Tan Kim Ching

Tan Kim Ching was a Singaporean politician and businessman. He was the eldest of the three sons of Tan Tock Seng, the founder and financier of Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He was consul for Japan, Thailand and Russia, and was a member of the Royal Court of Siam. He was one of Singapore’s leading Chinese merchants and was one of its richest men at that time. He was also the first Asian member of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. After his father, Tan Tock Seng's death, he became the Kapitan China of the Straits Chinese community.

In his day, Tan Kim Ching was one of Singapore’s leading Chinese merchants, one of the richest men in Singapore and had sizable business interests in Singapore, Siam, Vietnam and Malaya. His business boomed with rice mills he owned in Bangkok and Saigon.

Upon the death of his father, the name of the firm "Tan Tock Seng" - mainly involved in the rice business - was changed to "Tan Kim Ching". The business was carried on at "River-Side" (now known as Boat Quay) from 1851 to 1859 by Tan Kim Ching as sole owner. In 1860, having admitted his brother Tan Swee Lim as a partner, the firm was known as "Tan Kim Ching & Brother" but a few months later Tan Swee Lim left the firm. The business which finally became known as "Kim Ching & Co." attained considerable success, and he bought rice mills at Saigon, Siam and elsewhere which supplied him with his milled rice. In 1888, the company opened a branch in Hong Kong.

Apart from the rice business he had mining concessions in Patani, whose workers he could supply with his own rice. He was one of the earliest merchants to import silk from China. He also involved himself in the shipping business.

In 1863, he set up the Tanjong Pagar Dock Company (the forerunner of today's Port of Singapore Authority), purchased two steamships, "Siam" and "Singapore" and promoted the Tanjong Pagar Dock Co.