Book Review: An Illustrious Heritage: The History of Tan Tock Seng and Family

Tan Tock Seng (TTS) is a household name in Singapore, essentially because of the Tan Tock Seng Hospital that was established in 1844 as a “pauper hospital” has become one of Singapore’s pioneering medical institutions (p. 224). According to the book, Tan Tock Seng Hospital in the past two centuries “has evolved from a pauper hospital to a full general hospital, its journey marked by many pioneering milestones that reflect the evolution and innovation of healthcare in Singapore” (p. 277). Today, the hospital is the second largest hospital in Singapore and a national centre for a few fields such as neuroscience, infectious diseases, and skin. Chapter 7 of the book, entitled “Tan Tock Seng Hospital: Then and Now”, provides the hospital’s history from a pauper hospital to becoming “an integrated healthcare hub” in Singapore. But apart from the hospital’s national historical significance, the book provides fascinating stories and history of the family, illustrating the significance of the Peranakan Chinese and colonialism in Singapore and Southeast Asia.