Wee Bin
Discover the life of Wee Bin, a 19th-century Hokkien merchant who built one of Singapore's biggest shipping firms. Find key facts and recommended reading here.
Last updated 22 July 2026
Introduction
Wee Bin (黄敏 or Huang Min; 1823, Fujian, China–1868, Singapore) was a prominent Chinese Hokkien merchant in the 19th century. He founded Wee Bin & Co. (chop Hong Guan), which was primarily a shipping company located on Market Street.
Wee Bin & Co. started off partnering businesses in Bali in the Dutch East Indies, and the company became the biggest importer of goods from Bali, trading in all manner of earthenware. The company grew to own as many as 20 ships, servicing the trade routes to China, Malaya and the East Indies.
Wee married twice and had a son, Wee Boon Teck, and a daughter who eventually married one of Wee’s employees, Lim Ho Puah. After Wee passed away in 1868, his son took over and expanded the business. After the deaths of both Wee Boon Teck and his son, the business was then helmed by Lim Ho Puah. The business was eventually liquidated when it was passed down to Lim’s son, Lim Peng Siang.
Selected books on Wee Bin
Song, O. S. (2016). One hundred years’ history of the Chinese in Singapore: The annotated edition [First published 1923; annotated by Kevin Y. L. Tan]. Singapore: National Library Board, pp. 166–170. Retrieved from NL Online. This publication includes a description of Wee Bin & Co.’s business activities, as well as a portrait of Wee Bin.
柯木林. (主编). [Ke, M. L. (Ed.).] (1995). 《新华历史人物列传》 [Who’s who in the Chinese community of Singapore]. 新加坡: 教育出版公司, p. 181. Call no.: RSING 959.570092 WHO-[HIS]. This book contains the biographies of 1,175 Chinese personalities in Singapore, covering the period from 1819 to 1990. Each biography presents information on the birth and death dates, dialect group, occupation and affiliated organisations of the Chinese personality. A short biography of Wee Bin is also included.