Born in
Malacca in 1805, Tan Kim Seng came to Singapore where he made a
fortune as a trader. Tan started his firm, Kim Seng and Company,
shortly after his arrival here in 1840 and amassed a large fortune
in his lifetime, becoming well-known for his public acts of
charity. One of Tan's best-known donations was the sum of $13,000
in 1857 towards the building of Singapore's first public
waterworks, designed to provide a better supply of fresh water to
the town. The Tan Kim Seng Fountain was erected in Fullerton Square
by the Municipal Commissioners in 1882 to commemorate his generous
donation. The fountain was moved to Battery Road in 1905 and later
in 1925 to the Esplanade Park where it now stands.
The
fountain is inscribed with the following words:
This
۰fountain
۰is
۰erected
۰by
۰the
۰Municipal
۰Commissioners
۰in
۰commemoration
۰of
۰Mr.
۰Tan
۰Kim
۰Seng's
۰donation
۰towards
۰the
۰cost
۰of
۰the
۰Singapore
۰Water
۰Works.
The cache
is a small plastic box containing log and pencil.
Have fun!
