Part 3 of 4: House of Tan Yeok Nee built in 1882-85 Traditional Chaozhou style

- What it is / who built it

- A large Chinese mansion commissioned by Tan Yeok Nee, a prominent Teochew (Chaozhou) businessman and community leader.
- Constructed c. 1882–1885 as a family residence and status statement in the late 19th century.

- Why it matters

- Widely regarded as one of the best-preserved (and among the last surviving) 19th‑century Teochew mansions in Singapore.
- Valued for demonstrating southern Chinese domestic architecture adapted to a Straits/colonial city context.

- Overall plan and spatial organisation (typical Teochew mansion logic)

- Axial, hierarchical layout: spaces progress from more public to more private as you move inward.
- Organised around courtyards (“skywells”) that bring light, ventilation, and rainwater drainage into deep interior spaces—important in the humid tropical climate.
- Includes principal halls for reception and family functions, with side rooms/wings supporting domestic use.

- Key Traditional Chaozhou/Teochew architectural characteristics

- Courtyard-house typology: inward-looking arrangement emphasising family order, privacy, and ritual hierarchy.
- Elaborate timber craftsmanship (a hallmark of Teochew building culture): carved door panels, brackets, screens, and decorative beams.
- Ornamented rooflines and ridges associated with southern Chinese traditions (decorative ridge treatments and detailed eaves work).
- Rich surface decoration: painted/relief decorative elements and auspicious motifs (common themes include prosperity, longevity, protection, and filial piety).
- Material palette typical of the period: brick masonry walls, timber structure/finishes, traditional roof tiles, and imported artisan detailing reflecting Tan’s wealth and connections.

- Style interpretation

- Although located in Singapore, its form, craftsmanship, and ornamental language strongly reference Chaozhou/Teochew elite domestic architecture, rather than the shophouse type more commonly associated with Chinese urban streetscapes.

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One of the rooms turned into an office

The last tenant was a Traditional Chinese Medicine Hall:-

This is a close-up of the dispensing hall. Notice the large amounts of storage chests.

Each chest was suppose to contain a specific medicine. Won't be surprise if one of them contains medical cockroaches and even seahorse etc...

Another view of the open courtyard from the dispensing hall:-