A fascinating connection between a prominent Kuala Lumpur family, their historic properties, and the momentous 1911 Chinese Revolution, thanks to two seemingly disparate historical accounts.
The first source, from the **Genealogy of Yuen**, specifically the writings of Yuen Mo-Ting (seventh child of Yuen Ka Tseung), describes the family's prosperity following the overthrow of the Manchu Rule:
> "With the overthrow of the MANCHU Rule in CHINA in 1911 the MUN SING POH'S Mission in KUALA LUMPUR was accomplished. The printing establishment was then converted into a business concern and was registered as THE COMMERCIAL PRESS 文明印務局. The premises that presently houses the press was built by KA TSEUNG in 1914. The three-storey building was then considered one of the tallest and outstanding edifice in town. Business was good and the press was given Government contracts to print the Government Gazettes and the Telephone Directory etc. The pioneer YUEN FAMILY continued to prosper. Lands and houses acquired were dotted all over the town: an 8-acre swampland turned into an ornamental Chinese Garden in Circular Road, 2½ miles from the General Post Office. **A row of 5 shop houses in Klyne Street**, a bungalow in Ampang Road, another in Imbi Road, a house in Pudu Road and a shop-house in the middle of China Town in Petaling Street. The printing business also extended to SEREMBAN, the capital of the State of Negri Sembilan; to Ipoh the capital of the State of Perak. Agencies dealing in other lines too were established in Singapore and in Penang.”
This account paints a picture of a successful and influential family, heavily invested in businesses and properties across Kuala Lumpur and beyond, immediately post-revolution. Crucially, it mentions the ownership of "a row of 5 shop houses in Klyne Street."
Now, consider the second source, a 1943 article from the **華僑先鋒月刊 (Overseas Chinese Pioneer Monthly, Vol. 5, No. 8)**, which details the revolutionary activities of **阮英舫 (Ruan Yingfang)** – who is, in fact, the same person as **Yuen Ka Tseung (阮甲祥)**, the patriarch of the family mentioned above:
> **Xiangxing Hao (祥興號) on Klyne Street: A Secret Base and Commercial Enterprise for Revolutionaries**
> **Location:** Ruan Yingfang and his family operated a commercial establishment called "Xiangxing Hao" (often recorded as Klyne Street No. 8) on Klyne Street (吉寧街, now Leboh Ampang).
> **Historical Role:** Between 1906 and the success of the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, Tongmenghui revolutionaries in Kuala Lumpur (such as Lu Qiujie, Chen Zhanmei, etc.) frequently needed to evade suppression by royalists and espionage by the Qing imperial court. Ruan Yingfang's "Xiangxing Hao" became one of the crucial secret organs and liaison points for the Tongmenghui, used for propagating revolutionary ideals, transferring correspondence, and raising funds for the revolution.
What makes this discovery truly remarkable is how these two disparate sources perfectly intertwine. The "row of 5 shop houses in Klyne Street" mentioned in the Yuen family genealogy takes on a profound new significance when read alongside the account of "祥興號" (Xiangxing Hao) on Klyne Street being a pivotal secret base for the Tongmenghui, operated by none other than **Yuen Ka Tseung (阮英舫)** himself.
It strongly suggests that the Yuen family's extensive property holdings on Klyne Street were not just commercial ventures, but likely served as a primary hub for the Kuala Lumpur branch of the Tongmenghui. "祥興號" might have been one specific shop, but the ownership of a *row of five* neighboring shop houses by the family (potentially including some belonging to his sons, who were also revolutionaries) would have provided an ideal and secure environment for clandestine revolutionary activities, far more extensive than a single shop could offer. It could very well have been the de facto headquarters, making Yuen Ka Tseung (阮英舫) a key leader in the local revolutionary movement.