Chwee Chian Road is an S-shaped road that winds past the Poh Ern Shih temple off Pasir Panjang Road. It was named after Lim Chwee Chian 林推迁 (1868-1923), pioneer, merchant and philanthropist. Born in Fujian, China, he arrived in Singapore in his youth with little education, and made his living as a bumboat worker. Through hard work, he later established a shipping company and further expanded his business to include rubber planting, wolfram mining and sawmilling.
He sat on the first Council Board of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) in 1906 and became a prominent leader in the Hokkien community in Singapore. He supported educational efforts through donations and served on the board of directors of various schools, which included Tao Nan School, Ai Tong School, Nanyang Girls’ High School, Chung Hwa Girls’ School and the Chinese High School in Singapore. Upon his death in 1923, flags were flown at half-mast at SCCCI, the Chinese High School and Ai Tong School.
