The construction of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion began before the end of the 19th Century, and it was said that Mr. Cheong Fatt Tze had hoped to house nine generations of his descendants there. The plot of land was chosen after heavy consultation with the era's preeminent feng-shui masters, and while all his Hakka friends and relatives chose to build very modern, Anglo-Indian houses in and around the area, Cheong Fatt Tze gave the go-ahead for the construction of a traditional Chinese home. Artisans were shipped in from Southern China expressly for the project, and building materials were imported from as far away as Scotland.
Cheong Fatt Tze's almost burdensome treasure trove of occupational hats - financier, tycoon, diplomat, politician, philanthropist and minister - not to mention his numerous, calling-card cramping unofficial monikers - 'Rockfeller of the East', 'J.P Morgan of China' and 'Last Mandarin & First Capitalist of China' - belie his decidedly unencumbered beginnings.
August 2013 | Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia