Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan



Singapore Infopedia

Background

The Singapore Kwantung Hui Kuan was established in 1937 to provide networking opportunities, unite fellow Chinese from China’s Guangdong province, contribute to charity and promote Chinese culture. Guangdong (formerly known as Canton) is located at the southernmost part of China and has one of the longest coastlines among the Chinese provinces. It has a diverse population that speaks Cantonese, Teochew, Hainanese and Hakka. Most of the early Chinese immigrants from the Guangdong and Fujian provinces arrived in Singapore after a British trading port was established on the island in 1819.1

Background
At a dinner in 1936 hosted by Cantonese businessman Ching Kee Sun, fellow business and community leaders supported the idea of forming a provincial-based representative association, like the Hokkien Huay Kuan, for people from Guangdong living in Singapore. The association would enable related clubs, district guilds and associations to meet and work in unison whenever necessary – for instance, when organising major meetings or large-scale charity events.2

Related clan associations and organisations were then contacted for their support, and 76 representatives from various Guangdong associations met on 17 November 1936. The first preparatory committee meeting was held on 28 November 1936 at Ngee Ann Kongsi’s premises at 16 Church Street, which became the clan’s temporary location. In June 1937, the clan’s rules and regulations were established.3 The first management committee, however, was only formed in 1939, as their immediate tasks then were to raise funds to support the Chinese fight against the Japanese invasion in China and to assist flood victims in southern China.4

Organisation
Objectives
The Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan was established on 25 September 1937.5 Its objectives are to provide networking opportunities, unite fellow Chinese from the Guangdong province, contribute to charity, and promote Chinese culture.6

Pre-independence
In 1947, the Hui Kuan formed the Federation of Kwangtung Associations in Malaya with similar Kwangtung associations from different parts of Malaysia. It held the position of leadership for the years 1948 and 1953, as well as organised the general assembly of the Federation for the years 1949, 1954 and 1966. It left the federation in 1974.7

Location
During its early years, the Hui Kuan operated from 16 Church Street.8 In 1951, the Hui Kuan made plans to raise $200,000 for their own premises, and bought a three-storey building at 69 Neil Road in 1957.9 However, in 1984, it temporarily moved back to 16 Church Street, because of urban redevelopment.10 Before a permanent location was found, it relocated again when the Church Street building was renovated in 1993.11 The Hui Kuan rented an office from the Singapore Chinese Drug Importers and Exporters Guild until it purchased an office unit in Manhattan House on Chin Swee Road in 1994.12

Membership
The Hui Kuan’s members are from the four main dialect groups in Singapore – Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka and Hainanese – whose ancestral homes are from the Guangdong province. Members also include associations formed by these dialect groups by surname or locality.13 Three types of membership are available: individual, company and association.14 The Hui Kuan has 315 members as of 2020.15

Activities
In 1940, the Hui Kuan donated 10,000 Straits dollars every month to China to assist the Guangdong war refugees. It also sponsored the travel expenses of students returning to Guangdong. In 1949, more than $44,000 Straits dollars were raised to help the flood victims in southern China.16

Supporting the Singapore government’s call for clans to use more Mandarin in 1978, the Hui Kuan initiated a “Use Mandarin” campaign to encourage its members to speak Mandarin instead of dialects.17 The following year, its members were reminded to support the government’s National Courtesy Campaign.18 The Hui Kuan was one of the seven leading clan associations in Singapore to form the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations in 1985.19

During its 60th anniversary in 1997, the Hui Kuan suggested organising a biennial Congress of the World Guangdong Community Federation.20 The first congress was held in Singapore three years later in 2000, with almost 2,000 participants from 20 countries.21

Since 2003, along with other clan associations that have started offering dialect classes, the Hui Kuan has been organising classes on Cantonese and Mandarin, as well as Chinese folk songs and Chinese culture.22 The Hui Kuan organised a seminar on the history of the Chinese from Guangdong in 2004, inviting speakers from Singapore, Hong Kong and China,23 and a seminar on nursery rhymes in 2008.24 The Hui Kuan also organises fundraising events, singing competitions and performances.25

