The stone structures were once part of the tomb of Tan Boon Hak 陈文学, who passed away on 19 April 1923. Tan's grave was one of over 3,700 graves that were exhumed between 2013 and 2014 for the construction of a new road through Bukit Brown Cemetery.Tan Boon Hak was a timber merchant and also a cousin of Tan Kah Kee. His headstone is unique for featuring a pair of five-coloured flags (五色旗 wuse qi), which was the national flag of the Republic of China from 1912 to 1928. This detail reflects Tan's political orientation and interest in mainland China. The tomb of Tan is further decorated with some of the more intricate examples of relief carvings seen among the exhumed graves. The carvings featuring different narrative scenes drawn from Chinese literary or theatrical sources, adorn different parts of the tomb. The panels carved with a mythical beast, probably a qilin, originally formed the sides of the offering table placed before the headstone.
