Traditional Chinese Medicine:
Ancient Roots, Modern Growth
A world replete with images of tiger claws, exotic herbs, and mystical ginseng roots. It is easy to misunderstand the representations of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This centuries-old practice is not merely a concoction of the bizarre and unverified. Instead, it is a profound and intricate domain encompassing acupuncture, complex herbal formulations, and the profound wisdom of Yin and Yang.
Yet, in the eyes of many, TCM has often been painted as an antiquated and less credible alternative to their Western counterparts. It is quietly evolving, with practitioners and dispensaries modernising this ancient tradition, challenging scepticism along the way.
At the forefront of this modernisation is Heng Foh Tong, a humble TCM dispensary. Situated within the heartlands of Bukit Batok, the small family business serves many new and returning customers from all across the island.
The dispensary, whose roots go back as far as 1957, is currently manned by the second generation of the Lee family.
While they continue to uphold the old family traditions, their eldest son, Lee Chin Siong, 54, looks to the future.
With a background in engineering and a knack for business, he stands at the intersection of the past and the future, reimagining TCM.
His mission? To make TCM more accessible and relevant than ever, all while staying true to the timeless values of quality and authenticity that are synonymous with the trade.
The Familiar Tea
It began three years ago. Sipping on the familiar old herbal tea,
Chin Siong watched as his mother prepared dinner when a thought suddenly overcame him.
"Who is going to make the herbal tea for me,
when she's too frail to do so?" said Chin Siong
He did not want to take his mother’s good health for granted.
Chin Siong looked towards the most convenient option he could think of — store-bought herbal tea.
Spurred into action, he scoured the whole of Singapore, driven by the hope of discovering a herbal tea that could rival that of his mother's brew.
"I bought a number of TCM herbal teas, the famous brands around Singapore, and passed it to my mum," Chin Siong recounts.
Upon bringing them back home, he was met with disapproval by his parents. They wondered why he bought commercial herbal tea when they could easily brew it better themselves.
With the reluctance of both parents, Chin Siong faced the uphill task of convincing his parents to partake in his little experiment.
"Which one do you think is the best? When you're no longer around to brew for me, I can just buy it from that brand." Chin Siong said.
He was shunned by his father, but his mother gave in. The experiment was conducted. Even the best of the bundle was not something she would serve to her own grandchildren.
The experiment yielded a clear verdict: nothing equaled his mother's brew.
The fear of losing the cherished flavour of his mother's perfection ignited Chin Siong's passionate journey, through his relentless pursuit to recreate and safeguard the unique essence of Heng Foh Tong's herbal tea.
Soughting his mother's discerning judgement, they realised that the majority of commercial herbal teas fell short of her discerning standards. They lacked authenticity and failed to meet her lofty expectations.
This revelation left Chin Siong pondering a profound question: How could he make his mother’s authentic cherished herbal tea accessible to a wider audience?
The answer became clear as he contemplated the future of TCM. For this ancient tradition to thrive, it required a transformation. A modern-day invention that would move with a new generation.
The ancient practices of TCM needed a contemporary makeover.
Loving Opposition
Despite Chin Siong’s newfound purpose, his father was reluctant to support him.
“You’re old. I’m old. Our runway so short. Are you sure you can complete the purpose you want?” Chin Siong recalled his father’s words.
The anger and scepticism his father had towards this venture, almost drove Chin Siong to tears.
He had always wished for Chin Siong to retire in peace and find happiness with his own family, but now he had helpless worries that his son might lose everything he worked for by venturing into the family business.
His father also had little faith that Chin Siong could prevail over the other big brands. With so many competitors, how could he possibly make his mark?
Unwavered, he made two heartfelt commitments to his father. Firstly, he promised to never spend his entire life savings on the project. Secondly, he expressed his intention to approach TCM with a fresh perspective, embracing innovation.
Learning of his son’s intention to join the family business, his father nearly cried.