In 2014, the Guangdong Enterprise Association was set up by younger Guangdong Chinese immigrants doing business in Singapore, and the Kwangtung Hui Kuan was among the four associations that signed a memorandum of understanding with the newly formed association.26

Milestones
1937: Official registration of Kwangtung Hui Kuan.
1957: Purchase of premises at 69 Neil Road.
1962: 25th anniversary celebration and opening of the new building.27
1984: Relocated back to 16 Church Street due to urban redevelopment.
1985: One of the founding clans of the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations.
1994: Purchase of office unit at Manhattan House on Chin Swee Road as permanent location.
1997: 60th anniversary celebration.
2000: First Congress of the World Guangdong Community Federation held in Singapore.
2012: Received Special Awards for Excellence award from the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations.28
2014: Signed memorandum of understanding with Guangdong Enterprise Association.
2017: 80th anniversary celebration.

Presidents and chairmen29
1939: Li Weinan (Lee Wee Nam; 李伟南)
1940: Zeng Jichen (Ching Kee Sun; 曾纪辰)
1951: Lim Cher Meng30
1952–53: Hu Wenzhao (Woo Mon Chew; 胡文钊)
1957: Zhang Mengsheng (张梦生)
1960–61: Zhang Hansan (Teo Hang Sam; 张汉三)
1963–66: Guo Kaishi (郭开始)
1967–72: Zhang Sichuan (Teo Soo Chuan; 张泗川)
1973–76: Lin Shichao (Lam See Chiew; 林士超)
1977–80: Lan Tian (Lam Thian; 蓝天)
1981–85: Yang Shaohe (Yeo Siew Hua; 杨绍和)
1985–2003: Zhang Rong (Cheong Wing; 张荣)
2003–19: He Guocai (Ho Kwok Choi; 何国才)



