Tye Sin Street

Tye Sin Street


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Tye Sin Street or Lebuh Tye Sin(泰兴路), located between Jalan CY Choy(formerly Bridge Street) and Jalan Gurdwara(formerly Brick Kiln Road), within the triangular area called "The Seven Streets Precinct". The name of the street Tye Sin Street, was named after Foo Tye Sin(胡泰兴)born 1825, a Justice of the Peace and an influential community leader of 19th century, and a commissioner into the causes of the 1867 Penang Riots. The Chinese did not called the street Tye Sin lor(泰兴路), despite it was named after the local Chinese, but still called the street "si-tiau-lor（四条路)", which means the 4th street, the 4th street from Prangin Ditch or Prangin Canal. Lor is the term for street or road in local Chinese Hockkien dialect. This is because there are some English street names within Seven Streets Precinct, which are difficult for the local Chinese to pronounce e.g. Presgrave Street, Cecil Street, MacCallum Street etc. Moreover unlike other areas in the city where Chinese street names were given. The residents of the locality were the working class neighborhood, where majority were uneducated. It was easier to call all streets within The Seven Streets Precinct with the number, counting the number of street from Prangin Canal bridge. So even Tye Sin Street is named after Foo Tye Sin, a local Chinese, the resident still follow the practice of naming the street after the number.

Tye Sin Street（四条路), or Lebuh Tye Sin as it is now known as, is named after him; but the Chinese did not called the street as named, but prefer to call it the 4th street.

FOO Tye Sin(b1825, d?)胡泰兴)

1825
Foo Tye Sin(胡泰兴),字狱东 born in 1825 at pepper estate in Bayan Lepas - Sungai Ara area, Penang island. The ancestral land(原籍)was West Fujian(闽西),Yongding(永定县) Xiayang (下洋镇), Zhongchuancun(中川村), same ancestral land with Au Boon Haw(胡文虎) and Aw Boon Par(胡文虎), the Tiger Balm King(万金油大王). In mandarin his surname should be Hu. He was also called Pepper King(胡椒大王), as he started with pepper trading.

Hu family of Changting(长汀胡氏)

Penang born Foo Tye Sin, a British subject, was a Hakka tin miner who could trace his ancestry to the Yong Ting(永定)district, Ting Chou(汀州)prefecture, Fujian Province.

据长汀《客家风情》载：南宋末年胡万九郎从江西宁都迁长汀第三街大塘背。据传入汀州胡氏一系以胡铨（南宋赣西南人）为始祖，称“宋始祖忠简公”。另一系始祖胡辛于明洪武年间从江西临川入汀州，分迁馆前镇，童坊胡岭。长汀胡氏有西胡、东胡，自然是“五百年前共一家”。胡万九郎后裔迁宁化、汀州、上杭、兴宁、龙川、五华等地。胡氏万九郎第三子七郎迁上杭金丰里下洋，至九世胡铁缘移居永定中川，为永定中川开基祖。清代，胡氏渡海至南洋群岛经商、打工、开基创业者约有1.5万人以上。著名企业家有19世纪槟城胡子春、胡泰兴、新加坡胡文虎等。清乾隆年间开拓台湾的胡焯猷，十几年开垦淡水治荒地为农田几万亩，并建村落，筑陂圳，兴学校，台湾总督为之立碑纪念。

中川才能诞生出槟城“胡椒大王”胡泰兴，马来亚锡矿大王胡子春，星加坡“万金油大王”胡文虎

槟榔屿广东暨汀州会馆
吾邑汀州府位于闽西，管辖有永定，上杭，长汀，连城，武平，宁化，清流，归化(明溪)八县(口操客浯)。据史考早年因中国局势动荡不安，本邑人为了改善生活，离乡背井，远涉重洋，迁徒到东南亚，散居马来亚，沙劳越，新加坡，霹雳，槟榔屿各地，以永定邑人为最，其次是上杭，连城，长汀，其他县份鲜少，皆从事拓殖，开辟农止，矿场谋生。

迨至嘉兴四年(1799年)生活逐渐安稳，有了经济基础，开始参与各界乡亲，联络乡情，组织了海珠屿五属大伯公庙，永定立社曰永安社，嘉应立社曰嘉德社，惠州立社曰惠福社，大埔立社曰大安社，增龙立社曰增龙社，且各择定良辰吉日为庆祝庆灯盛会，以祷神祈福，共谋邑人团结为宗旨，时槟榔屿开辟，已经十四年了，才立碑建庙。

