Ah Lum

Ah Lum was born in China, and later moved to New Zealand where he opened a store in the Otago town of Arrowtown. He was a well-respected leader in the Chinese mining community at Arrowtown, and served as an interpreter between the Chinese and European peoples. Ah Lum became a local hero after he saved the life of a European miner who was drowning in the Shotover River.^[1]

Ah Lum's store was built from mortared stone rubble with an iron roof. Inside, there were five rooms, as well as a loft space. His store was one of the few original buildings in the Chinese settlement to remain standing.^[2] Ah Lum acquired the store in 1909, and the building began to serve as a shop, a bank, a place for socialising, and as accommodation for both travellers and visitors. The store stocked both Asian and European supplies.

After Ah Lum's death in 1925 (some sources say 1927^[2]), the store closed and the Chinese community disappeared. The building was restored in 1986, and is now registered as a Category I Historic Place.^[2]