Author
Ang Seow Leng



References
1. Gloria Chandy, “And Chaos Was Turned Into Order… In the Chinese Community,” New Nation, 14 May 1979, 9. (From NewspaperSG)
2. “Cantonese Community Want Meeting Hall,” Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 3 September 1937, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
3. Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan 新加坡广东会馆, Xinjiapo Guangdong huiguan jinxi tekan 1937–1987新加坡广东会馆金禧特刊 1937–1987 [Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan golden jubilee special issue 1937–1987] (Singapore: Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan, 1989), 68. (Call no. RSING 369.25957 SIN)
4. Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan 80th anniversary editorial board 新加坡广东会馆八十周年编辑委员会, Tuanjie zong xiang bashi dai Xinjiapo Guangdong huiguan 1937–2017团结宗乡八十载: 新加坡广东会馆 1937–2017 [Uniting the clan for 80 years: Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan 1937–2017] (Singapore: Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan, 2018), 11. (Call no. RSING 369.25957 TJZ)
5. Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan 80th anniversary editorial board 新加坡广东会馆八十周年编辑委员会, Tuanjie zong xiang bashi dai, 11.
6. “Xinjiapo Guangdong huiguan huiguan zhangcheng zhaiyao” 新加坡广东会馆 会馆章程摘要  [Summary of articles of association of Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan], Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan, accessed 29 December 2020.
7. Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan 新加坡广东会馆, Xinjiapo Guangdong huiguan jinxi tekan 1937–1987, 15.
8. Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan 80th anniversary editorial board 新加坡广东会馆八十周年编辑委员会, Tuanjie zong xiang bashi dai, 11.
9. $200,000 Building for Chinese Assn,” Singapore Standard, 9 May 1951, 7 (From NewspaperSG); Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan 80th anniversary editorial board 新加坡广东会馆八十周年编辑委员会, Tuanjie zong xiang bashi dai, 105; “Clans Made ‘Homeless’ Look for New Premises,” Straits Times, 27 September 1993, 23. (From NewspaperSG)
10. Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan 新加坡广东会馆, Xinjiapo Guangdong huiguan jinxi tekan 1937–1987, 69.
11. Qu Ru Bai区如柏, “Shijie gedi 800 Guangdong tongxiang jiang ju woguo kai shoujie lianyi dahui” 世界各地800广东同乡将聚我国开首届联谊大会 [800 Guangdong clan fellows from around the world gather in Singapore for the first networking conference], 联合早报 Lianhe Zaobao, 14 September 2000, 11. (From NewspaperSG)
12. Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan 80th anniversary editorial board 新加坡广东会馆八十周年编辑委员会, Tuanjie zong xiang bashi dai, 105.
13. Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan 新加坡广东会馆, Xinjiapo Guangdong huiguan jinxi tekan 1937–1987, 7–8.
14. “Huiguan jianshi” 会馆简史 [Brief history of Hui Kuan], accessed 29 December 2020.
15. “Members’ Directory,” Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations, accessed 29 December 2020.
16. Huang Li Ping黄丽萍, “Cong Guangdong huiguan de jinxi, renshi shidai de shiming” 从广东会馆的今昔,认识时代的使命! [Understand the mission of the times from the past and present of Kwangtung Hui Kuan], 星洲日报 Sin Chew Jit Poh, 11 November 1981, 18. (From NewspaperSG)
17. “Plan for ‘Use Mandarin’ Drive by Clan Group,” Straits Times, 12 April 1978, 11. (From NewspaperSG)
18. “Guangdong huiguan dongshihui relie xiangying limao yundong” 广东会馆董事会热烈响应礼貌运动 [Kwangtung Hui Kuan board of directors strongly supports the National Courtesy Campaign], 南洋商报Nanyang Siang Pau, 1 July 1979, 16. (From NewspaperSG)
19. “Qi da huiguan faqi zongxiang huiguan lianhe zonghui chengli” 七大会馆发起宗乡会馆联合总会成立 [Seven big clan associations initiate the establishment of the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations], 联合早报Lianhe Zaobao, 12 December 1985, 1; “January Launch of Federation of Clan Groups,” Straits Times, 12 December 1985, 17. (From NewspaperSG)
20. “Guangdong huiguan jianyi chengli shijie lianlihui” 广东会馆建议成立世界联谊会 [Kwangtung Hui Kuan suggests establishing a World Guangdong Community Federation], 联合早报Lianhe Zaobao, 26 November 1997, 10. (From NewspaperSG)
21. Leong Weng Kam, “The Man Who Cannot Say ‘No’,” Straits Times, 27 October 2000, 52. (From NewspaperSG)
22. Zhang Jia Ling张嘉玲, “Guangdong Huiguan ban yueyu kecheng” 广东会馆办粤语课程 [Kwangtung Hui Kuan organises Cantonese classes], 联合早报Lianhe Zaobao, 6 March 2003, 12 (From NewspaperSG); Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan 80th anniversary editorial board 新加坡广东会馆八十周年编辑委员会, Tuanjie zong xiang bashi dai, 105.
23. “Tongxiang yu qiaoxiang yantao hui tantao bendi Guangdong huaren shehui lishi” “同乡与侨乡” 研讨会探讨本地广东华人社会历史 [Seminar on history of local Chinese from Guangdong, titled fellow countryman and their hometown], 联合早报 Lianhe Zaobao, 13 August 2004, 7. (From NewspaperSG)
24. Qu Ru Bai区如柏, “Fangyan tongyao de jiazhi” 方言童谣的价值 [The value of nursery rhymes in dialects], 联合早报 Lianhe Zaobao, 15 December 2008, 9. (From NewspaperSG)
25. Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan 80th anniversary editorial board 新加坡广东会馆八十周年编辑委员会, Tuanjie zong xiang bashi dai, 105–6.
26. Leong Weng Kam, “New Guangdong Group Means Business,” Straits Times, 19 November 2014, 91. (From NewspaperSG)
27. Huang Li Ping黄丽萍, “Cong Guangdong huiguan de jinxi, renshi shidai de shiming” 从广东会馆的今昔,认识时代的使命! [Understand the mission of the times from the past and present of Kwangtung Hui Kuan], 联合早报 Lianhe Zaobao, 11 November 1981, 18. (From NewspaperSG)
28. Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan 80th anniversary editorial board 新加坡广东会馆八十周年编辑委员会, Tuanjie zong xiang bashi dai, 118.
29. “Lijie huichang mingdan” 历届会长名单 [List of past presidents], 新加坡广东会馆Singapore Kwangtung Hui Kuan, accessed 11 December 2020.
30. “$200,000 Building for Chinese Assn.”



The information in this article is valid as at May 2020 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic. 


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