imported>Amigao: /* Support of Sun Yat Sen */ trimmed as the source doesn't quite support this

2023-11-27T18:49:40Z

Support of Sun Yat Sen: trimmed as the source doesn't quite support this

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{{Short description|Chinese businessman and philanthropist}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Good article}}
[[File:Lee Choon Seng Portrait.jpg|thumb|Portrait of Lee Choon Seng, c. 1936]]
{{Family name hatnote|[[Li (李)|Lee]]|lang=Chinese}}
'''Lee Choon Seng''' ({{zh|s=李俊承|p=Lǐ Jùnchéng|poj=Lí Tsùn-sîng}}; 1888—5 June 1966) was a businessman and philanthropist in pre-independence Singapore. He founded several companies, cultivated rubber plantations in [[British Malaya|Malaya]] and started Chinese banks in the region. Lee held leadership roles in several Chinese community organisations in Singapore, notably the [[Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry]] (SCCCI), and supported [[Sun Yat-Sen]]'s revolutionary cause in China. In addition, he promoted the growth of [[Buddhism in Singapore]] by setting up several Buddhist institutions, including the [[Singapore Buddhist Lodge]], [[Singapore Buddhist Federation]] and [[Poh Ern Shih Temple]]. In 2008, his life and contributions to society were commemorated in a memorial hall at the [[Ee Hoe Hean Club]].<ref name="Luo">Serene Luo, "Hall of fame for pioneers of finance", ''[[The Straits Times]]'', 10 November 2008.</ref>

==Early years and personal life==
In 1888, Lee was born in [[Yongchun County|Éng-chhun County]], Fujian, China; he had an elder stepbrother and a younger sister.<ref name="Lee">Lee, "Historical data on Lee Choon Seng".</ref> To seek better fortunes, his father, Lee Lip Chai ({{zh|c=李立齋|poj=Lí Li̍p-chai|p=Li Lìzhāi}}), emigrated to [[Negri Sembilan]], [[Malaysia]], where he started a horse-drawn transport service and a provision shop, then initiated a series of charitable projects, including setting up a clan association and schools.<ref>Lee, "Lee Lip Chai".</ref> Lee later joined his father in Negri Sembilan to help him run the family business and participate in his charitable projects.<ref>Lee, "Acts of Philanthropy in China".</ref> Lee grew up as a Taoist, but converted to Buddhism in adulthood, with [[Hong Choon|Venerable Hong Choon]], the abbot of [[Kong Meng San Temple]], acting as his spiritual mentor.<ref>Lee, "His Contribution to Buddhism".</ref> He married twice and had at least fifteen children.<ref name="dies">"Leading Singapore banker dies at age 82", ''The Straits Times'', 6 June 1966.</ref>

==Business==
Lee moved to Singapore to set up another branch of his family business, called Thye Hin Limited. In Singapore, he founded Eng Hin Company, the Thye Hong Biscuit Factory and Thye Ann Investment, a property firm.<ref name="Lee"/> He also cultivated large rubber plantations across Malaya. Realising that many newly arrived businessmen had difficulty obtaining loans from established Western banks, Lee and his business associates started several local Chinese banks, including Ho Hong Bank.<ref>Lee, "Banker".</ref> In 1931, Lee became the managing director of Ho Hong Bank and after it merged with two other banks to form the [[Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation]] (OCBC), he became a director of OCBC and eventually its chairman.<ref>Cui, pp. 138—9.</ref>

==Contributions to the Chinese community==

===Support of Sun Yat Sen===
[[File:Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall 5, Aug 06.JPG|thumb|The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall at Tai Gin Road, Singapore]]
An ardent supporter of the [[Kuomintang]], Lee was involved in secret meetings with [[Sun Yat-Sen]] at the ''Wan Qing Yuan'', a two-storey villa at Tai Gin Road. He also helped the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia raise funds to support the Kuomintang.<ref>Lee, "Supporter of the Kuomintang and Dr Sun Yat Sen".</ref> In 1937, Lee and five other Chinese community leaders bought the ''Wan Qing Yuan'' to preserve it as a historical site;<ref name="Ong">Ong, "Chinese Mahayana Lay organisations", pp. 49—50.</ref> it was later handed over to the [[Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry]] (SCCCI), which renovated it and turned it into a national monument, the Sun Yat Sen Villa (now [[Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall]]).<ref>"From Villa to Memorial", ''The Straits Times'', 25 February 1995.</ref>

