The Gan Clan

The Gan (Yan) immigrants have a long history in Singapore. According to epigraphic evidence, a pioneer Yan Lin had acquired land and made contributions to the Thian Hock Keng temple and a cemetery for Gan clansmen.

Prior to World War Two there was a Lu Guo Tang Gan Clan Association which organised ancestral worship at the Gan's public tomb in Leng Kee Hill during the Qingming Festival, but there is no record of its establishment. It ceased to operate during the Japanese Occupation.

On June 3, 1948, the Lu Guo Tang was re-registered under the Societies Ordinance. However, it was forced to dissolve due to weak organisational structure. Nevetheless, the Gan clansmen never gave up the idea of forming a clan association.

In 1965, Gan Yue Cheng hosted a banquet in the Imperial Room Restaurant, the host proposed the formation of the Gan Clan Association Singapore, which received an overwhelming response from the clansmen. A pro-tem committee comprising Gan Yue Cheng (co-ordinator), Gan Kee Cheow, Gan Hui Chong, Gan Kok Hua, Gan Teng Chek and Yan Song Xu was set up, with a temporary office at No. 142, Cross Street.

The first preparatory meeting was held in the Guan Chong Bee Tea Co. Ltd. The meeting resolved to draft a constitution for a clan association and to apply to the government for registration.

On April 6, 1966, the application was approved and the Gan Clan Association was officially formed. The first president was Gan Yue Cheng. Initially, it had less than a hundred members. Besides recruiting members, it initiated a fund-raising drive to buy premises. With the hence the association building in No.18 and 20 Bukit Pasoh Road was purchased at a cost of $135,000.

In 1976, Gan Yue Cheng, Gan Kee Chow (颜期巢), Gan Hui Chong(颜辉宗) and Gan Boon Siong (颜文祥) went to visit the Philippines Gan Clan. They received a donation of S$30,000 from Gan Qi Dang (颜期党), a fellow Gan from the Philippines. As a gesture of appreciation for his generosity, one of the halls in Gan Clan Association’s premises was named “Chun Zhi Tang” (纯治堂) as 纯治 was his mother’s maiden name. Another hall was named "Yee Hoon Ting (诒云厅)" as Yee Hoon was the father of Gan Yue Cheng. Gan Yue Cheng also donated $30,000. With the generous donations from these members, Gan Clan Association was able to own a permanent home for fellow Clan members in 18-20 Bukit Pasoh Road without incurring any financial debt.