After 67 years of business, a Chinese antique shop in Geylang is closing for good. Ying Kee Hong, founded by Loh Wang Kee, is one of the oldest antique shops selling Chinese antiques in Singapore, according to the Loh family. The family has meticulously kept an 800-piece antique collection in a shophouse that doubles as their family home for three generations. The collection contains artefacts that survived the Cultural Revolution and is a time capsule of both Chinese cultural history and childhood memories.
Loh Wang Kee hailed from Guangdong, China, and was part of the pioneering migrants who made their way to Singapore to begin anew. Before setting roots in Singapore, Loh was a jack of all trades and owned businesses of all kinds. However, in the 1940s to 1950s, the political situation in China became unfavorable to businessmen like Loh, so he fled to Hong Kong with his family. Eventually, Loh made his way to Singapore on a small boat, leaving his wife and children behind.
“He was quite empty-handed when he escaped here because he can’t bring his business,” shared Judy Loh, Wang Kee’s daughter-in-law. Once in Singapore, Loh helped out at a relative’s shop to make a living. “After that, when he gathered enough money, he started his own business,” said Judy of the entrepreneur.
In 1956, Loh decided to marry his passion for antiques with his business mind and founded Ying Kee Hong, trading Chinese antiques. “So, I think my grandpa, from what I’ve heard about his beliefs and value system, he really values Chinese culture,” said Yinshan Loh, Wang Kee’s granddaughter, and Judy’s daughter. Collecting antiques kept the “link” between Singapore and home alive for the elder Loh, the mother-daughter duo explained. The antique shop itself was also a memory marker for the elder Loh. The “Ying” in “Ying Kee Hong” is borrowed from the last Chinese character in his wife’s name, “Phoon Phui Ying”, who was still in Hong Kong when the antique shop was started.
Ten years after he first arrived in Singapore, Loh brought his wife and six children over from Hong Kong, and the family was reunited. The family included Judy’s husband, Loh Weng Whye, the elder Loh’s only surviving son. Ying Kee Hong’s first incarnation was located at Upper Nanking Street, and it was a thriving business during its “golden age.”
Now, the Lohs are finding new homes for their antiques, as the antique shop closes for good. The family hopes that the auction of their collection will find new owners who will appreciate and cherish the cultural and historical significance of the artefacts.
