{"product_id":"chia-ann-siang-and-family-the-tides-of-fortune","title":"Chia Ann Siang and Family: The Tides of Fortune","description":"\u003cul class=\"tabs\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbout the Authors\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"tabs-content\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFirst detailed account of the life of one of Singapore’s pioneers – a landowner, merchant and philanthropist\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVivid portrayal of a Peranakan Chinese clan across more than 200 years\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReflects the growth and upheavals in Singapore society\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncludes many archival photographs and images from private collections\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWritten by three of his direct descendants \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChia Ann Siang was once one of Singapore’s wealthiest landowners and merchants. His name lives on today in Ann Siang Hill in Chinatown, but little else is known about him, particularly his private life. This illuminating new book paints the most detailed portrait to date of his life and times in colonial Singapore and traces the changing fortunes of the Chia clan through the years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn in Malacca in 1834, Chia joined Boustead and Co., an English trading company in Singapore, as a storekeeper at the age of 16. In just six years, he was made Chief Storekeeper, and was able to buy himself a house at 58 Telok Ayer Street (and another one on Amoy Street for good measure). An astute property in¬vestor, Chia continued to acquire much real estate in the course of his life; by 1919, he owned more than 70 houses in Chinatown. In 1873, he purchased a large piece of land from John Gemmill, which soon became known officially as Ann Siang Hill.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChia Ann Siang died in 1892, leaving a fortune that supported two generations and educated a third. This book looks at the disparate fortunes of his descendants, including a son he disinherited for marrying against his wishes, and a daughter whose marriage brought two wealthy families together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFar more than a biography, this book tells the fascinating story of more than seven generations of Straits Chinese, from Chia’s grandfather’s emigration from Fujian to Malacca in 1774, right up to the present day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRuth Chia\u003c\/strong\u003e is the great-granddaughter of Chia Ann Siang. She is a retired physiotherapist and the co-author of \u003cem\u003eLikon: The Layman's Guide to Acupuncture Without Needles\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLinda Kow\u003c\/strong\u003e is the great-great-granddaughter of Chia Ann Siang. Prior to retirement, she owned a web development company specialising in e-commerce and web design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoh Tiang Keng\u003c\/strong\u003e is the great-great-grandson of Chia Ann Siang. He was a finance and business journalist with \u003cem\u003eBusiness Times\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eStraits Times\u003c\/em\u003e for nearly 40 years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Pansing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32123098103921,"sku":"9789814868303","price":28.03,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/products\/Chia-Ann-Siang-and-Family-The-Tides-of-Fortune-Ruth-Chia-Linda-Kow-Soh-Tiang-Keng-00.jpg?v=1602758185","url":"https:\/\/epigrambookshop.xyz\/products\/chia-ann-siang-and-family-the-tides-of-fortune","provider":"Epigram","version":"1.0","type":"link"}