkay FOO, Choo Choon. Notes on Keng Quee CHUNG Keng Quee is also spelt Keng Kwee or Keng Kooi. Venerabe leader of the Hai San's in the Larut Wars, Keng Quee had the good fortune to outwit and outlive SO, Ah Chiang (killed in 1865) and LEE, Ah Khun (drowned in 1872), two fot eh rival Ghee Hin's formidable headmen. In recognition of his munificence, the Manchu Imperial Government conferred on him the title of Mandarin Second Rank retrospectively for three (3) generations. Thus Kapitan CHUNG, Keng Quee, his father CHUNG Hsing Fan and his grandfather CHUNG Tung Lin (the latter two pothumously) became simultaneously Mandarins of the Second Rank, a highly cherished honour in those days. http://penang.thestar.com.my/content/news/2001/12/6/ccqu.asp Thursday, December 6, 2001 Honoured in Penang for his generosity By CATHERINE CHONG WHILE many contributors to society may aspire to have a road named after them, philanthropist Chung Keng Kwee was honoured with two – Lebuh Keng Kwee and Lebuh Ah Quee, both in Penang. Popularly known as Ah Quee in 19th century Malaya, Chung was a man with a colourful history. He was a Hai San secret society leader, tin-miner and kingpin of the coolie trade. He came to Malaya from Cheng Sheng in Kwangtung province, China, in 1849, and eventually led the Hai San throughout the protracted years of conflict with the Ghee Hin during the Perak civil war. He was one of the signatories of the Pangkor Engagement 1874 which led to his appointment as Chinese Kapitan in the first Perak State Council of 1877, sitting next to his Ghee Hin counterpart, Kapitan China Chin Ah Yam. His great-grandson Owen Chung, one-time aide-de-camp to Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman, says that after the end of the Larut Wars in Perak, Keng Kwee helped the people get back on their feet by providing them with monetary aid. In Penang, Keng Kwee was the chief donor to the Sea Pearl Tua Pak Kong Temple in Tanjung Tokong, Penang Chinese Town Hall, Kwangtung and Teochew Cemeteries, and the Kek Lok Si Temple. “In recognition of his liberal generosity, the British Government named two roads in Penang after him. He had to build the roads and present them to the Municipality,” says Owen. “He also allowed the Government to tear down his house fronting Beach Street for the construction of an access road – Ah Quee Street.” The Malays also referred to Ah Quee Street as Lorong Takia because of the kampung that existed there before the street was created. At the age of 20, Keng Kwee alias Keng Kooi joined his father Hsin Fatt, an early settler of Klian Pauh in Perak, and brother Keng Seng in their mining business. Keng Seng had already made a name for himself in Perak and was popularly known as Lui Kun Seng. His daughter married the well-known Tin King of Malaya, Foo Choo Choon. Through his close association with the Menteri of Larut, Ngah Ibrahim, he received tin mining rights to Larut. “He was practically the founder of Taiping town. He was also the first miner to use the hydraulic pump in his Tupai mine,” says Owen. Keng Kwee followed his brother’s example and started amassing his own fortune. He built a business empire that included the lucrative coolie trade. Owen says some people thought his great-grandfather was eccentric because he would buy property in any country wher e there were Chinese immigrants. “He did that to provide these immigrants with accommodation and jobs as labourers,” Owen explains, adding that Keng Kwee had property in England, India, Hong Kong and Australia. In Penang, the family possessions include the former Shan ghai Hotel, the Relau Villa and the most prominent feature, the Chung Keng Kwee temple and mansion at Church Street. In 1893, Keng Kwee took over the headquarters of the rival Ghee Hin in Church Street and built a residence-cum-office named Hai Kee Chan (Sea Remembrance Store). “He also took over the Goh Hock Tong (Five Luck Villa) Chinese school and built a private temple which served as the family’s ancestral hall and family school. “Many believed the temple to be haunted as the well behind the ancestral hall was where Ghee Hin and Hai San members dumped the heads of their enemies after executing them,” says Owen. The ancient well, he adds, was also a secret passage leading to the seafront, which is now Beach Street. Keng Kwee died in 1901 and was buried at Mount Erskine which, along with Fettes Park, had once belonged to the family. He was succeeded by his fourth son, Thye Phin, the last Kapitan China of Perak. Heawood Rubber Estate 3000 Acres at Sungai Siput Malaysia, YongPhin Mine at Kota, Malayaia Leader of the Hai San triad in Malaya Kapitan Chung Keng Kooi's Townhouse, Barrack Road A prominent tin-miner and leader of the Taiping Hakka community, Chung Keng Kooi (1829-1901) was also a Kapitan China of Perak and sat on the Perak State Council. His eldest son Chung Ah Yong, who resided here, was a member of the Taiping Sanitary Board and "all the important racing clubs". He employed anÊ European trainerÊ for his prize-winning race horses and maintained his stables at 12,000 dollars a year. •Note: Notes on Keng Quee CHUNG