据嘉庆六年(1801年)，客邑人陈泽生得当地政府的许可，免费领得今大伯公街大伯公庙地址，计共面积六千九百十六方尺，建筑福德祠大伯公庙。以海珠屿大伯公庙为正宫，市区的大伯公福德祠为行宫，因为当时公路未辟，交通不便，故另建行宫以便市民瞻拜。


查广东暨汀州会馆创立(1795年)，可知在此之前，广东暨汀州邑人也就有成立会馆之组织，于1837年广东暨汀州第一公冢(永锡亭)成立，邑人乡贤胡武撰乐捐陆大洋(按当时每元大洋价值不菲)。1810年为广福宫捐款，邑人胡武撰也捐大洋三元，胡乡贤且为大伯公街福德祠立庙经理，热心社会公益，可见一班。

查广东暨汀州会馆创立(1795年)，可知在此之前，广东暨汀州邑人也就有成立会馆之组织，于1837年广东暨汀州第一公冢(永锡亭)成立，邑人乡贤胡武撰乐捐陆大洋(按当时每元大洋价值不菲)。1810年为广福宫捐款，邑人胡武撰也捐大洋三元，胡乡贤且为大伯公街福德祠立庙经理，热心社会公益，可见一班。

又广东暨汀州会馆第一公冢亭内所立碑记有广东省，汀州府，韶安县捐题买公司山地银两，(汀州府)题银81员，又汀州永定邑人胡泰兴乡贤在同治四年(1865年)为海珠屿大伯公庙，以广东暨汀州会馆经理身份捐出二百伍拾大洋。光绪卅二年(1906年)胡子春及吴德志 (1907年)，曾担任过广东暨汀州会馆经理，如此可见汀州人，在槟岛至今已有二百多年历史，早在一百多年前乡贤事业上有了成就和发展，且热心慈善福利事业，社会各项活动。

汀州府乃永定邑人为最，于1947年发起首创立北马永定同乡会，租于车水路90号为会所，使邑人共谋团结相聚的场所。迨至1971年，有鉴于当地政府社团注册局实施管理法令，为此，当年由首届游高明，胡榆芳，游廷华，胡茂东负责起草章程申请批准，由汀州府改为"汀州会馆"，并委派代表六名出任广东暨汀州会馆代表。

本会当时附设在头条路88号北马永定同乡会会所内，于(1988年)二月七日，随同乡会迁入新址，槟城暹律门牌91号二楼。

http://www.kwangteng-pg.org/archive.php?file=22

Education

He started his education with private teaching in Chinese(幼受私塾教育). Then he continue with English education at Penang Free School(大英义学)or PFS, one of the premier English school at that time. The school was founded by Rev. Sparke Hutchings on October 21, 1816. Most probably the time when Mr. J. C. Smith was the Headmaster, between 1828-1843. There was also reported that Foo Tye Sin also studied in St. Xavier's Institution(SXI). St. Xavier's Institution started in 1825 by De La Salle Brothers, a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle and now based in Rome. SXI and PFS historically had been rival schools in Penang, normally PFS student will not study in SXI. The involvement of Foo with ex old frees are more evident that he spent most of his education in Penang Free School.


胡椒大王胡泰兴：拱徽楼人，世居槟城巴六拜，是中川华侨中最早发迹的富翁。他种胡椒发家，拥有维多利亚园二万五千英亩，是槟城最大庄园主。后又开设大商行，办锡矿，发大财，曾受封太平局绅。胡泰兴精通中英文，热心公益，乐于助人，成为当地著名侨领。1883年槟城成立第一届市议会，他当选为市议员，是槟城华侨中第一个参政的人。他是广大侨胞公认的老一辈华侨楷模，槟城有四条路命名为“泰兴路”以纪念他的贤能风范。


Foo Tye Sin was a Justice of the Peace and an influential community leader of 19th century. Penang born Foo Tye Sin, a British subject, was a Hakka tin miner who could trace his ancestry to the Yong Ting district, Ting Chou prefecture, Fujian Province. He was educated at St. Xavier's Institution and the Penang Free School. Tye Sin Street（四条路), or Lebuh Tye Sin as it is now known as, is named after him.

