CHEONG FATT TZE AT HIS PEAK WAS SO RICH THE NEW YORK TIMES DUBBED HIM THE 'ROCKEFELLER OF THE EAST'!
IN THE BEST CLASSICAL TRADITION, CHEONG ARRIVED TO INDONESIA PENNILESS FROM CHINA AGED 16. HE QUICKLY REVEALED HIS BUSINESS ACUMEN BY PROMPTLY MARRYING THE DAUGHTER OF THE OWNER OF THE PAPER COMPANY WHERE HE WORKED!
HIS HARD WORK, SOUND BUSINESS JUDGEMENT AND TENACITY LAID HIS FORTUNE. HE OWNED 3 SHIPS PLYING BETWEEN SUMATRA, JAVA AND PENANG AND SINGAPORE AND EVEN BOUGHT A BANK WHICH HUGELY INCREASED HIS FORTUNE AND FAME.
HE HAD 8 WIVES AND LITERALLY HAD A WIFE OR WIVES AT EVERY PORT!
THOUGH HE LEFT CHINA AS A POVERTY-STRICKEN PEASANT, HE ROSE TO BECOME AN ADVISER TO EMPRESS DOWAGER AND THE EMPEROR. HE BECAME ONE OF CHINA'S LAST MANDARINS AND ITS FIRST CAPITALIST AND PLAYED BOTH SIDES SO WHEN THE CHING DYNASTY FELL, HE BECAME A MEMBER OF THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AS HE WAS ON GOOD TERMS WITH THE REPUBLICANS AND KUOMINTANG. HE WAS ALSO MADE CHAIRMAN OF CHINESE NATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
HE MADE PENANG HIS HEADQUARTERS IN 1886 WHERE HE RAISED 6 SONS. HE SUMMONED THE BEST FENG SHUI MASTERS TO LOCATE THE DRAGON'S CHI IN THE IDEAL LAND WHICH BECAME LEITH STREET AND BUILT HIS MANSION WHICH WAS PAINTED BLUE, HENCE THE MONIKER BLUE MANSION.
THIS FLAMBOYANT TYCOON SPARED NO EXPENSES AND BLUE MANSION BOASTED 38 ROOMS, 5 COURTYARDS, 7 STAIRCASES AND 220 WINDOWS. PLUS 8 ELEGANT, SLIM PILLARS HOLDING THE 4 CORNERS OF THE AIRWELL CONTAINING THE HEART OF THE DRAGON'S FENG SHUI.
CHEONG FATT TZE WAS HELD IN SUCH HIGH REGARDS BY THE BRITISH AND DUTCH COLONIALISTS THAT WHEN HE DIED IN 1916, FLAGS WERE FLOWN AT HALF MAST THROUGHOUT THE COLONIES!
HIS WILL STIPULATED BLUE MANSION COULD ONLY BE SOLD AFTER HIS LAST SON DIED. IN 1989 THE WIDOW OF HIS LAST SON SOLD BLUE MANSION TO ARCHITECT AND CONSERVATIONIST EXTRAORDINAIRE LAURENCE LOH OF ARKITEK LLA WHO LITERALLY SAVED BLUE MANSION FROM TOTAL DESTRUCTION AS ANOTHER CONSORTIUM WANTED TO DEMOLISH BLUE MANSION AND BUILD A HIGHRISE!
LAURENCE LOH PAID RM 12 MILLION FOR BLUE MANSION AND SPEND ANOTHER RM 7 MILLION RENOVATING IT TO ITS ORIGINAL SPLENDOUR. THIS LABOUR OF LOVE TOOK 6 YEARS AND TODAY, CHEONG FATT TZE COULD SAUNTER INTO THE FOYER AND FEEL RIGHT AT HOME!
SO CAN ANYONE ELSE AS BLUE MANSION IS NOW A BOUTIQUE HOTEL OPERATED BY WELL KNOWN SAMADHI GROUP.
ITS 18 SUITES ARE SUPERBLY FURBISHED AND EACH IS A WORK OF ART AS NO COOKIE-CUTTER SYSTEM WAS EMPLOYED AS EACH SUITE IS UNIQUE AND FLAUNTS ITS OWN ANTIQUES AND ARTEFACTS. ROOM RATES HOVERS FROM RM 600 TO RM 1,200 AND THE CHEONG FATT TZE FINE DINING RESTAURANT UNDER CHEF MAURICE TOH IS NOT TO BE MISSED WHEN IN PENANG.
LONELY PLANET 2011 DESCRIBED BLUE MANSION AS ONE OF THE 10 GREATEST MANSIONS IN THE WORLD AND IN 2000 UNESCO HERITAGE CONSERVATION BESTOWED ITS COVETED 'MOST EXCELLENT PROJECT' AWARD.
BLUE MANSION HAS STARRED IN MOVIES LIKE 'INDOCHINE' AND CATHERINE DENEUVE STAYED HERE FOR EXTENDED PERIODS DURING SHOOTING. OTHER MOVIES WHICH FEATURED BLUE MANSION INCLUDED 'RED KEBAYA', 'ROAD TO DAWN', 'THIRD GENERATION' AND 'BLUE MANSION'.
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