Along a quiet road in Hongxi Village in Jinjiang, China, stands a house built before the rise of one of the Philippines’ largest business groups.
The De Cheng Building, the ancestral home of SM founder Henry Sy, Sr., was built for his parents, Sy Siu Tek and Tan O Sia, after they returned to China.
Construction began in 1952 and was completed the following year—five years before the opening of the first Shoemart store in downtown Manila in 1958.
Located at No. 37 Sanxing Road in Longhu Town, the two-story residence occupies approximately 450 square meters. Built of brick, timber and stone, it follows the traditional Minnan Fan Zai Lou style, a form of Western-influenced architecture associated with overseas Chinese families.
The house reflects both the family’s Fujian roots and the influences brought home by Chinese migrants. Its structure draws from traditional Minnan residences, while Western elements appear in its porches, balconies, corridors and decorative window grilles.
Its design is as practical as it is ornate. East-west corridors and side gates allow air and natural light to move through both floors. Behind the second-floor main hall, two doors open onto an outdoor balcony overlooking the property.
The craftsmanship is most visible in the façade. Finely carved white stone lines the lower walls, while red brick defines the upper sections. Stone pillars frame the recessed entrance porch, whose lintel is decorated with floral clay sculptures and inscribed plaques.
The gables, side gates and window frames feature Qianci, a traditional technique that uses fragments of porcelain to create intricate images of flowers and birds. A boundary wall encloses a spacious front courtyard paved with granite slabs.
Although the house is no longer occupied by the Sy family, it has remained an important link between the Sy family and the village where its story began.
In 2010, Henry Sy, Sr. returned to Hongxi Village and initiated protective renovations to the property. The restoration was completed in 2011, after which the village committee installed a stone marker documenting the history of the De Cheng Building in 2013.
On June 2019, more than 30 members of the Sy family returned to Hongxi Village as part of a journey to retrace their roots and pay homage at the ancestral home.
The family has continued to oversee the property’s upkeep. Waterproofing works were completed in 2019, followed by the restoration of the retaining wall and plaza and termite-control treatment in 2025.
Today, the De Cheng Building remains well preserved. It offers a glimpse of the family’s life before the Sy name became associated with malls, residences, banks and other major businesses.
More than a historic residence, the house is an enduring connection between generations. It links the family’s life in the Philippines to its beginnings in Fujian—and preserves a sense of home that the Sy family continues to honor.