Lee Kong Chian was a self-made multimillionaire who gave back to society This Singapore pioneer should be a familiar name to many by now. You see his name at the NLB’s reference library, in secondary schools, and in all the local universities. But who exactly is he and how did he contribute to the education sector? Here are 10 facts about this philanthropist that you never knew. 1. Humble beginnings Source Lee Kong Chian was born in Furong Village, Fujian, China, and received his early education in private schools in his hometown. In 1903, 10-year-old Lee came to Singapore to join his father, Lee Kuo Chuan, who worked as a tailor. He studied at the now-defunct Anglo-Indian School and the Chung Cheng High School. In 1909, Lee went back to China to complete his studies under a scholarship, but was disrupted by the 1911 Xinhai Revolution. Lee later studied at one of China’s top colleges, the Railway and Mining College in Tangshan. 2. He was Tan Kah Kee’s protege-turned-son-in-law Source After Lee returned to Singapore, he worked as a teacher at Tao Nan School and as a translator at a Chinese newspaper. In 1915, he joined Tan Kah Kee‘s China Guohua Company […]
9 years ago
