http://www.straitstimes.com/archive/...low-20140921#6
The tour guide who came to stay How the case came to light
The bungalow
Wealthy widow met guide while on holiday in China; then he moved into her home and gained full control of her assets
Published on Sep 21, 2014 12:48 AM
Tucked away from Yio Chu Kang Road, the single-storey bungalow at Gerald Crescent today occupies 32,000 sq ft - less than half its original size.
A decade ago, 87-year-old widow Chung Khin Chun and her late husband, Dr Chou Sip King, sold their 39,000 sq ft back garden for $7.6 million.
About the size of half a football field, the garden had a lily pond as well as durian, rambutan, papaya and jambu trees.
There was also 20m-long swimming pool, where the couple used to hold lavish parties.
A smaller swimming pool measuring 12m has since replaced it. It was built in front of the bungalow for Madam Chung, an avid swimmer.
But some things have not changed, including the two art galleries the couple built in the 1980s.
One art gallery is located beside Madam Chung's bedroom, while the other is in a separate building at the back of the main house.
The ceilings in these galleries reach 5m, giving ample space for three rows of paintings on the walls.
The galleries, each about the size of a four-room flat, are air-conditioned to ensure the paintings remain in good condition, said Madam Chung's friend of over 30 years, Dr Tan It Koon.
The widow has wide taste in art. Among her collection are stone sculptures, precious stones of rose quartz, jade and amethysts as well as abstract and Chinese paintings, and antiques.
The wealthy widow also has a ruyi, or sceptre, made of pure white jade.
She and her husband were also animal lovers, and used to have six dogs, including a cocker spaniel.
Before she retired, Madam Chung headed Singapore General Hospital's physiotherapy department in the 1960s, according to former colleague Yip Foong Yee, 78.
Her husband Dr Chou was a general practitioner who ran his own clinic in Serangoon and retired after having a stroke. He died in 2007.
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