My Time….Chinese temple in Malaysia / 馬來西亞神廟文化.

Chan Sow Lin Memorial / 陳秀連墓園

Chan Siow Ling / Chan Sow Lin / Chen Xiu Ling (陳秀連) 1845-1927 was a wealthy business man in the late 19th and early 20th century.

He began his journey from China for Penang (some said Taiping, Perak) at the age of 16 and arrived to work as a tin miner. After some time, he was able to save some money and relocate to the then booming Kuala Lumpur to start his own mining business. Reportedly, he was the first chinese to have imported advance dredging machineries from the Europe to be used for tin mining here in Malaya then.

Later on, he is known to have started another business in iron works where he became known as the first overseas chinese to have venture into it back then.

Gradually becoming a famous businessman in iron works industries, he became known to be The father of Chinese iron works in Malaya.

A great philanthropist in the community back then, he has also co-found Chen Shi Shu Yuan, Tong Shing Hospital and many more and at the same time donating much land and money to charity and educational bodies.

There’s still a major road in kuala lumpur today named after him called Jalan Chan Sow Lin. And according to oldies, this area was once very famous for iron works even after his time.

Buried in Kwang Tung Cemetery / Kwong Tong Yee Shan (廣東義山). Sg Besi, his grave is located about 3 minutes walk from the main access road call Jalan Kerayong. You will see a memorial plaque pointing to it’s tomb.

Below:- Photo of Chan Sow Lin dress in chinese officials robes on it’s tomb.

My Time – my.72dragon.com – A web blog cataloging chinese temples in malaysia / 記錄馬來西亞廟宇文化.

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Loke Yew Memorial / 陸佑墓園.

Visiting this place was a task. We spend about an hour locating for the entrance to this location. Since this place is located inside the MINDEF Malaysia compound, getting in was a bit of an issue.

Born in 9 October 1845 in Dong Jiang village of Heshan, a Guangdong Province in China, Wong Loke Yew (黃陸佑) was a famous businessman and philanthropist during the British Malaya era. He was also once the riches man in Malaya. He passes away on 24 February 1917 in Malaya due to malaria.

There is even a road name after him which is called Jalan Loke Yew that still exist till today.

This location is the Loke Yew family graves. The area was once known as Hawthornden Estate. Buried here is Loke Yew himself, his wife (from the Lim family who passed away in 1912) Loke Wan Huai (died 1941) and Loke Wan Tho and wife (died 1964)

The tomb on the highest ground belongs to Loke Yew. In front of it’s tomb is the bronze statue. Following that would be his wife grave and at the bottom would be the two graves of its sons. It is reported that this place was probably design and build around 1927.

There is also a bronze statue of Loke Yew in this memorial and a pavilion. The pavilion is called Tsui Lan Memorial Hall / Cui Lan Ji Nian Tang (翠蘭紀念堂). Much of this place was build with feng shui principle. The tomb/grave was build following the traditional Fujian style design guarded with crafted imperial guardian lions. Unfortunately, I notice that the pearl that is suppose to be in the mouth has been stolen. The offering table on the tomb has also been desecrated.

What I would really like to know is… Who did the feng shui of this place back then. Or to have some really old photos where I could understand it’s layout more. Please email me or do leave a comment if you have some information to share.

Below:- Loke’s grave.

Below:- Surrounding feature.

Below:- Things that has been desecrated. Lions with missing pearl.

Below:- Dato and Datin Loke Wan Tho memorial plaque.

Below:- Tsui Lan Memorial Hall / Cui Lan Ji Nian Tang (翠蘭紀念堂).

PHOTOS BELOW IS CONTRIBUTED BY MR. PETER BIGGADIKE.

-: part of an email from Mr Peter Biggadike an ex-member of the 656 SQUADRON. Many thanks to him, I was granted the permission to post these great photos. Do visit his website here.

“It would have been about July 1957. I had only just arrived at KL and I was only 18 years old at the time. I had never been out of England before so everything was very strange to me. I went for a walk on my own one weekend behind the airstrip. At the time the land there was mainly old tin mine workings (where we used to swim) and just small trees and bushes. I can remember following a large water pipe when I saw the “Temple” on a small hill. I didn’t know if I should be there but it looked such a beautiful place I just had to get a photo. So I climbed up to it and quickly took my photo’s and left. I had no idea what it was although I asked many friends over the years no one else seemed to know about it until a very old friend told me about 6 years ago.

The camera I used was an English make called a PERIFLEX. Unfortunately the shutter failed because of the heat and humidity a few weeks later. So I saved up hard until I could afford a second hand LEICA in Singapore. The rest of my old Far East pictures were taken with that”

THANKS PETE.

Below :- Tsui Lan Memorial Hall / Cui Lan Ji Nian Tang 1957

Below:- View from inside the Memorial hall.

Below:- The airstrip at RAF NOBLEFIELD. Pete’s quote “The actual airstrip was little more than 400 yards long. It wasn’t concrete just packed earth. Our aircraft operated all over Malaya from strips like that. Sometimes using roads for take off and landing.”

My Time – my.72dragon.com – A web blog cataloging chinese temples in malaysia / 記錄馬來西亞廟宇文化.

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