This house is one of the last surviving Chinese Villas in Little India. This Chinese villa located at No. 37 Kerbau Road is named
‘Siew Song’, meaning elegant pine. This history of the building goes back to
1900, when Tan Teng Niah who was one of the few prominent Chinese businessmen in
Little India, built it for his wife.
Tan Teng Niah was an owner of a confectionery business,
along with a few other small businesses who resided in Serangoon Road area
where the cattle and textile traders dominated. The House of Tang Teng Niah has
a history of more than a century old. Built in 1900, this eight-room villa – a
hybrid of Southern Chinese and European architectural styles, was restored in
the 1980s. This villa also won the Singapore Institute of Architects Honourable
Mention Award in 1991.
Some of the interesting features include the bamboo tiled roof, the glided name plate at the entrance with the calligraphic inscription "Siew Sng" or Elegant Pine, and the swinging door (also know as pintu pagar in Malay.
Although it was restored in the 1980s, it wasn't this rainbow version until recently when it was painted so distinctively. The original villa had whitewashed walls and a green roof. Apparently, the colours were added in stages.
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