The story of the Perak Chinese Amateur Dramatic Association
began in 1903, when a group of clerks, junior officials, bank employees, and
young miners gathered at the Chinese Union Club on Hale Street, Ipoh, to play
Cantonese music. Two years later, in 1905, they formed the Perak Chinese
Dramatic Troupe and staged charity performances to raise funds for flood
victims in Canton, China. After successful touring performances in Kuala
Lumpur, the organization adopted the name Perak Chinese Amateur Dramatic Association.
In the early twentieth century, drama was far more than
entertainment. Many Chinese migrants were illiterate, so opera became a
powerful way to share news, preserve culture, teach moral values, and inspire
patriotism. Through songs, costumes, and storytelling, audiences learned about
loyalty, justice, sacrifice, and events unfolding in China.
The Association became a key cultural hub for Ipoh's
Cantonese community. Its activities included Cantonese opera, music recitals,
orchestras, charity fundraisers, festive celebrations, and community
gatherings.
The Association also reflected the growing political awareness
of overseas Chinese communities. Alongside other dramatic and cultural groups,
it helped build support for Dr. Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary movement. Prominent
supporters included Teh Lay Seng, Lee Guan Swee, Dr. Wong I Ek, Leong Sin Nam,
and many others.
In 1935, the Association purchased a site on Osborne Street,
now Jalan Dato Tahwil Azhar, for its landmark Art Deco headquarters.
Construction was made possible through generous public support. Early
contributors to the building fund included Lam Looking, Leong Sin Nam, Leong
Kan, Foong Seong, and 120 others, whose names were inscribed on a marble plaque
in the hall.
A portrait of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, donated by Leong Sin Nam, remains on display there
today—a lasting reminder of the Association's connection to the revolutionary
movement.
The Reading Clubs That Helped Spark a Revolution in China
When people think about revolutionary movements, they often imagine secret headquarters, armed uprisings, and political conspirators working in the shadows. Yet in the tin-mining towns of colonial Malaya, one of the most influential revolutionary networks operated from places that appeared completely ordinary. They were reading clubs.
Known in Chinese as 阅书报社 (reading clubs or reading rooms), these establishments could bend in towns such as Ipoh, Batu Gajah, Kampar, Gopeng, and Taiping. To an outsider, they looked like modest community centres where people gathered to read newspapers, browse books, and spend time with friends. Behind their quiet appearance, however, they played a crucial role in helping Dr. Sun Yat-sen build support for the movement that would eventually overthrow the Qing dynasty and establish the Republic of China.
More Than Just Places to Read
At first glance, the reading rooms seemed harmless. Visitors would find newspapers spread across tables, magazines neatly arranged on shelves, and groups of Chinese migrants discussing current events over tea. British colonial authorities generally viewed them as educational or cultural societies that promoted literacy among overseas Chinese communities. In reality, many of these reading clubs were closely linked to the Tongmenghui, the revolutionary organization founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen.
Far from being simple libraries, they served multiple purposes:
Political education centres
Recruitment hubs
Fundraising offices
Meeting places
Distribution points for revolutionary literature
A network of approximately one hundred such reading clubs existed across Southeast Asia, and remarkably, twenty-four were located in Perak alone. This concentration highlights the importance of Perak's thriving Chinese community to Sun Yat-sen's overseas revolutionary efforts. Among the best-known examples in Ipoh were the Dao Nan Club (道南书报社) and the Hua Chiao Club (华侨阅书报社).
Why Perak?
The answer lies in tin. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Perak's booming tin industry attracted large numbers of Chinese migrants. Many remained deeply connected to developments in China and closely followed news from their homeland. Tongmenghui organizers strategically established reading rooms in commercial districts and mining towns where they could reach:
Tin miners
Shop assistants
Teachers
Clerks
Merchants
Small business owners
By locating themselves within the daily lives of ordinary people, the movement gained access to a ready audience that was receptive to discussions about China's future.
Newspapers as Revolutionary Weapons
One of the reading clubs' most important functions was the circulation of newspapers. Publications such as Min Kuo Jit Pao (民国日报), or "Republican Daily News," carried reports criticizing the Qing government and promoting revolutionary ideas.
Readers encountered articles discussing:
Corruption within the Qing administration
Revolutionary uprisings
Republican government
Chinese nationalism
Overseas support for reform
The writings and speeches of Sun Yat-sen
In an era before radio, television, or social media, newspapers were among the most powerful tools for shaping public opinion.
Reading Aloud to the Miners
Not everyone could read. Many labourers working in Perak's tin mines had limited formal education. The reading rooms developed an effective solution: newspapers were read aloud.
Imagine the scene. After a long day working in the heat and mud of the tin fields, miners gathered inside a crowded shophouse. A literate volunteer stood beside a newspaper, reading the latest reports from China while dozens listened attentively. Through these sessions, revolutionary ideas reached audiences who might otherwise never have encountered them.
The reading club became more than a place for information. It became a classroom of political education.
Turning Readers Into Revolutionaries
The reading session was often only the beginning. Afterward came discussion.
Participants debated why China appeared weak, how foreign powers had gained influence, whether the Qing dynasty could survive, and what a future Chinese republic might look like. These conversations transformed passive listeners into active supporters.
Each participant who left the room carried the ideas into workplaces, homes, and communities, extending the reach of the revolutionary movement far beyond the reading room itself.
Quiet Recruitment in Plain Sight
The Tongmenghui was careful about whom it trusted. Reading rooms provided an ideal environment for identifying potential recruits without attracting unwanted attention.
A typical supporter might begin simply by attending reading sessions. Over time, they would join discussions, become involved in activities, meet trusted members, and gradually gain access to the wider revolutionary network. The process was discreet, patient, and remarkably effective.
