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Long a source of curious intrigue for Yangonites, the century-old tower overlooking Kabar Aye Pagoda Road will open for a cultural event in February.
Known as Chin Tsong Palace, the elaborate five-storey mansion was built between 1917 and 1919 by a Sino-Burmese merchant who held Gatsby-esque parties enjoyed by the beau monde of the time.
Now the fourth Singapore Festival is taking over with a garden party-themed programme of live music, food and culture on February 1-2.
An art exhibition will give visitors the chance to explore the building’s interior, where murals by celebrated English painters Dod and Ernest Procter are presented alongside grand foyers and staircases.
Lim Chin Tsong, who made a fortune on rice, rubber, mines and banking, also made a statement with this green-and-white octagonal villa, which blends Chinese and European architectural styles.
There are even rumours that the tycoon included secret tunnels connecting his home to nearby Inya Lake.
But three years after its completion, a government ban on the export of rice damaged his business, and just three years after that, in 1924, he died under mysterious circumstances.
During the Japanese occupation between 1941 and 1945 the palace became the All Burma Broadcasting Station and in the 1950s was a state guesthouse.
Since then, it has housed an art school and, although consistent neglect has slowly decayed the ornate structure, the coming cultural event casts a hopeful light for its future.
