The Mystery of the W H Motif of Chee Guan Chiang House

During a media shoot for Mediacorp TV in June 2007, API visited the Chee Guan Chiang House and managed to get permission from the contractor who was doing painting and clearing works there. (At that time, dengue was an issue and NEA targeted landed homes and private apartments as an offensive against the Aedes mosuito.)

The painting Contractor who was at CGC House on that day of API’s visit.

The Contractor kindly showed us the area and we took some interesting photos, including the railings and glass pattern design…..

View of Chee Guan Chiang House, taken from Mandarin Hotel.

API with Mediacorp outside the gates leading to CGC House (2007). The gates are now fully fenced up now.

Chee Guan Chiang House, side view

View of 23-1, Grange Road (before repainting), where Leonie House Mgmt used to stay during its heyday.

Central Stairway. Notice the motiff patterns on the railing.

Can you make out the  lettering W H?

The W H Motiff seen from the outside railings.

Interesting stained glass painting.

Can you solve the mystery of what W H means?

Chee Guan Chiang comes from a very rich family, who also owns the Chee Mansion in Malacca (link). 

The Chee Mansion, is also known as the Chee Yam Chuan Temple, where it is used as the Chee Family Ancestral Hall.

Interestingly, the gates to the Chee Mansion also has a lettered motiff on its Gates… CYCT (for Chee Yam Chuan Temple).

The Chee family has a unique way of naming their children, ensuring that all children from 1 generations bear a common name.

– The sons of Chee Yam Chuan all bear names ending with Bong

– The Bong’s sons names all end with Cheng

– The Cheng’s sons end with Chiang

– The Chiang’s sons end with Hoon.

Before API concludes this mystery, perhaps the reader might want to try to guess what W H might stands for.

Do send us an email to info@api.sg.

API posing with Mediacorp News Broadcaster infront of CGC House, (2007)