In 1910, Tan joined Sun Yat-sen's Tongmenghui, as well as becoming chairman of the board of governors of Tao Nan School and a director of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, thus emerging as a leader of the Hokkien community.
1910 年，他加入同盟會成為革命組織的一員，並被選為道南學校總理、中華總商會協理（董事），進入了福幫的領導層。