===Chinese community organisations===
From 1927, Lee was actively involved with the SCCCI, initially as General-Secretary, then as President.<ref>Lee, "Active Role in Singapore Chamber of Commerce".</ref> Under his leadership, the SCCCI supported the establishment of [[Nanyang University]] and convinced the British to grant citizenship to Chinese immigrants who had lived in Singapore for eight years.<ref>Lynn Seah, "SCCCI's Centennial Celebrations", ''[[The Sunday Times]]'', 22 October 2006</ref> Lee was Chairman of the [[Ee Hoe Hean Club]] from 1933 to 1935 and from 1941 to 1945.<ref name="pmh">Information obtained from on-site information board at The Pioneers' Memorial Hall.</ref> Lee was also one of six [[Min Nan|Hokkien]] representatives in the [[Overseas Chinese Association]] (OCA), which acted as a bridge between the Chinese community and Japanese military administration during the [[Japanese Occupation of Singapore]].<ref>Ong, "Japanese-Occupied Singapore", pp. 64—5.</ref> During an OCA assignment to the Endau Settlement in Malaysia, his convoy was ambushed by the [[Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army]] and everyone in the convoy was shot. Only Lee survived, as a bullet hit a Buddhist medallion on his chest; this inspired him to spread Buddhism in Singapore.<ref>Lee, "The Endau Incident during the Japanese Occupation".</ref>

==Contributions to Buddhism in Singapore==

===Poh Ern Shih Temple===
During [[World War II]], many Japanese soldiers, British soldiers and civilians died in the crossfire and bombings of the [[Battle of Pasir Panjang]] at Chwee Chian Hill. On advice from [[Hong Choon|Venerable Hong Choon]], Lee purchased the hill from the British colonial government, with the aim of building a Buddhist temple dedicated to the [[bodhisattva]] [[Ksitigarbha]], to liberate the spirits of the people who were sacrificed during the Japanese invasion. In 1950, Lee incorporated the {{convert|46938|sqft|m2}} [[Poh Ern Shih Temple]] (Hokkien for "temple of thanksgiving") as a limited company without shares,<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20070714143111/http://www.pohernshih.org/History(E).htm Poh Ern Shih: History]", Poh Ern Shih.</ref> and in April 1954, he officiated its opening.

===Singapore Buddhist Lodge===
In 1943, the [[Singapore Buddhist Lodge]] ({{zh|c=新加坡佛教居士林|poj=Sin-ka-pho Hu̍t-kàu Ku-sū-lîm}}) was set up with about 100 members, mostly from the Chinese social elite. Its fixed address, a double-storey house at 26 Blair Road, was donated by Lee, who also contributed S$1,000 for furniture and other expenses, a considerable sum at that time.<ref name="Ong"/> The Lodge grew to over 2000 members by 1946, so Zhang Jiamei and Zhong Tianshui decided to rent bigger premises at 17 Kim Yam Road. In 1950, Zhang and Lee donated S$10,000 and started a drive to raise funds to purchase the rented premises.<ref>Ong, "Growth of lay organisations", p. 77.</ref>