Keng Quee is also spelt Keng Kwee or Keng Kooi.

Venerabe leader of the Hai San's in the Larut Wars, Keng Quee had the goodfortune to outwit and outlive SO, Ah Chiang (killed in 1865) and LEE, Ah Khun(drowned in 1872), two fot eh rival Ghee Hin's formidable headmen.

In recognition of his munificence, the Manchu Imperial Government conferredon him the title of Mandarin Second Rank retrospectively for three (3)generations. Thus Kapitan CHUNG, Keng Quee, his father CHUNG HsingFan and his grandfather CHUNG Tung Lin (the latter two pothumously)became simultaneously Mandarins of the Second Rank, a highly cherishedhonour in those days. •Date: 9 JAN 2002

•Note: CHRONOLOGY:

1829 - Birth of Chung Keng Quee 1841 - 1949 Travelled from China to Malaya 1860 - Began to operate his tin mines in Larut District

- 1884 Leader of Penang and Perak Hai San Kongsi 1872 - Drowned his own niece and Lee Ah Khun, the leader of the Ghee Hin Kongsi for commiting adultery 1874 - Signatory to the Pangkor Treaty 1877 - Appointment as Kapitan China at the first Perak State Council 1887 - With others, founded the Cantonese Association, Temple Street (Kwan-tung hui-kuan) 1889 - With Khoo Thean Teik, secured monopoly for tobacco, liquor, opium and gambling farms in Perak 1893 - Built a Chinese school, in Penang, for all the Chinese children irrespective of their dialects

- Converted Ghee Hin headquarters and Goh Hock Tong Chinese school in Church Street into a

personal residence and an ancestral temple respectively - the Goh Hock Tong (Ng Fook Tong or

Five Luck Villa) school was relocated to a new building in Chulia Street in 1898 1901 - Founded, together with other prominent Hakkas, an Educational Institution called Chong Wen She

================================= ================================= =================================

BIRTH: CHUNG, Keng Quee was born of a hard-working peasant family in the village of Cheng Sheng in Kwantung Province, China. His father, CHUNG, Hsing Fah had five (5) sons and Ah Quee was the third (3rd).

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DEATH: Alternative Death Date - While his date of death is recorded as December 1901 in the book,A Gallery of Chinese Kapitans by C. S. Wong, another source reports his death date inscribed on his tombstone as 1898) NB: Kuang Shu's 24th Reigning Year (i.e. 1898 The Year of the Dog) was inscribed on the Tombstone of Chung Keng Quee - verified by Jeffery Seow in May 2002 as sighted and photographed.

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The name Chung Keng Quee has been spelt many different ways in various different documents and include Keng Kwee or Keng Kooi and he is also known as Ah Kooi or Kung Kwee. In Hanyu Pinzin his name is Zheng Jing Gui.

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Keng Quee's story begins at a time when turbulence in China forced Keng Quee's father, CHUNG, Hsing Fah to migrate to Malaya to seek greener pastures.

Worried by the absence of her husband and second son (Mdm Lai sent Keng Seng to look for Hsing Fah after not receiving any news from him for a long while), Keng Quee's mother, Madam Lai sent Keng Quee to look for the them.

So in about 1841, Ah Quee, then a brawny youth of 20 with a pair of sharp and penetrating eyes braved the storrmy South China Sea in a frail junk for Malaya.

