Family : White Trousers and Chinese Shirts

My great grandfather Tiong King Kee was initially a contractor, carpenter, business man and later he became a rice mill owner. But he loved being a barefoot herbalist (he read pulses and prescribed very light herbal cures for "light" sicknesses. Anything too serious he recommended Lau King Howe Hospital and his good friend Tiong Pek Ing who was a recognized Chinese Sin Seh. Tiong Pek Ing would come to visit my great grandfather very often, taking a small river boat to cross from Sibu to Hua Hong Rice and ice Factory in Pulau Kerto.

He was a very smart dresser too. He only liked to wear "Bah ran koo" well ironed, starched cotton Chinese shirts and trousers. Bah Rang Koo (White Shirt and Trousers) was the formal attire preferred in those days for men besides the formal western suits (either black or white, but again, white was the preferred colour)

He was probably very aware of what was going on in mainland China. He had his queue cut off very early, even before he left China (perhaps even before he met Wong Nai Siong I was told). When he made some money in Sibu, he started wearing bahran koo like most of the established busiessmen of Sibu.

Teo Chung Loh was another community leader who wore Bahran Koo for most of his photos.

My great grandfather was a faithful church goer. And he loved worshipping in the Old Masland Church, Sibu and the Kai Nguong Tong of Bintangor. He was very proud of the fact that his son , my grandfather,Tiong Kung Ping donated one acre of land to build the Kai Nguong Tong, 

Like all the other Methodists who went to church on Sunday, he would wear white, and therefore the well iron startched cotton Bahran Koo looked extremely neat on him.



The above photo was taken 10 years after my great grandfather's passing. These were the shareholders of the first Foochow bank, the Hock Hua Bank in 1952. Three of the gentlemen wore Bahran Koo while the others were all wearing white suits and neckties.