Our Heritage & History

Seven decades of service, trust, and transformation — from a neighbourhood bookshop to a national institution.

Origin Story — Kong Beng Book Co.

Where It All Began

Established in 1947

“A humble bookshop on Cross Street — and the beginning of something lasting.”

Kong Beng Book Company Pte Ltd was founded in 1947 by Chuang Kui Chong, initially supplying stationery and books to schools and government agencies across Singapore. The business was built on a simple promise: provide quality products with honest service.

In 1986, the company underwent a strategic restructuring — separating property and investment interests to form Kong Beng Stationery & Sports Pte Ltd (KBSS), allowing the business to focus entirely on what it did best: supplying schools, offices, and families with everything they need to learn, work, and play.

Today, KBSS serves customers across Singapore and the wider region — government agencies, schools, businesses, and online platforms — as a trusted one-stop hub for stationery, sports equipment, games, and musical instruments.

Founding Members — Kong Beng Book Co.

Our Roots

Our Founding Members

The Chuang family — a father and his three sons — laid the foundation of everything Kong Beng stands for today.

Founding Members — The 3 brothers and their father

(From Left to Right) The Sons: Chuang Seow Kian, Chuang Shew Beng and Chuang Shao Chian

From the Archives

The Founding Father Behind Kong Beng

Historical record of Chuang Kui Chong — Kong Beng founder

Historical Record · Chuang Kui Chong

Click to enlarge · 庄圭钟先生传略

English Translation

Chuang Kui Chong — Educator & Founder

Translated from the original Chinese biographical record

Overview

Before founding Kong Beng, Chuang Kui Chong spent decades shaping Chinese education across Southeast Asia — a life defined by conviction, service, and an unshakeable commitment to his community.

Early Life & Education

Born in 1897 in Shanyao Village, Hui An County, Chuang Kui Chong grew up in poverty but studied with great diligence. He excelled through high school and was admitted to Beijing Normal University — a remarkable achievement for someone of his background. After graduating, he devoted decades to education, rising from secondary school teacher to principal, and eventually to Director of the Education Bureaus of Tong’an and Putian counties in Fujian Province.

Champion of Chinese Education Abroad

Following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937, Mr. Chuang moved south to Indonesia, where he served as school principal and was elected Chairman of the Chinese Teachers’ Association of the Dutch East Indies. His outspoken advocacy for Chinese education rights drew the displeasure of the Dutch colonial government, eventually forcing him to relocate to Singapore. There he served as principal of several schools and was appointed head of the Nanyang Overseas Chinese Normal School — the highest Chinese educational institution in Singapore, founded under the patronage of Tan Kah Kee and opened on 10 October 1941.

Wartime Resistance

When the Japanese military invaded Southeast Asia, Mr. Chuang joined cultural figures — including Yu Dafu and Hu Yuzhi — in the Singapore Chinese Cultural and Art Troupe, serving as Head of Training to coordinate singing and wartime propaganda. After Singapore fell on 15 February 1942, he took refuge in Sumatra. After the war, he returned to Singapore, resumed teaching, and served as Chairman of the Singapore Teachers’ Union.

Founding Kong Beng

Dissatisfied with the British colonial government’s education policies, Mr. Chuang had his teaching licence revoked. Undeterred, he turned to business — and in 1949, founded Kong Beng Book Company, wholesaling stationery, books, instruments, and educational goods. Even in commerce, his aspiration remained to serve society. He remained active in community leadership, serving on the boards of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Chung Cheng High School, and holding senior roles in the Hui’an Association and Hokkien Huay Kuan.

Milestones — Kong Beng Book Co.