House of Tan Yeok Nee

In the afternoon, I headed out to the Dhoby Ghaut area to visit two sites, the House of Tan Yeok Nee (commonly known as the Teochew House) and Temasek Shophouse.

The Teochew House is the last remaining traditional Teochew mansion in Singapore, and it appealed to me as I am of Teochew descent on my father's side. Built in 1882-1885 by merchant Tan Yeok Nee, it initially housed his family before being used as an orphanage. It later became the Salvation Army's headquarters before it was gazzetted as a national monument and restored.

Only a small part of the building was accessible to the public as most of the space was dedicated to two restaurants and some offices. There was a room playing a video about the mansion and its restoration, as well as a display on the ceramics used and how they were restored. Although interesting, I didn't have much reason to linger.Read more