The resourceful stripling eventually found his father and brother in Perak. They had established themselves in business.

His brother was so prosperous that he was popularly known as Lui Kung Seng (literally Seng, The god of thunder). Keng Seng had a daughter who was subsequently married off to the well-known "Tin king of Malaya", Towkay FOO, Choo Choon.

(From A Gallery of Chinese Kapitans by C. S. Wong)

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He was the leader of the Perak Hai San Kongsi whereas Yap Ah Loy was the Hai San Kongsi leader of Kuala Lumpur.

Chung Keng Quee controlled the tin mining areas of Taiping formerly known as Klian Pauh. He was also the Hai San Kongsi leader in Penang.

In February 1872 Chung Keng Quee caught Lee Ah Khun, the leader of the Ghee Hin Kongsi, commiting adultery with his niece. Zheng Jing Gui put Li Ya Qin and his niece in a pig basket and threw them into an used tin mining pond where they drowned.

Source: Chung Yoon Ngan in the Hakka Chinese Forum at Asiawind

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Larut Wars - Venerable leader of the Hai San's in the Larut Wars, Keng Quee had the good fortune to outwit and outlive SO, Ah Chiang (killed in 1865) and LEE, Ah Khun (drowned in 1872), two of the rival Ghee Hin's formidable headmen.

Taiping formerly known as Klian Pauh, was renamed to commemorate the end of the Larut War in 1874. With the signing of the Pangkor Treaty January 1874, Taiping emerged to be the major town in Perak. Taiping comes from the Chinese word Tai-Peng which means ETERNAL PEACE. This contradicts the legend that Taiping was named after Chung Thye Phin who was born in 1879, five years after the founding of Taiping.

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Mandarin of the Ching Court - In recognition of his munificence, the Manchu Imperial Government conferred on him the title of Mandarin Second Rank retrospectively for three (3) generations. Thus Kapitan CHUNG, Keng Quee, his father CHUNG Hsing Fan and his grandfather CHUNG Tung Lin (the latter two pothumously) became simultaneously Mandarins of the Second Rank, a highly cherished honour in those days.

========================== ================================= ===========================

In 1893, Chung Keng Kwee
built a Chinese school, in Penang, for all the Chinese children irrespective of their dialects.

In March 1901 the Hakka Associations in Penang established an Educational Institution called Chong Wen She. The founders of this Educational Institution were:Liang Bi Ru, Hu Zi Chun, Chung Keng Kwee, Dai Xin Ran, Rao Fu Chang, Xiong Yu Shan, Wen Zong Jin, Lin Shi An, Li Feng Bao, Li Mu San, Zhang Xian Chen and Yang Shao Fen. The Educational Institution organized campaigns to encourage the Chinese in Penang to respect for education. The motto of the campaigns was "Jing Xi Zi Zhi" or to respect the words written on the paper. The Educational Institution established a free of charge private school for all the children irrespective of their dialects. The school also enrolled the locally born Chinese children with the intention of giving them a classical education so that they would not forget about their roots.

From 200 Years of The Hakkas in Penang

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BIOGRAPHY: Honoured in Penang for his generosity
By CATHERINE CHONG The Star, December 6, 2001

WHILE many contributors to society may aspire to have a road named after them, philanthropist Chung Keng Kwee was honoured with two – Lebuh Keng Kwee and Lebuh Ah Quee, both in Penang.

Popularly known as Ah Quee in 19th century Malaya, Keng Kwee was a man with a colourful history. He was a Hai San secret society leader, tin-miner and kingpin of the coolie trade.

He came to Malaya from Cheng Sheng in Kwangtung province, China, in 1849, and eventually led the Hai San throughout the protracted years of conflict with the Ghee Hin during the Perak civil war.

He was one of the signatories of the Pangkor Engagement 1874 that led to his appointment as Chinese Kapitan in the first Perak State Council in 1877. He sat next to his Ghee Hin counterpart, Kapitan China Chin Ah Yam.

