Former Thong Chai Medical Institution is one of the first eight buildings in Singapore to be gazetted for preservation. Built-in 1867, it was started to provide free medical services to the poor and needy.
Over the years, the medical institution has served many uses, being the site for various guild and political meetings, and housing the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce, before being converted into an arts and craft centre. It was even a discotheque once! Nevertheless, this rare example of Southern Chinese secular architecture stands today as a testament to the spirit of generosity among Singapore’s early Chinese settlers.
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