===Singapore Buddhist Federation===
The rate of growth of Buddhist temples and Buddhists doubled after the war, but without an umbrella organisation, each temple, headed by a chief monk or management committee, had its own way of conducting its affairs and relied on itself for financial support. Lee invited representatives from all Chinese temples to the Singapore Buddhist Lodge to discuss the formation of an umbrella organisation, and on 30 October 1949, the [[Singapore Buddhist Federation]] was registered, with Lee elected as its chairman and Venerable Hong Choon as its vice-chairman.<ref name="SBF">Ong, "Formation of the Singapore Buddhist Federation", pp. 87—8.</ref> In its first decade, its notable achievements included having [[Vesak Day]] gazetted as a public holiday in 1955, getting government approval to set up a Buddhist cemetery of about {{convert|110|acre|km2}} at Choa Chu Kang Road and managing two schools, [[Maha Bodhi School]] and [[Mee Toh School]].<ref name="SBF"/>

===The Chinese Temple in Sarnath===
In the early 1930s, Lee learned that Venerable Tao Chiai wanted to restore a dilapidated Chinese temple in [[Sarnath]] (the deer park where the Buddha gave his first sermon after his [[Bodhi|enlightenment]]) that a Chinese emperor of the [[Tang dynasty]] built in the 8th century AD. Venerable Tao Chiai died before he could accomplish this task; however, his chief disciple, Venerable Teh Yue, continued the restoration project, which Lee personally funded. Lee went on a pilgrimage to India with Venerable Teh Yue and brought along an English engineer, A. H. King, to assess and assist the restoration works. This temple still stands today in Sarnath and is called simply ''The Chinese Temple in Sarnath''.<ref>Lee, "The Chinese Temple in Sarnath".</ref>

==Death and commemoration==
[[File:Ee Hoe Hean Club, Singapore.jpg|thumb|Lee's life and generosity to many charitable causes are being commemorated in a permanent gallery at the [[Ee Hoe Hean Club]] today]]
On 5 June 1966, Lee was found dead in his home at [[Pasir Panjang]] Road. On 9 November 2008, his life and contributions to society were commemorated in a gallery, called ''The Pioneers' Memorial Hall'', on the ground floor of the Ee Hoe Hean Club at Bukit Pasoh Road.<ref name="Luo"/><ref name="pmh"/>

==See also==
{{Portal|Singapore}}
*[[Poh Ern Shih Temple]]
*[[Hong Choon]]
*[[Ho Yuen Hoe]]
*[[Teresa Hsu Chih]]
*[[Piya Tan]]

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|2}}

===Bibliography===
*{{cite book | last = Ong | first = Y.D. | title = Buddhism in Singapore — A Short Narrative History | publisher = Singapore: Skylark Publications | year = 2005 | isbn = 981-05-2740-3 }}
*Lee Boon Siong (2007). "History of Lee Choon Seng"—''Poh Ern Shih Heritage Exhibition''. Singapore: Poh Ern Shih.
*{{cite book | last = Cui | first = Guijang | title = The Chinese in Singapore: Past and Present | publisher = Singapore: Select Books | year = 1994 | isbn = 9971-0-0401-1}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927215504/http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/picas/public/internetSearch/advancedSearch.jsp?thesaurusFlag=Y&simpleSearch=lee+choon+seng&photographOption=1 Picture archives of Lee Choon Seng by National Archives of Singapore]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070710203031/http://www.pohernshih.org/ Poh Ern Shih website]
*[http://www.ocbc.com.sg/global/aboutOCBC/Gco_Abt_History.shtm History—OCBC Group]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070716025105/http://www.wanqingyuan.com.sg/english/aboutus/aboutus.html Brief History of Sun Yat Sen Villa]

{{Buddhism topics}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Choon Seng}}
[[Category:Singaporean Buddhists]]
[[Category:Chinese emigrants to Singapore]]
[[Category:Singaporean people of Hokkien descent]]
[[Category:Singaporean philanthropists]]
[[Category:20th-century Singaporean businesspeople]]
[[Category:1888 births]]
[[Category:1966 deaths]]
[[Category:Date of birth missing]]
[[Category:20th-century philanthropists]]

Lee Choon Seng - Revision history

imported>Amigao: /* Support of Sun Yat Sen */ trimmed as the source doesn't quite support this