Happy Lunar New Year

Wishing all a Happy Lunar New Year 2009.
This year is the year of the OX.
I was at Chinatown just now and done up a post on my another blog.
Please click here if you'll like to visit.!

Lim Bo Seng (林谋盛) Memorial

Lim Bo Seng Memorial erected in Singapore in 1954.
Located now at Esplande area.
This Pagoda was erected as a remembrance and tribute to the Singapore World War II Hero Lim Bo Seng.


Lim Bo Seng was born in 1909 at Nanan, Fujian, China.
His father, Lim Chee Gee was a wealthy Hokkien businessman.
Lim Bo Seng was his 11th child but the 1st son of the family.
He came to Singapore to study at age 16 in 1917.
In 1929, when his father passed away, he inherited the biscuits and bricks manufacturing business.
The company was known as Hock Ann & Co.
He married a Nonya woman Gan Choo Neo in the 1930.
They have 8 children, one of their daughter died at age of 2 after a fall.

Lim Bo Seng used the alias Tan Choon Lim to participate in Anti-Japanese activites.
In 1942, when Singapore's fall, he escaped to India.
He joined the Force 136 under the British resistance group.
He started to build up his strength and network.
But on 27 March 1944, he was betrayed by one of his members, Lai Teck and was thus he was caught by the Japanese Millitary.
He refused to give informations about the Force 136 and was tortured repeatedly.
He died in a prison.
Lim Bo Seng was posthumously rank as Major-General by the Chinese Nationalist Government.
His remains was reburied in MacRichie Reservoir.

"You must not grieve for me. You should take pride in my sacrifice and devote yourself to upbringing of the children. Tell them what happened to me and direct them to my footsteps."
- Extract from Lim Bo Seng's farewell letter to his wife

His wife, brought up all the seven children alone.
She died in 1979 at the age of 70 due to liver cancer.


This Pagoda is made of marble and have four bronze lions guarding around it.
It is 3.5m high.


Description of above photo :
Major General Lim Bo Seng
1909 - 1944
Major General Lim Bo Seng was born on 27th April,
1909 in Nan-An, Fukien, China. He came to Singapore
at the age of 16. After studying at Raffles
Institution and HongKong University, He inherited
his father's business in Malaya since 1937. He became
prominent in Anti-Japanese activities. When
Singapore fell in 1942, he went to Chunking and on
instructions from the Chinese government, he
joined the underground resistance section of 136
force under the supreme allied command
southeast asia. On 2nd November 1943, as commanding
officer of the Malayan Chinese Section, he landed
from a submarine at Bagan Datoh in Perak to join
the British and Chinese Officers already working
in Malaya with the Anti-Japanese forces. Later he
left the jungle to work in Ipoh. But he was
discovered and arrested by the Japanese Millitary
Police on 27th March 1944. He manfully endured
repeated tortures to which he ultimately
succumber on 29th June 1944, at the age of 35. He died
in the Batu Gajah Prison. A Martyr to the cause of
a liberated Malaya and to his loyalty to his
comrafes on 13th January 1946. He was buried with
fullmilitary honours in Singapore.
Erected by
The Lim Bo Seng Memorial Committee
29th June 1954