Disturbances at Pinang and Larut

1861-1874 Larut Wars

Larut War was a series of four wars started in July 1861 and ended with the signing of the Pangkor Treaty of 1874. The conflict was fought among local Chinese secret societies over the control of mining areas in Perak which later involved rivalry between Raja Abdullah and Ngah Ibrahim.

Foo Tye Sin was involved in events leading up to the signing of the Pangkor Treaty that would end the ten year Larut Wars. [The Making of Modern South-east Asia By D. J. M. Tate Published by Oxford University Press, 1979; Item notes: v.1; p. 301, 558] His services were often called for in arbitration proceedings between the Hai San and Ghee Hin societies involved in the Larut Wars. [The Impact of Chinese Secret Societies in Malaya: A Historical Study By Wilfred Blythe, Royal Institute of International Affairs Published by Issued under the auspices of the Royal Institute of International Affairs [by] Oxford U.P., 1969; p. 134]

1864 - Foo Tye Sin donated to Pitt Street Kong Hock Temple(or Kuan Ying Teng temple), built in 1800, for its repair.

1867 Penang Riots

Penang Riots of 1867, which were nine days of heavy street fighting and bloodshed among the secret societies of Penang. The fighting spiraled out of control, until the British were able bring in reinforcements from Singapore. The two principal Chinese secret societies - the Cantonese-speaking Ghee Hin and the Hakka-speaking Hai San (see Chung Keng Quee) - quarreled over commercial interests, especially in the lucrative tin-mining industry. Today's Cannon Street was so named because of the hole made on the ground by a cannon ball fired into the area from Khoo Kongsi.

英殖民政府成立的“檳城暴亂調查委員會(THE PENANG RIOT COMMISSION)”(在8月20日成立，主席是檳參政司安順，另外四名歐籍委員，三名華人委員及一名印度人委員，華人之中其中一人是胡泰興「FOO TYE SIN」表露出來，這個委員會主席後來改成明斯(COLONEL MAN)出任。在8月26日正式開庭調查，直到1868年7月14日才正式發表調查報告書)。報告書共長達70頁。重要內容揭露暴動的主要四方是：義興、大伯公(建德堂)，白旗黨和紅旗黨。義興有黨員25,000到26000名間，其中14,000至15,000住在威省當時整個檳威人口是 125,000，大多數的成年男人都是會員。

Foo Tye Sin. A transitional figure in this shift may be seen in the person of Foo Tye Sin. He was one of three Chinese considered respectable enough to sit on the commission of inquiry into the 1867 Penang riots. He was the only non-partisan Chinese at a ceasefire conference called by Lt. Governor Anson at the height of the Larut war. He was prototypical of the new type of Chinese leader elevated by the British. Born in Penang, educated at the Penang Free School, he was a partner of Koh Seang Tat, a descendant of the first Kapitan China of Penang at the Beach Street firm of Tye Sin Tat. They were, together, two of the three Chinese Justices of the Peace in 1874. These were the new public men of turn of the century Victorian Penang, even though Foo Tye Sin was, according to CS Wong, "...overtly and independent, but covertly a Hai San sympathiser."

1872
1872年，李丕俊與辜上達、胡泰興三人同時被委任爲太平局紳（JP），被譽爲槟城開埠後第一批獲委是項榮耀的華人。
In 1872, Mr Cheah Chen Eok(谢增煜, b 1852 d?) married daughter of Mr Foo Tye Sin.Chen Eok’s company was equally well connected to the South China Sea through a Hakka partner, Foo Boon Sean. A brother-in-law of Chen Eok, he came from a well connected
family: his father, Foo Tye Sin, was an established merchant and well-known community leader with links to the Hong Kong merchants who founded the On Tai
Insurance Company in 1877.51 In 1878, this Hong Kong insurance company appointed
Foo Tye Sin its agent in Penang(Yeetuan Wong, 2007).Mr Cheah had six sons and three daughters.