His great-grandson Owen Chung, one-time aide-de-camp to Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman, says that after the end of the Larut Wars in Perak, Keng Kwee helped the people get back on their feet by providing them with monetary aid.

In Penang, Keng Kwee was the chief donor to the Sea Pearl Tua Pak Kong Temple in Tanjung Tokong, Penang Chinese Town Hall, Kwangtung and Teochew Cemeteries, and the Kek Lok Si Temple.

“In recognition of his liberal generosity, the British Government named two roads in Penang after him. He had to build the roads and present them to the municipality,” says Owen.

“He also allowed the Government to tear down his house fronting Beach Street for the construction of an access road – Ah Quee Street.”

The Malays referred to Ah Quee Street as Lorong Takia because of the kampung that existed there before the street was created.

At the age of 20, Keng Kwee alias Keng Kooi joined his father Hsin Fatt, an early settler of Klian Pauh in Perak, and brother Keng Seng in their mining business.

Keng Seng had already made a name for himself in Perak and was popularly known as Lui Kun Seng. His daughter married the well-known Tin King of Malaya, Foo Choo Choon.

Through his close association with the Menteri of Larut, Ngah Ibrahim, he received tin mining rights to Larut.

“He was practically the founder of Taiping town. He was the first miner to use the hydraulic pump in his Tupai mine,” says Owen.

Keng Kwee followed his brother’s example and started amassing his own fortune. He built a business empire that included the lucrative coolie trade.

Owen says some people thought his great-grandfather was eccentric because he would buy property in any country where there were Chinese immigrants.

“He did it to provide them with accommodation and jobs, Owen explains, adding that Keng Kwee had property in England, India, Hong Kong and Australia.

In Penang, the family possessions included the former Shanghai Hotel, the Relau Villa and the most prominent feature, the Chung Keng Kwee temple, and a mansion at Church Street.

In 1893, Keng Kwee took over the headquarters of the rival Ghee Hin in Church Street and built a residence-cum-office named Hai Kee Chan (Sea Remembrance Store).

“He also took over the Goh Hock Tong (Five Luck Villa) Chinese school and built a private temple which served as the family’s ancestral hall and family school.

“Many believed the temple to be haunted as the well behind the ancestral hall was where Ghee Hin and Hai San members dumped the heads of their enemies after executing them,” say Owen.

The ancient well, he adds, was also a secret passage leading to the seafront, which is now Beach Street.

Keng Kwee died in 1901 and was buried at Mount Erskine which, along with Fettes Park, had once belonged to the family.

He was succeeded by his fourth son, Thye Phin, the last Kapitan China of Perak.

The Star Thursday, December 6, 2001 http://penang.thestar.com.my/content/news/2001/12/6/ccqu.asp

========================== ================================= ===========================

"Failing to receive word from her beloved husband, Madam Lai sent Chung Keng Kwee abroad to look for his father and second elder brother who had migrated abroad a few years before that. Boarding a frail junk, he braved the South China Sea and headed towards Malaya, in 1841.

It was uncertain if his search was successful. However, it was here in Malaya that he discovered the lucrative trade of tin and became a prominent figure of in the industry. His accumulated much wealth and his fortunes flourished. In his lifetime, Keng Kwee contributed more money than anybody else to the Hakka 'Zeng Long Association' of Penang. When news of his achievements and contributions reached China, the Manchu Imperial Government conferred on him the title of "Mandarin of Second Rank" retrospectively for three generations. Thus overnight (literally) Keng Kwee, and his father and grandfather before him became Mandarins of the Second Rank - a respectable honour in China.

To further enhance his image, Keng Kwee acquired two adjacent properties along Church Street in 1893 - the first was the former headquarters of the Ghee Hin (which would serve as his home) while the second was the Goh Hock Tong Chinese school (which would be converted to a temple).

In order that he may renovate both units to suit his fancy, Keng Kwee relocated the school to another building in Chulia Street.

No expenses were spared in decorating his home, and they were acquired from the four corners of the globe - Glaswegian cast-iron columns, English floor tiles, Chinese wooden panels and screens, and a Columbia Grafonola wind-up gramophone with the latest 78rpm shellacs were just a few of the luxuries he pampered himself with. It is in this very building that the Pinang Peranakan Mansion now resides.

