▁with ▁keen ▁observation ▁and ▁a ▁human istic ▁understanding ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁and ▁events ▁around ▁him . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁he ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Med all ion ▁for ▁his ▁out standing ▁achiev ements ▁and ▁contributions ▁to ▁phot ography , ▁for ▁his ▁work ▁" ident ified ▁with ▁the ▁Singapore an ▁society ▁and ▁mirror ed ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁way ▁of ▁life ▁and ▁history ". ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Born ▁in ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 , ▁Y ip ▁arrived ▁in ▁Singapore ▁with ▁his ▁migr ant ▁parents ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁seven ▁months ▁old . ▁His ▁father ▁died ▁when ▁Y ip ▁was ▁four , ▁and ▁his ▁mother ▁then ▁had ▁to ▁find ▁work ▁to ▁support ▁herself ▁and ▁her ▁son . ▁But ▁times ▁were ▁bad ▁and , ▁finding ▁it ▁difficult ▁to ▁ear n ▁a ▁liv elihood , ▁she ▁sent ▁her ▁six - year - old ▁son ▁to ▁D ong gu an , ▁China , ▁where ▁relatives ▁could ▁look ▁after ▁him . ▁However , ▁the ▁relatives ▁were ▁un car ing ▁and ▁Y ip ▁was ▁neglect ed ▁in ▁the ▁subsequent ▁four ▁years . ▁Some ▁kind - heart ed ▁neighb ours ▁at ▁the ▁house ▁in ▁G ong ch ai ▁Street ▁in ▁Ch ash an , ▁D ong gu an , ▁found ▁the ▁child ▁star ving ▁and ▁sick . ▁They ▁fed ▁him ▁for ▁a ▁while ▁and ▁contact ed ▁his ▁mother ▁in ▁Singapore ▁to ▁inform ▁her ▁about ▁the ▁boy ' s ▁condition . ▁He ▁was ▁then ▁brought ▁back ▁to ▁Singapore , ▁where ▁he ▁stayed ▁with ▁his ▁mother ▁at