SINGAPORE - The Kim Mui Hoey Kuan celebrated its 150th anniversary with a book launch and donation to the National Library Board (NLB) on Sunday (March 14).
The Chinese clan association, located at Keng Lee Road at Newton, is the association of the Kinmen people who came to Singapore from Kinmen in the Taiwan Strait in the 19th century.
Its 150th anniversary was in 2020, but celebrations were delayed owing to the pandemic.
On Sunday, the association marked the historic event with the launch of Our Voyage Through Time, a bilingual pictorial book that presents the history of the Kinmen community in Singapore.
The association also donated a collection of more than 1,000 letters, documents and books to the NLB.
Mr Thomas Chua, president of Kim Mui Hoey Kuan, said the publishing of the book was an important milestone for the association.
"It connects the past and the future, and encourages others to help protect our cultural heritage," he said in Mandarin.
Mr Ng Cher Pong, NLB's chief executive officer, thanked the association for the donation.
He said: "These materials will bolster the NLB as a knowledge institution in Singapore, and help researchers and the public learn more about the pioneers of the Chinese community, their struggles and how they overcame numerous challenges by coming together."
He also presented a token of appreciation to the clan in the form of a framed reproduction of one of the donated documents.
Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung was the guest of honour at the event and unveiled the book with Mr Chua.
In his speech, he said the book reflected the importance of associations like Kim Mui Hoey Kuan in preserving the history of Singapore for future generations.
"Culture and tradition play an important role in our lives," he said in Mandarin.
"I am grateful for the association's donation of these valuable materials, and hope that it encourages other associations and clans to also donate similar material to continue enriching Singapore's historical database."
The donated collection is currently undergoing preservation and conservation, and selected items are being digitised.
Once this is completed, the public can access the digital files via BookSG.