Funding the Revolution
Sun Yat-sen famously described overseas Chinese communities as the "Mother of the Revolution." The description was well deserved.
Even modest contributions from miners, shopkeepers, and clerks accumulated into substantial sums that helped finance revolutionary activities in China. Many of the resources that supported the 1911 Revolution originated not from wealthy political elites, but from ordinary migrants living thousands of kilometres away in Malaya.
The Genius of the Reading Rooms
Perhaps the reading rooms' greatest strength was their ability to hide in plain sight. British authorities closely monitored secret societies and organizations that appeared politically dangerous. A building labelled "Revolutionary Headquarters" would immediately attract attention.
A reading club, however, appeared completely innocent. This simple disguise allowed Tongmenghui members to meet, exchange information, distribute propaganda, and coordinate activities under the cover of a legitimate community institution. What looked like a quiet reading society was, in reality, part of an international revolutionary network.
A Forgotten Chapter of Perak's History
Today, few people realize that the tin towns of Perak played such an important role in one of the most significant political transformations in modern Chinese history.
From the reading rooms of Ipoh to the mining settlements scattered across the Kinta Valley, overseas Chinese communities helped spread revolutionary ideas, recruit supporters, and raise funds for a movement that would eventually topple the Qing dynasty.
Long before the age of social media, these humble reading clubs connected people, shared ideas, and inspired action. They remind us that revolutions are not always made on battlefields. Sometimes, they begin in a room full of newspapers.
When Dr. Sun Yat-sen came to Perak seeking support for the
revolutionary movement, he found some of his strongest allies not in China, but
here in Ipoh. Three men in particular played crucial roles in advancing the
cause of the Tongmenghui. They were Teh Lay Seng, Lee Guan Swee, and Dr. Wong I
Ek.
Teh Lay Seng, born in Fujian in 1870, arrived in Malaya as a
young immigrant and began life working as a bullock-cart driver transporting
goods. Through determination and business acumen, he built a successful trading
business with kerosene and rice and became one of Ipoh's respected community
leaders. Beyond business, he established organisations such as the Perak
Hokkien Association and Yuk Choy School, believing that education and community
development were essential to progress. As chairman of the Ipoh Tongmenghui,
Teh donated generously to Dr. Sun's revolutionary efforts and hosted important
meetings at his villa in Jalan Sungai Pari. Under his leadership, substantial
funds were raised in Perak for revolutionary activities in China.
Lee Guan Swee, born in Fujian in 1871, was another prominent
businessman whose interests included rubber trading and tin mining. Operating
from Belfield Street in Ipoh Old Town, he became a key supporter of Dr. Sun.
Dr. Sun stayed at Lee's premises during fundraising visits to Perak. Using his
influence within the business community, Lee helped mobilise donations and
support for the revolution. His efforts demonstrated how the prosperity
generated by Perak's tin and rubber industries could be channelled into
political change for China.
Dr. Wong I Ek brought a different but equally important
contribution. A Western-trained physician and fellow alumnus of the Hong Kong
College of Medicine with Dr. Sun, he shared the revolutionary vision at both an
intellectual and personal level. In 1907, together with Teh Lay Seng and Lee
Guan Swee, he helped establish the Ipoh branch of the Tongmenghui. His medical
practice and social standing provided credibility to the movement, while his
connections helped broaden support among educated Chinese communities in Perak.
These three leaders represented different segments of
society: the entrepreneur, the industrial businessman, and the professional
doctor. Yet they were united by a common belief that China could be transformed.
Dr Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary movement was sustained not only by prominent leaders, but by a broad network of supporters across Malaya. In Perak, the movement was organised through the Tongmenghui, or Chinese Revolutionary Alliance, and later the Kuomintang. Its influence spread through clan associations, schools and branches in towns including Ipoh, Taiping, Kampar, Gopeng and Papan.
These organisations turned familiar community spaces into channels for political mobilisation. Reading clubs introduced revolutionary ideas, while newspapers circulated news and political arguments. Drama and opera performances were especially effective because they could communicate the revolutionary message to audiences with limited literacy. Performances also helped raise money, alongside direct donations from merchants, workers and other members of the community. Historical accounts of Perak describe participation across social classes, from labourers and performers to wealthy community leaders.
Perak’s activity formed part of a wider Southeast Asian movement. Dr Sun considered the overseas Chinese as the “mother of the revolution”. His Nanyang supporters were more than passive sympathisers. They transformed revolutionary ideas into coordinated action.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen made several visits to Ipoh between 1906 and 1911. His primary objectives were to strengthen branches of the Tongmenghui, spread revolutionary ideas among overseas Chinese, mobilize support, and raise funds to finance uprisings against the Qing Dynasty.
Perak, particularly Ipoh, was a prosperous tin mining town with a large and influential Chinese population. This made it an ideal location for Dr. Sun to gain both financial backing and committed supporters for the revolutionary cause. During his visits, he delivered speeches and met with community leaders.
During Dr. Sun’s 1910 and 1911 visits, he intensified efforts for the final push toward revolution. Meetings were held at the villa of Teh Lay Seng, a prominent local supporter, along with several others.
Dr. Sun’s activities in Perak were not without risks. Qing loyalists and reformists opposed his revolutionary agenda, making his visits potentially dangerous. Despite these challenges, the support he received in Perak became a valuable contribution to the success of the 1911 Revolution, which led to the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China.
Ms Alexandra is the great grand niece of Dr Sun Yat Sen. She and her team from China visited 15 Clarke Street Gallery to discover more about the Perak China Connect during the Chinee Revolution of 1911.
Dr Leong Oon Keong gave a 45 minutes presentation on the Perak China Connect followed by networking and dinner.