Foo Tye Sin and Ong Boon Teik were creditors of Ngah Ibrahim the Mantri of Larut. In early 1872, Foo Tye Sin and Ong Boon Teik sued Ngah Ibrahim. Ngah Ibrahim was a Malay headman who succeeded his father Long Jaafar as headman and administrator of the district of Larut in 1885.[The Western Malay States, 1850-1873: the effects of commercial development on Malay politics By Kay Kim Khoo Published by Oxford University Press, 1972; pp. 173, 209, 210]

1874 - His role in Pangkor Treaty, which ended the Larut Wars

Larut War was a series of four wars started in July 1861 and ended with the signing of the Pangkor Treaty of 1874. He was involved in events leading up to the signing of the Pangkor Treaty that would end the ten year Larut Wars. His services were often called for in arbitration proceedings between the Hai San and Ghee Hin societies involved in the Larut Wars. Foo Tye Sin was one of three Chinese considered respectable enough to sit on the commission of inquiry into the 1867 Penang riots. He was the only non-partisan Chinese at a ceasefire conference called by Lt. Governor Anson at the height of the Larut war, even though he was, according to CS Wong, "...overtly and independent, but covertly a Hai San sympathiser."

The need to restore law and order in Perak gave cause for a new British policy concerning intervention in the affairs of the Malay States which resulted in the Pangkor Treaty. In 1874, the Straits Settlements governor Sir Andrew Clarke convened a meeting on Pulau Pangkor, at which Sultan Abdullah was installed on the throne of Perak in preference to his rival, Sultan Ismail.

Documents were signed on 20 January 1874 aboard the ship The Pluto at Pangkor Island to settle the Chinese dispute, clear the Sultan succession dispute and pave the way for the acceptance of British Residency - Captain Speedy was appointed to administer Larut as assistant to the British Resident.

Chung Keng Quee and Chin Ah Yam, leaders of the Hai San and Ghee Hin, respectively, were ennobled by the British with the title of Chinese Kapitan and the town of Larut was renamed Taiping ("太平" in Chinese, meaning "everlasting peace") as a confirmation of the new state of truce. Three days later, Chung Keng Quee was appointed a member of the Pacification Commission headed by Captain S. Dunlop and Messrs. Frank Swettenham and William A. Pickering - one of the objectives of the commission was to arrange an amicable settlement of the squabbles over the tin mines at Larut.

The Commissioners decided to allocate the mines in Klian Pauh (Taiping) to the Hai Sans and the mines in Klian Bharu (Kamunting) to the Ghee Hins.
(wikipedia)

Foo Tye Sin was one of the three Chinese Justices of the Peace appointed in 1874. The other one is his partner in Tye Sin Tat & Co., Mr Koh Seang Tat, a descendant of Koh Lay Huan, the first Kapitan China of Penang.

1877

It was reported as trader,Light Street in Pg 23 of Singapore Directory, 1877. In the directory he was also reported as committee members of Management Committee of the school Penang Free School, together with his good friend, Koh Seang Tat, who was also the Treasurer.

He was also reported as Municipal Commissioner in Penang(pg 64, Singapore Directory, 1877)

1879
Government Gazette dated 24-1-1879, announced that Mr Foo Tye Sin was one of the Municipal Commissioner appointed for the year 1879. The others were Vappoo Merican Noordin, Henry de Mornay, and JMR Magalhaens(source: Straits Times Overland Journal, 1 February 1879, Page 1).


1883
The Chinese Town Hall
The Chinese Town Hall was formed in 1883, Foo Tye Sin was one of the founders. It was initially named as Ping Chang Kung Kuan(平章公館). In 1914, it changed the name to Ping Chang Hooi Kuan(平章會館), but changed again to Penang Chinese Town Hall(檳州華人大會堂}in November 1974 to reflect the same meaning of its English name The Chinese Town Hall, which was used since its establishment. The earlier building was completed in 1886, the building we see today is the new building completed in 1983.

第一届平章会馆的十四位领导人是广帮的胡泰兴、朱昌怀、黄秉文、黄进聪、周兴杨、许武安和伍积齐等七人；以及福帮的邱天德、邱心美、杨章枊、谢允协、陈合水、叶合吉和林花钻簪等七人。参见陈剑虹，《平章会馆的历史发展轮廓，1881~1974》. 檳州華人大會堂前身是平章會館，創立於十九世紀末葉。它的成立是出自英殖民統治者的策動，其主要目的在于協調華僑的私會黨爭與民間糾紛，為殖民地政府維持社會秩序及鞏固統治權力，並非十足維護華僑的共同利益。

1886 - The Penang Khean Guan Insurance Company (1886)think your man could actually be the "Hon. John Allan" who crops up in the Straits Times in 1886/7. A John Allan was appointed by the Queen to be an unofficial member of the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements on February 11 1886 (Daily News February 13 1886). That would give him the "Honourable" title.