Modernising TCM
Entrepreneurship was a realm Chin Siong knew well. However, translating that experience
into this ancient practice was an entirely different ball game.
There was also the age-old dilemma of maintaining the herbs' freshness that needed answers. The challenge was finding a way to store the tea for an extended period without resorting to preservatives that would compromise the purity of the tea.
His knowledge and skills in the field of TCM were still lacking. Sure, he had helped out every now and then at the shop, but he desperately needed the guidance of experts in different fields before he could even think of pushing out any products.
With a predominantly elderly customer base, it dawned on him that there was a need to expand beyond his usual customer base to appeal to a broader audience.
“There’s no stopping it. There are always ways and means to do it,” said Chin Siong.
Tackling the issues at hand, Chin Siong would draw on his experience and knowledge as a former engineer to analyse the problem from a practical standpoint.
His extensive network of connections combined with his practicality, allowed him to engineer a series of TCM products to eliminate the need for preservatives.
These innovations featured air-tight bottle seals to maintain the purity of herbal essences and extend shelf life, as well as TCM tea sachets and herbal ice popsicles, all crafted without any preservatives.
Teaming up with students from Nanyang Polytechnic, they gave these new innovations a complete makeover. He paid tribute to Heng Foh Tong's roots by branding his creations as “HF Tea”. Taking inspiration from well-known brands, the packaging was designed to blend classic and contemporary aesthetics, appealing to a broad, varied audience.
There was also the introduction of youthful flavours such as lavender and peach gum to entice the younger crowd.
Every facet, from the choice of materials to the meticulously designed illustrations, was selected and created with utmost care and precision, to give these ancient tonics a modern makeover.
Fruits of Labour
The modern makeover still had to withstand the test of his mother’s approval.
“She took a sip, turned to me, and nodded,” he recalled the instance when his mother sang praises for his herbal tea.
His mother had gone from a sceptic of pre-packaged teas to Chin Siong’s most trusted quality assurance professional. Whenever a new product would be launched, she would be the one to give the green light.
With government grants and the promotion of his creations at roadshows and events, HFTea slowly started gaining traction.
He began to reap the fruits of his labour when the Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Ms Low Yen Ling, visited Heng Foh Tong. They were featured as a local heartland business that had overcome challenges through innovative approaches as part of an initiative by Enterprise Singapore.
She shook his hand, thanking him for his hard work and the impact he had made in the field of TCM, modernising it and making herbal teas more accessible to the masses.
For Chin Siong, this was another sign that he was heading in the right direction, that he was succeeding. That small thought he had at the dinner table, had turned into a business that was making strides towards keeping the TCM tradition alive.
Continuing The Family Legacy
With his mother’s blessings and the stamp of approval from an authority figure,
his father would be hard-pressed to not at least acknowledge his son’s success.
As a child, his father had lofty aspirations to become a Western doctor and he almost achieved it.
However, forced to wield the helm of the family business as the eldest son, he abandoned that dream.
Unable to bear the thought of Chin Siong taking over the family business, which in his eyes was doomed to fade into obscurity, he did not want his children to follow in his footsteps.
However, seeing Chin Siong’s hard work and triumph, he eventually came to accept the path that he had chosen.
Surrounded by herbs and wooden cabinets ever since he was a child, TCM was something Chin Siong held close to his heart. He was not ready to let go just yet.
“When I was young, herbs were to me, what toys were to other children,” he said.
The dispensary standing today is a testament to the hard work of his previous generations
in upholding the family tradition. He did not want their legacy to end with him.
It was never about lofty dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur nor about establishing a modern herbal tea brand. All he ever wanted was to carry on his parent’s traditions and prove that TCM could keep up with the times.
Even though Chin Siong’s efforts have breathed new life into this rudimentary trade,
there is still a long road ahead to modernise TCM.
As he continues to innovate,
Chin Siong’s story reminds us that the most important satisfaction
often comes from the simplest of joys, in this case, a cup of tea
brewed just right, and the support from mother and father.