A temple dedicated to himself was built on the former Goh Hock Tong site. Upon entering, visitors are first greeted by a life-sized blackened bronze statue of Keng Kwee in the full regalia of Mandarin lord. In the temple's backyard is found a well with a bloody history - it is believed that unfortunate members of the Ghee Hin Society were thrown and left to die a slow and agonising death. Incidentally, the well which was hitherto hidden, was uncovered during the restoration of the mansion and temple.

With literally so many skeletons in the closet, it comes as no surprise that the temple is rumoured to be haunted. According to Jeffrey Seow, great-grandson of Chung Keng Kwee, his great-grandfather still walks the halls.

Chung Keng Kwee died in Penang in 1898, surrounded by the wealth and opulence he painstakingly acquired. A multi-millionaire at the time of death, he left behind nine sons and prime property in Penang, Perak and Hong Kong. Two streets in Penang were named after him, Keng Kwee Street and Ah Quee Street.

Written by Adrian Cheah

========================== ================================= ===========================

Author: CHUNG Yoon-Ngan
Date: 04-10-03 08:12

Chung Keng Kwee, the Hakka Kapitan

Chung Keng Kwee (Zheng Jinggui 1829 to 1916) was the third son of Chung Xingfa, a Hakka, who came to Penang, Malaya, in the early 19th century as an indentured labourer. Chung Xingfa was from a village called Xin Cun in Zengcheng county of Guangdong province. He was one of founding members of the Zeng Long Association of Penang.

Tin was discovered in Larut district, in Perak, in the first decades of 19th century. Chung Keng Kwee was the leader of a Hakka company called Hai Shan Kongsi or the Five Groups in Penang. [Note: the Five Groups were:(1) Huizhou, (2) Dapu, (3) Yongding, (4) Zenglong and (5) Jiaying]. In 1860, with the help of a member of the Malay Royal House Chung Keng Kwee began to mine tin in Larut district.

Li Yaqin, a Cantonese, the leader of the Yi Xing Kongsi, with the help of members of the Malay Royal House also mined for tin in the district of Larut, but in different area of Larut, not far the mines belonging to Chung Keng Kwee. In Feburary 1872, Li Yaqin was caught for having an adultery with the niece of Chung Keng Kwee. The adulterer and adulteress were sentenced to death by drowning by Chung Keng Kwee. They were put into a pig basket and threw into an used mining pond. They were drowned. Chen Ya Yan became the leader of Yi Xing Kongsi.

After this unhappy incident antagonism came into existence between the two Kongsi of Hai Shan and Yi Xing. Occasionally, there were sporadic fightings among the members of the two companies.

Yi Xing Kongsi allied with Raja Abdullah grabbed the throne of the State of Perak. Raja Abdullah became the Sultan of Perak. The usurpation caused the wars between the groups in Lower Perak and Upper Perak. The historians called this conflict the Wars of Larut. More than forty thousand Chinese, including the members of the Hai Shan Kongsi and Yi Xing Kongsi, were involved in the conflict.

Eventually, the British came in to mediate on the conflict. The British invited all the parties involved in the war to Pangkor Island to have peace talks. Many conferences were held. The end result was that a treaty called the Pangkor Engagement was signed by all the parties in 1874. The treaty settled the dispute of the Perak throne and the new Sultan Raja Abdullah agreed to accept a British Resident in Perak.

Both Chung Keng Kwee and Chen Ya Yan were bestowed upon the title of Kapitan China or the leader of the Chinese community) by the British. The town of Larut was renamed Taiping.

There are two streets in George Town, Penang, named after Chung Keng Kwee. They are Keng Kwee Street and Ah Kwee Street. Chung Keng Kwee had many children and one of his sons was named Thye Phin in remembrance of the peaceful settlement of the Larut Wars.

Reference books.

(1) 200 years of the Hakkas in Penang By the Federation of Hakka Associations of Malaysia (2) Reveal the True Face of Secret Societies Written by Guo Rende Published by the Malaysian Chinese Cultural Center

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan 10032003

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitsb...