Being a millionaire in Singapore is hard. No one can admire your lightning fast Lambo cos it gets stuck in traffic all day long. Your favourite cocktail at Pangaea is unavailable cos they ran out of diamonds. Ugh. Life can be so difficult.

Step back into the beginning of the 20th century where Lamborghinis are replaced by trishaws and your favourite mojito becomes a bowl of rice wine (sans diamonds). You are a rich Chinese merchant who made his fortunes through his pepper and gambier plantations. Life as a 20th century millionaire isn’t easy too. You’re a mini celebrity of sorts but you have not reached the apex of society. For that, you need to be inducted into the famed halls of the millionaire clubs.

There are choices – but which to pick?

1. The Chinese Weekly Entertainment Club

What it was:

Located at 76 Club Street, the club started around 1891 for English-speaking Straits Chinese (read: Peranakan) elites to gather on weekends for, in the words of Sir Song Ong Siang, ‘social intercourse’. It was the leading Straits Chinese social club for several decades. It is believed that the Chinese Weekly Entertainment Club was the inspiration behind the naming of Club Street.

Very little is known about the club, except for Mr Song’s account (in his very, very concise book – One Hundred Years' History of the Chinese in Singapore) of its fifth anniversary celebrations in (possibly) October 1896.

To commemorate the special occasion, the club organised a Fancy Dress Ball which saw members turning up as sultans, princes, kings and queens. Someone even came as a Chinese diplomat. Everyone had a roaring good time. Think of it as Halloween – without the candy.

Today, the club still remains shrouded in mystery. A call to the club only reveals that the club is still a place for members to socialise and network though they are not as active as before.

Is it for you?

If you know the difference between your kuih dadar and kuih lapis, and have a penchant for dressing up – sure!

2. Ee Hoe Hean

What it was:

Founded in 1895, Ee Hoe Hean was a prominent gentlemen’s club for Chinese businessmen to find mahjong buddies network. It was founded by a group of influential Chinese businessmen, including Gan Eng Seng and Lim Boon Keng.

The club became an important place for Chinese businessmen to discuss various social, political and cultural issues of the day – especially in the areas of politics (sheltering anti-Japanese forces during World War 2) and education (the idea to build Nanyang University was conceived there in the mid 1950s).

From 1937 to 1942, Ee Hoe Hean was the headquarters for the South Seas China Relief Fund Union which rallied regional Chinese in the fight against Japanese forces in China. The club also supported drivers and mechanics who brought military supplies to their Chinese counterparts via Burma.

Other than the business network opportunities, the club also offers a free lunch – sweet potato porridge – for its members, a tradition that has not stopped since the club’s beginning.

Today the club, which stands at 43 Bukit Pasoh Road, is a $2.5 million-reconstructed clubhouse which is opened to the public. It houses a memorial hall which honours early Chinese community leaders such as Tan Kah Kee.

Other famous members include Chinese luminaries such as Chua Thian Poh (of Ho Bee Investment) and Wee Cho Yaw (UOB chairman) and others whose combined net worth is more than the GDP of a small African nation.

Is it for you?

Since membership is by invitation only, make sure you hobnob in the right social circles. Also, a love for sweet potato porridge wouldn’t hurt.

3. Chui Huay Lim Club

What it was:

The year was 1845. The number of Teochew immigrants arriving in Singapore was burgeoning. Teochew merchants found their businesses growing exponentially and soon there was a need for a distinct institution for Teochew businessmen to network and discuss the best places for decent Teochew porridge.

Along came Tan Cheng Bao, a merchant in the gunpowder and opium business, who set up the exclusive Chui Huay Lim Club – also known as the Teochew Gentlemen’s Club – at 190 Keng Lee Road, where it still stands today.

Registration for entry into the Chui Huay Lim Club was notoriously difficult, with only the upper echelons of Teochew society - such as Lim Nee Soon (of Nee Soon Road fame) and Lee Wee Nam (co-founder of Ngee Ann Girls’ School) - allowed membership.

Aside from being Teochew (duh) and having recommendations from at least 2 club members, applicants had to be super wealthy and/or wield immense influence in the community.

Assuming the applicant passes these criteria, he would be subjected to a screening by a panel of judges from the board of directors. The screening process is unique in itself – the judges cast their votes with black/white tokens – white for ‘yes’ and black for ‘no’. A wooden box with 2 drawers was utilised for the voting. Judges would choose either white or black tokens from the bottom drawer and deposit them in the upper drawer. Everything was done in silence. If 2 or more black tokens were counted, the application was denied.

Today, Chui Huay Lim engages in philanthropic work as well as promotion of Chinese arts and culture. In recent years, the practice of only recruiting the ultra-rich has given way to a slightly more open policy (although applicants still have to be Teochew). After a $60 million renovation in 2011, the club’s membership quadrupled to over 300 members.

Is it for you?

Up your Teochew cred by practicing your Teochew lingo - perhaps this might help – and familiarizing yourself with the best Teochew muay haunts in town.

Top photo from here.

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