Long before your time, in the southern province of China, lay a brick and wood residence.

This home with grey tiled roof and ink paintings on the walls was built by Lee Kuan Yew's great-grandfather in 1848.

Since Lee Kuan Yew's passing on March 23, 2015, local villagers surrounding this ancestral home of Singapore's late founding prime minister have been paying their respects and mourning his demise.

In recent days, there has also been plans by the local authorities there to turn Lee's ancestral home into a tourist attraction.

Xinhua news reports:

A village over 500 kilometers from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou that nestles in mountains is attracting visitors in search of a glimpse into the life of late Singapore leader Lee Kuan Yew.

A brick and wood residence, located in Dabu County under the city of Meizhou in Guangdong Province, constructed in the traditional Chinese style, with a grey tiled roof and ink paintings on the walls, is the ancestral home of the late leader. It was built in 1884 by his great-grandfather who was born in Dabu in 1848.

Since Lee Kuan Yew's death, many memorials have been organized by local villagers. Evidence of these private events can be seen in the house's main hall -- on the wall is a portrait of Lee during his time as a student in Britain, and candy and rice wine have been left on a square table.

Apart from the villagers, China has also paid tribute to Lee.

Want China Times wrote:

China on Monday mourned the death of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father, calling him a statesman of unique influence in Asia.

Lee was a strategist with both oriental values and international vision, foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said in a written statement.

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