He was a founder and member of the Board of Directors of the Penang Khean Guan Insurance Company. The board was composed thus:

Name of Partners

* Tan Ley Kum (陈俪琴), Chairman
* Cheah Chean Eok (谢增煜), Secretary
* Lee Phee Yeow (李丕耀), Chong Moh & Co.
* Cheah Eu Ghee (谢有义), Chie Hin & Co.
* Khoo Thean Teik (邱天德), Chin Bee & Co.
* Khoo Sim Bee (邱心美), Ee Soon & Co.
* Cheah Tek Soon (谢德顺), Sin Eng Moh & Co.
* Ong Beng Tek (王明德), Ban Chin Hong & Co.
* Foo Tye Sin (胡泰兴)
* Yeoh Cheng Tek (杨清德), Hong Thye & Co.
* Khaw Sim Bee (许心美), Koe Guan & Co.
* Cheah Leng Hoon (谢凌云), Eng Ban Hong & Co.
* Gan Kim Swee (颜金水), Aing Joo & Co.
* Tan Lim Keng (陈锦庆), Kim Cheang & Co.
* Ong Boon Tek (王文德), Treasurer
* Logan & Ross: Solicitors[10]

1887 - Pitt Street Kong Hock Temple or Kuan ying teng temple was established in 1800. Foo Tye Sin, together with Khaw Boo Aun (also spelt Koh Boo Aun), Khoo Thean Teik and Cheah Tek Soon, He was made a trustee of the Pitt Street Kong Hock Temple in 1887, with the power to appoint and remove monks

北马最早崇祀观音的是槟城屿广福宫，它当然并不全是客人为主的，而是属于全体广东、福建之华人先民共同的公庙；在它1800年建庙碑文，捐款的客人可考的有永定人胡武撰，他也是海珠屿大伯公的倡建人. 在1864年重修时，即有永定人胡泰兴、惠州人黄陈庆等捐缘 。庙中文物，还包括1803年甲必丹胡始明曾偕两名儿子臻麒及臻麟送的“钦崇福泽”匾，流传于当地客家人的早期的说法认为这位捐匾给广福宫的甲必丹据说也是客人. 黄尧：《马　星华人志》，页65，黄尧称胡始明为永定富商胡泰兴祖父。但这种说法显然缺乏根据。另，地方史家陈剑虹考据胡始明为香山人，是否客籍香山人则依旧待考. 胡文勳明勳昆仲（ 已故胡泰興哲嗣).

1888

The Municipal Council
The Municipal Council of George Town was established in 1857 with the passing of the Municipal Act of 1856 , the first municipal council established in Malaya after Singapore. Three out of five municipal commissioners were elected by a limited franchise. The first municipal election took place in 1857. Dr Neil Khor in his article,Interculturalism, Empire and the Nation State: A Portrait of the Lim Cheng Ean Family, did mentioned that in 1857, there was a proposal to limit the franchise in municipal elections to the English-educated. The Straits-born Chinese could not take part in this proposal, because they could not find a suitable candidate to represent them on the council. 1867 - Strait settlement under direct British control as Crown colony. In 1887, the first Municipal Ordinance 1887 was passed by the Strait Settlement on 18th August 1887. It was enforced on 1-1-1888. The ordinance increased the number of commissioners to six, comprising three each of elected and appointed members.

However, it was reported that there were two English-speaking Straits-born Chinese elected to the commission,in 1883(?)or 1888?. One of them was Foo Tye Sin, who was unlike other strait born Chinese who are Penang Hockkien, but a Strait born English educated Penang Hakka, not from the city but from the rural Bayan Lepas/Sungai Ara area(where there are dominant Hakka community even until today).

1889
The Penang Po Leung Kuk was founded in 1889 by Foo Tye Sin, Koh Seang Tat, Khaw Sim Bee, Ong Boon Teik and Ong Beng Teik. The Penang Po Leung Kuk was the first Anglo-Chinese welfare organisation in Penang dedicated to protecting Chinese female immigrants from exploitation and sexploitation

Note:
The last historical record I can get is 1889. After that there was none on him; the date of his death was not disclosed in any articles. What was the story after 1889(after the age of 64 years)? Was he just living at the mansion at Light Street watching the football playing at the field in front of the mansion? ...

