The Liang Collection

Feng Shui is named after the principles which the mansion was built upon. Cheong Fatt Tze – The Blue Mansion has been acknowledged to be a structure with perfect feng shui – where nothing has been left to chance. All elements have been incorporated to allow man and nature to be brought together in a harmonious form. This room harnesses the elements from within, while the private open terrace gives access to the tropical skies.

Chang Yu is the reflection of Cheong Fatt Tze’s eminent and successful vineyard in China. Cheong Fatt Tze realized his dream of building a local Chinese winery, established in 1892 in the province of Shandong. It is now the most successful winery in the country and one of the largest in the world.

Hakka people are thought to have originated in lands bordering the Yellow River in northern China, then moving to settle in areas of Southern China such as the Guangdong province, where Cheong Fatt Tze was born in Tai’pu or Da Pu in 1840. Part of a series of migrations – which is why they are historically referred to as ‘khek’ or ‘guests’, the Hakkas formed close-knit communities all over the world, and one of their most prominent members was Cheong Fatt Tze.

The room Fragrant Poem was christened to commemorate the restoration of The Blue Mansion by its current owners. Fragrant Poem or ‘Szu Fen‘, is named after their only daughter  – adding to the eclecticism of the Mansion.

Batavia takes on the historic Dutch name for Jakarta. It is where Cheong Fatt Tze started his career as a water carrier and later married the daughter of his first employer. In Batavia, Cheong’s father-in-law saw in him a promising future and invested in his first business venture, cementing his rise to fame and fortune.

The Scholar room is a tribute to Cheong Fatt Tze’s ardent pursuit of knowledge. Even at the height of his achievements, he never forsook the importance of reading, always improving his skills and capabilities. The room features pieces from his own study. Cheong’s love and thirst for knowledge further extended to his donations and contribution to educational institutions.

‘Towkay’ was the word used to address Cheong Fatt Tze who had risen from rags to riches after fleeing China at the age 16. The word literally means ‘Boss’ or or ‘Head of the clan’. The title was also an acknowledgement to the self-made man as the leader of the community.

In 1892, Cheong Fatt Tze established the Chang Yu winery in Yantai, Shantung (now known as Shandong) to satisfy his passion for European wines. Today, the winery is amongst the ten greatest in the world and produces western wines and brandy, as well as two Chinese herbal wines: interestingly, one for men, the other for women.

The Peony room is named after a painting by Rebecca Wilkinson, a well-known Malaysian artist of mixed parentage. The painting of a peony once adorned the wall of this room, representing the union of Eastern and Western in not just Rebecca herself, but in her art forms and those of The Blue Mansion.

Taipu is the town Cheong Fatt Tze originated from. Coming from a family of farmers and schoolteachers, Cheong left at age 16 to pursue his dreams in the ‘South seas’. His numerous achievements brought much fame to the small town called Tai’Pu, and he was eventually laid to rest there.