Lee Kuan Yew’s Ancestral Home — Zhonghan Residence

Lee Kuan Yew’s Ancestral Home — Zhonghan Residence

Lee Kuan Yew’s Ancestral Home — Zhonghan Residence is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural heritage site protected by Meizhou City.

Lee Kuan Yew’s Ancestral Home — Zhonghan Residence is located in Dangxi Village, Gaobei, Dabu. The “Zhonghan Residence,” a type of Hakka residential architecture known as “Xia Shan Hu,” is a single-story brick-and-tile structure built in 1884 by Lee Kuan Yew’s great-grandfather, Lee Muwen. It has a history of over 100 years. It is currently maintained by the family of Lee Kuan Yew’s cousin, Lee Fensen. [Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong]

Lee Kuan Yew was Singapore’s first Prime Minister and is currently a Senior Minister in the Cabinet. His eldest son, Lee Hsien Loong, is the current Prime Minister of Singapore. According to the “Lee Family Genealogy,” the ancestors of the Lee family from Tangxi Village were from Rendian Township, Shanghang County, Fujian Province. Their descendant, Li Chundu, moved to Chengxiang (now Meixian District) in Guangdong, and by the 13th generation, Li Yanbai settled in Tangxi Village. He had seven sons, 49 grandsons, and 120 great-grandsons. Lee Kuan Yew is a ninth-generation descendant of Li Yanbai. Lee Kuan Yew’s great-grandfather, Lee Muwen, went to Singapore in 1864 to seek his fortune, later became a wealthy businessman, and returned to build the “Zhonghan Residence.” Lee Kuan Yew’s father, Lee Chin Koon, worked for Shell Oil in Singapore before opening his own watch shop. Lee Kuan Yew was born in Singapore on September 16, 1923, became the country’s first Prime Minister on June 5, 1959, and over the course of more than 30 years in office, transformed Singapore into one of the prosperous and powerful “Four Asian Tigers.” He had two sons; his eldest, Lee Hsien Loong, served as Chief of Defence Force, Minister for Trade and Industry, and Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, and is now the current Prime Minister.

[Biography of Lee Kuan Yew]

During his student days, Lee Kuan Yew studied at Raffles College for two years and was awarded a scholarship from the institution. Later, while studying law at the University of Cambridge in the UK, he achieved double first-class honors and topped the year-end examinations, earning a special distinction award.

After graduating from university in 1950, Lee Kuan Yew returned to Singapore from London. In the early years, he served as the legal representative for many labor unions.

In 1954, Lee Kuan Yew co-founded the People’s Action Party with colleagues and furthered the struggle against colonial rule. In 1959, through a united effort among political parties, Singapore gained self-governance. The People’s Action Party secured decisive seats in the election. At just 30 years old, Lee Kuan Yew formed the government and became the first Prime Minister.

Among the post-war Asian leaders, Lee Kuan Yew served the longest. He is now the last surviving Asian leader of his generation who led their nation to independence.

Publications such as the Guangming Daily have commented: By any standard, Lee Kuan Yew is a rare and outstanding global leader. Through his visionary leadership, he transformed a dirty, crowded, resource-scarce port island on the Malay Peninsula into the world’s second-largest port, Asia’s financial hub, and an international conference center within thirty years. It has become one of the most modern, clean, orderly, and green garden cities.

Dangxi Village: Located in Dabu County, Meizhou City, Dangxi Village has jurisdiction over 21 villager groups, with 532 registered households and a population of 2,600. The village covers a total area of 10 square kilometers, with arable land spanning 1,393 mu. The average annual temperature is 25°C, and the total rural economic income of the village in the previous year was 18.86 million yuan. In recent years, the village has developed its economy through measures such as oil-tea cultivation. […] Detailed information about Dangxi Village ++

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Cultural Heritage Sites Protected by Meizhou City