The Chinese Heritage Centre was originally the Nanyang University Administration Building, completed in late 1955 with a $500,000 donation from Penang Chinese leader Lim Lean Teng. Initially serving as the university library, it later became the administration building, hosting key ceremonies, including the university’s opening in 1956 and campus completion in 1958.

In March 1992, Minister George Yeo proposed repurposing the building as a museum on early Chinese immigrants. The Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations, led by President Wee Cho Yaw, accepted the proposal, announcing the Chinese Heritage Centre’s establishment and it was officially inaugurated on May 17, 1995.

Founded in 1995, the Chinese Heritage Centre (CHC) aims to advance knowledge and understanding of the ethnic Chinese communities in different parts of the world. Established as a non-profit organisation, the CHC's work is guided by an international Board of Governors. In 2011, the CHC has been reconstituted as an autonomous institute of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), depending almost entirely on fundraising from private donors and government 1:1 matching grants.  

The CHC serves as a research centre, a museum, and a library. It is housed in the historic Administration Building of the former Nanyang University, which itself is a relic of the landmark establishment of the first and only Chinese-medium university outside China, founded by the Chinese overseas. It was gazetted as a National Monument on 18 December 1998.

Visitors will find it pleasant to simply admire the unique architecture of this building built in the 1950s, or take a stroll in the Yunnan Garden or by the Nantah Lake, adjacent to the CHC.

The CHC aims to advance knowledge and understanding of ethnic Chinese and their communities in different parts of the world.

The CHC works to promote awareness and understanding of Chinese history, culture, and tradition among people in Singapore and the world through exhibitions; library services; a collection of historical and academic materials; public lectures, seminars and international conferences; community outreach activities; and publications.

The CHC aspires to be a leading research and resource centre on the Chinese outside China.