1867 - 1923
The Lim Chin Tsong Palace
Pictured here is the Lim Chin Tsong Palace (c. 1920), which is located at the corner of Kokine and Victoria roads (now Kaba Aye Pagoda Road and University Avenue). Lim Chin Tsong (1867-1923) was a very successful Sino-Burmese businessman. Born in Amoy and educated at St Paul's in Rangoon, he went on to become the owner of the Rangoon Turf Club, and a Member of the Burma Legislative Council.
In 1918, he built this lavish residence in a peculiar mix of Western and Chinese styles for a whopping 22 lakh kyats (rupees). The murals inside were painted by the English artists Ernst and Dod Proctor. Today owned by the government, the building is now home to the State Fine Arts School, though much of the building is not being fully used.