Tan Kim Seng Fountain at its current location on the Esplanade

In 1857, Tan Kim Seng donated $13,000 to improve Singapore’s water supply, on the condition that the system be maintained efficiently and that the water be free of charge. However, because of design flaws and cost overruns, the project was not completed until 1878.

In 1882, a fountain was erected in a prominent position on Battery Road to honour the initial donation, eighteen years after Tan Kim Seng’s death. By celebrating the philanthropy of Chinese Peranakans, the British colonial administration encouraged similar donations and enhanced the standing of Tan’s family, as his son Tan Beng Swee and grandson Tan Jiak Kim were also prominent community leaders.

Made in England by Andrew Handyside and Company, the fountain contains generic, off-the-rack figures of the four Muses. The base proclaims, “This fountain is erected by the Municipal Commissioners in commemoration of Mr Tan Kim Seng’s donation towards the cost of the Singapore Water Works.”

In 1925, the fountain was moved to its present position in the Esplanade Park.