Retracing our footsteps along the path that leads to the ruins of St. Paul, it is easy to miss the unassuming entrance to the ‘Former Ching Si Pharmacy’—the working quarters and family home of Dr Sun Yat-Sen, who introduced modern medicine to this region.
Thanks to my daughter and her childlike curiosity and enthusiasm, we found our way into this treasure house now converted into a museum, managed by two lovely ladies and offering free entry. Numerous plaques, posters, pictures and pieces of furniture and foundation mark the interiors, and one needs to have the time and patience to go through it all.
The reward is the fascinating and enriching experience of knowing this nugget of history and re-imagining it in the pathos of a time gone by. The Chinese temple next door is not to be missed, especially because the hawker stall operating in the vicinity offers the most sumptuous of breakfast items and snacks, even for a convenient takeaway!
