Aw Boon Haw
Aw Boon-Haw (Chinese: 胡文虎; pinyin: Hú Wénhǔ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ô͘ Bûn-hó͘; 1882 in British Raj – 1954 in Hawaii), OBE, was a Chinese entrepreneur and philanthropist best known as founder of Tiger Balm. He was a son of Hakka herbalist Aw Chu-Kin, with his ancestral home in Yongding County, Fujian Province, China.
Aw Boon Haw | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 胡文虎 | |||||||||||||||||||
 Aw Boon-Haw (Who's Who in China 4th ed.,1931) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1882 Rangoon, British Raj | ||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 1954 (aged 72) Honolulu, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Other names | Balm King Tiger Balm King | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Board member of | Eng Aun Tong | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Parent(s) | Aw Chu Kin (Father) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Aw Boon Leng (Eldest Brother) Aw Boon Par (Youngest Brother) | ||||||||||||||||||
Career
Aw Boon Haw was born to Chinese herbalists at Rangoon Road on 1882 under the British colonial government. In 1926, Aw Boon Haw immigrated due to problems with the Colonial British government and expanded their business overseas to South East Asia,[1] where he cofounded the business with his brother. Aw Boon Haw used cartoon commercialisation to promote their Balm product to any potential customer as well as at any public celebration. In the 1920s, his main factory named Eng Aun Tong was set up at 89 Neil Road.[2] Aw also founded several newspapers, including Sin Chew Jit Poh and Sin Pin Jit Poh; and Sing Tao Daily. Aw fled to Hong Kong during WWII[3] and managed the business from there, while his brother stayed in Singapore until he closed down the factory and went to Rangoon. One of his sons lost his life. Aw returned to Singapore[4] after British victory and re-established his business. He set up Chung Khiaw Bank and once owned Pulau Serangoon(present day Coney Island), Singapore.[5]
Death
In 1954, at the age of 72, Aw died from a heart attack following a major operation in Honolulu while on a trip to Hong Kong from Boston, US. He is remembered through his work with Haw Par Villas throughout Asia, with locations in Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Fujian province of China.
Legacy
His sons took over his businesses after Aw's death.
Personal life
Aw's adopted daughter is the Hong Kong businesswoman and former politician Sally Aw.
The daughter of Aw Boon-Haw and his fourth wife, Aw Seng (胡星), resides in Singapore and has set up a company under her father's name, Aw Boon Haw Pte Ltd, to continue the heritage and legacy of her father. Aw Boon-Haw's fourth wife died on 10 April 2012 in Vancouver aged 100.
Gallery
A memorial hall in Lei Yue Mun Waterfront School
Aw Boon-Haw & Aw Boon-Par Memorial Hall at the School for the Blind, a Tiger Balm charity in Rangoon, Burma
Haw Par Villa in Fujian, unfinished after 1949 and the death of Aw Boon Haw in 1954; finished by his daughter in 1990s
Former Eng Aun Tong in Singapore
Eng Aun Tong in Guangzhou
Eng Aun Tong advertisement in 1930s
References
- "Malaysia | Facts, Geography, History, & Points of Interest". Encyclopedia Britannica.
- "Behind Our Famous Architecture". www.psd.gov.sg.
- "World War Two". www.roots.gov.sg.
- "Singapore | Facts, Geography, History, & Points of Interest". Encyclopedia Britannica.
- "Tiger Balm king /Sam King. – National Library". www.nlb.gov.sg.
- (in Chinese) 胡文虎
- (in Chinese) 胡文虎父女的汕頭緣
- Sin Yee Theng and Nicolai Volland, "Aw Boon Haw, the Tiger from Nanyang: Social Entrepreneurship, Transregional Journalism, and Public Culture," chapter 5 in Christopher Rea and Nicolai Volland, eds. "The Business of Culture: Cultural Entrepreneurs in China and Southeast Asia" (UBC Press, 2015).
- Cochran, Sherman. Chinese Medicine Men: Consumer Culture in China and Southeast Asia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2006.
- King, Sam (1992), Tiger Balm king : the life and times of Aw Boon Haw. Singapore : Times Books International, 1992. ISBN 981-204-326-8