Guardians of the South Seas: Thian Hock Keng and Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan. By Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan. Singapore: Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan, 2006. 155 pp.

Guardians of the South Seas is the English translation of Bojing nanming: Tianfugong yu fujian huiguan 波靖南溟: 天福宮与福建会馆 (2005), a commemorative book published by the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan to celebrate their 165 years of operation in Singapore. According to Wee Cho Yaw, the President of Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan, this book is the first time that they have come together to compile the official history of the association. This books hopes to record “the Huay Kuan’s contributions towards the development of Singapore” and “reinforce the important role played by the clan associations in [the] Chinese communirty” (p. 4).

The book is divided into six chapters. The first two chapters are dedicated to Mazu (Tianhou), the Goddess of the sea, and the Thian Hock Keng Temple which was established in 1840 to worship the deity. Chapter 1 illustrates the Chinese migration to Southeast Asia in the nineteenth century and demonstrates how the cult of Mazu was brought along by the migrants from China to Singapore. The voyages to Southeast Asia were a risky venture for these Chinese migrants. For this reason, they prayed to Mazu, “the [Chinese] emigrants’ savior on the South Seas” (p. 15), for a safe passage to Singapore.

The Thian Hock Keng Temple was built to meet the spiritual needs of the migrants and served as the headquarters sof the Hokkien bang. A wooden plaque inscribed with the words “Bojing Nanming” (Waves be gentle over the South Seas), found in the main hall of the temple, was bestowed by Emperor Guangxu in 1907. It was the emperor’s blessings for a safe journey by the Chinese migrants.

Chapter 2 illustrates the social functions of the Thian Hock Keng Temple among the Chinese migrants community. However, from 1840 to 1915, the “Thian Hock Keng operated with a loosely organized structure” (p. 48). Consequently, in 1915, the council of the Thian Hock Keng temple prepared a constitution to register the new clan association with the British colonial government. In 1916, it was exempted by the colonial government from registration and was renamed the Thian Hock Keng Hokkien Huay Kuan. The association was reformed in 1929 through the efforts of Tan Kah Kee.

Chapters 3, 4, and 5 show the development of the Thian Hock Keng and the Hokkien Huay Kuan under the leaderships of Tan Kah Kee (1874-1961), Tan Lark Sye (1897-1975), and Wee Cho Yaw (1931- ) respectively. The broader socio-political context in both China and Singapore in the twentieth century has had profound effects and implications on the clan associations in general, and the Hokkien Huay Kuan in particular.

Tan Kah Kee, for instance, who was the Chairman of the association, also became the Chairman of the Singapore China Relief Fund Committee to support the Chinese war effort in the Sino-Japanese War. Tan Lark Sye’s chairmanship marked the transitional stage of the Chinese society in Singapore, moving from sojourner to citizen. His wish was that the Hokkien Huay Kuan made use of its ample resources to help to develop the society and country.

The era of Wee Cho Yaw parallels the early nation-building phase of the newly independent Singapore. Under his leadership, the Hokkien Huay Kuan established good relations with the PAP government, participated actively in the growth and development of Singapore, and made significant contributions to education and charity.

Chapter 6, the concluding chapter, ends with the “modernization of huiguans” (p. 144). It suggests two major challenges which the Chinese clan associations in Singapore are likely to face towards the end of the twentieth century: first, leadership renewal; and second, attracting the younger generation to participate in association activities. Therefore, the Hokkien Huay Kuan has to seek the “fine balance between modernization and the preservation of what is good and valuable in traditional Chinese culture” (p. 147).

This book is not an academic publication, and like any commemorative volume, is hagiographical especially in the depiction of Mazu and the leaders of the association. Nonetheless, it is still a useful source for scholars and students interested in the religious and organizational history of the Overseas Chinese in Singapore. It demonstrates how the worship of Mazu, a well-known sea goddess among the Chinese, and the Thian Hock Keng Temple dedicated to the deity, was the cradle of the Hokkien Huay Kuan in Singapore. Subsequently, the temple came under the administration of the Hokkien Huay Kuan. This intertwining relationship between Chinese temple and clan association remains an important organizational feature among many Chinese organizations in present-day Singapore.

Many clan associations have regularly published commemorative books and magazines on their anniversaries and celebrations. However, these publications are often, if not always, produced in the Chinese language. With the publication of Guardians of the South Seas, it is hope that more clan associations will come forward to produce the history of their organization in both Chinese and English language to cater to the interested bilingual educated Singaporeans.

The author is a MA Candidate in history at the National University of Singapore and wrote an earlier version of this review for a graduate seminar coordinated by Barbara Andaya as the Visiting Raffles Professor of History. Jack is an avid lover of history and this is his second contribution to citizen historian. Read about his experiences in interviewing his grandmother here.