胡泰興故居(Foo Tye Sin Mansion)

The location and its relationship with Khaw and Koh families
The Foo Tye Sin Mansion is located at Light Street, within the area in Francis Light Grid which was reserved for the European. Foo Tye Sin Mansion was one of the first non-European mansions to be erected along Light Street. The other being at the field in front of Dewan Sri Pinang, known as Edinburgh House, a mansion owned by Koh Seang Tat or KS Tat, who donated the Municipal Fountain to the George Town in 1883. Edinburgh House was named because it housed the Duke of Edinburgh during his visit to Penang in 1869. The site where Dewan Sri Pinang is located now was known as Ranong Ground, owned by the Khaw Family(Khaw Soo Cheang and his son Khaw Sim Bee). The family mansion, Rajah's Lodge was built there, but the mansion had long being demolished, the site was donated to the Penang Municipality, and today it is the site of Dewan Sri Pinang.

From the mansions in the area, we can know the close relationship between Khaw, Koh and Foo Tye Sin's families. Koh Seang Tat was the partner in Tye Sin Tat & Co. (1874), and Khaw Sim Bee was founder and member of the Board of Directors of the Penang Khean Guan Insurance Company(1886).

Foo Tye Sin and Koh Seang Tat were the first elite Chinese to move from elite shop house to bungalow style housing in 1860s, which revealed that they(the Queen's Chinese) had been accepted by the colonial elite society in early Penang, who were all white European.

Foo Tye Sin Mansion & Chinese Recreation Club(1892)
Chinese Recreation Club, or CRC, was formed by a group of Chinese who were very much into football. They would meet at Foo Tye Sin Mansion, the home of local Chinese tycoon, to play football in the Esplanade field. However, they faced a problem in that the field was already occupied by two existing sports club - the Penang Sports Club, which is open only to whites, and the Penang Recreation Club, which admits Eurasians. Neither allowed Chinese in. At the time, Foo Tye Sin was 67 years(if still alive), not able to play football like in Penang Free School days, may be watching from the house.....

As they did not feel welcome to use the Esplanade field or "Padang", the team moved to Lake Villa, at 351 Jalan Perak, which is across the road from the Kem Tentera of Lebuhraya Peel. Lake Villa, as its name suggests, had a lake, which means many a time balls had to be fished out of the water. In 1903, the five main Hokkien clan associations - the Khoo, the Lim, the Tan, the Cheah and the Yeoh - got together and resolved that they need to buy land to establish their own sporting club. Looking within the vicinity ofLake Villa , they found three adjoining plots of land along Jalan Pangkor. The land totalled 278,547 sq ft (six and a half acres) and was purchased for $4,600, a huge sum in those days. An additional 11,000 sq feet along Jalan Burma was added in 1913

Trustees of the deed dating to 1906 count among them the pillars of Chinese high society of those days, among them, in alphabetical order, Cheah Choon Seng, Cheah Tek Thye, Chung Thye Phin (the Kapitan China who built Relau Villa), Ho tiang Wah, Khaw Joo Tock, Lim Cheng Teik, Lim Eow Hong and Tan Kang Hock. The members, who considered themselves "the Queen's Chinese", and wanting to show their loyalty to the British, decided to call the field "Victoria Green". The club itself was called the "Penang Chinese Recreation Club".
http://www.crc.com.my/

Tye Sin Street Food

TYE SIN STREET ECONOMY BEE HOON, The stall is just in front of SMJK (C) Sum Min at the junction of Lebuh Tye Sin (Si Teow Lor) and Jalan CY Choy. You sure won’t miss it.http://crizfood.blogspot.com/2008/10/review-tye-sin-street-economy-bee-hoon.html

Related articles

1. 胡泰興, http://penangmedia.com/cms/huangye/2007/0911/article_187.html
2. Gangsters Into Gentlemen: The Breakup of Multiethnic Conglomerates and The Rise of A Straits Chinese Identity in Penang(2002), Engseng Ho, Harvard University; Penang Story International Conference 2002
3. The Big Five Hokkien Families in Penang, 1830s–1890s(2007),by Yeetuan Wong Chinese Southern Diaspora Studies, Volume 1, 2007,
4. Interculturalism, Empire and the Nation State: A Portrait of the Lim Cheng Ean Family, by Neil Khor
5. The Larut Wars, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larut_War
6. Penang Chinese Town Hall(檳州華人大會堂), http://www.pcth.org.my/history.asp