Heng Pang Kiat, JP, Esq.

An important and notable Teochew pioneer of Singapore

Introduction

This is a not-for-profit website about my great-grandfather Heng Pang Kiat - an important Chinese Teochew pioneer in Singapore.

It is a collection of personal stories and verbal anecdotes passed down by my family, accompanied by analyses of old newspaper and current literature articles.

He really should have his own Wikipedia page because he was pretty awesome, but I decided it was better to create a website with his name.

It is a work-in-progress. I hope to share everything I know and have discovered over the years,
for the benefit of my family members and any other descendants that may be interested in our shared family history.

I managed to pique the interest of the next generation of nephews and nieces at a recent family gathering (Christmas 2022),
so thank you for giving me the motivation to get this project going!

Please be patient - I will endeavour to update this as much as possible, so please keep checking in every now and then.

Sincerely,
CPC 26th July 2023

Who was Heng Pang Kiat?

Heng Pang Kiat (王邦杰) was a Chinese Teochew who was born in Swatow (汕头市 Shàntóu),
on the eastern coast of Guangdong, China in the year 1856 and who died in Singapore in the year 1930.

He left China for Singapore in his youth at the age of 16, and became very successful in the business world,
venturing into many diverse industries, including insurance and property development.

He was primarily known as a textile trader and is attributed as one of the keystone property developers of Emerald Hill, next to Orchard Road in Singapore.

Heng Pang Kiat was notably appointed as a Justice of Peace under the British Government and served on many committees,
including the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the precursor to the Ngee Ann Kongsi, two key Chinese business associations in Singapore.

He was also known as a philanthropist, making many charitable contributions to society.

Heng Pang Kiat has been described in the printed literature as "a prominent Teochew merchant in Singapore"
by Emeritus Professor Yen Ching-hwang (Yan Qinghuang 顏清湟) from the University of Adelaide, Australia.

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