# Tan Kim Seng Fountain

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Content updated: 2026-06-22

Tan Kim Seng Fountain forms part of Esplanade Park in Singapore, alongside the Lim Bo Seng Memorial and Cenotaph. It honours Tan Kim Seng, a trader and philanthropist associated with Singapore’s civic development.

He supported the city’s first reservoir and waterworks through a significant donation. The fountain took shape in 1882 as a public memorial to that contribution.

Andrew Handyside and Company made the structure in England. Its three tiers display classical figures, including four Greek Muses with symbolic objects.

Calliope holds a writing tablet, Clio carries a scroll, Erato carries a lyre, and Melpomene carries a wreath. Four faces of Poseidon appear below the Muses and spout water from the iron structure.

The fountain first stood at Fullerton Square before moving to Battery Road and later the Esplanade. A restoration project treated its seven-metre cast-iron structure against rust and added a new foundation.

Tan Kim Seng founded Chui Eng Si E, a free Chinese school on Amoy Street. He also built the original Kim Seng Bridge across the Singapore River.

Singapore gazetted the fountain as a national monument in 2010, recognising its place in the city’s history.

- City: [Singapore](https://mytuur.com/en/city/singapore/)

## Photos

- ![](https://mytuur-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/image_TanKimSengFountain_67863b45ebe7a333a7218873_0.jpg) — [Image: wikimedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tan_Kim_Seng_Fountain_3,_Aug_06.JPG)

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