Raymond Seid on his most recent trip to his ancestral village in Xinhui purchased three very interesting books on Wuyi. These books take the readers to different parts of Wuyi and give a glimpse of the area’s past as the pieces were written by different authors from different eras.

Raymond is willing to share these books with our visitors who in turn will translate portion into English and share the translation with the online community. Please contact me for further information.

These books should be readily available in major bookstores throughout. Please contact us for further information.

	This book is a general introduction to the 5-County area called Wuyi.  It presents to the reader various notable aspects of the Wuyi area and covers the subjects of ancient villages, famous academics, travels of the Overseas hinese, Western architectural influence of buildings, watchtowers, marketplaces, area culture and traditions.  The 217-page softcover book (copyright 2005) contains a number of classic and modern photographs, both in color and black-and-white. Click here to view table of contents for this book.
	This book is an anthology of writings about various notable places and things of the Wuyi area.  It contains the prose writings of over 70 notable aspects of the area as written by various authors. The 397-page softcover book (copyright 2006) contains a number of color and black-and–white photographs. This book’s table of contents has 3 pages. Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3
	This book is an anthology of poetry written about various sceneries in the Sun Wui (Xinhui) County area.  There are over 50 original calligraphy poems written by various poets.  Many of the poems are ancient, some written in old traditional Chinese characters perhaps over 1000 years ago.  The 58-page softcover book (copyright 2004) contains minimal photographs.

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This site is devoted to the genealogy of Chinese families from an area of Guangdong, China (中國廣東)commonly known as Siyi (四邑) or four counties. The counties are Xinhui (新會), Taishan (台山), Kaiping (開平), and Enping (恩平). The families in this area have much in common besides geographic location. The great majority trace their origin to China’s central plain. Each faamily may have different reasons for leaving the Central Plains and migrated southward. The most common would be fleeing the turmoil caused by an invading nomad tribe, internal uprising or natural disaster. This southward journey happened in multiple stages and over hundreds of years. Each major unrest or disaster drove them further south until they finally settled in their current locations. In many cases this final settlement took place five to six hundred years ago.

Due to crowded living condition and lack of agrarian land the migration, however, continued. At first a small number headed to the South Pacific. Since the 1850′s an increasing large number had crossed the Pacific and Indian Oceans in search of work. This is not a true migration in that they seldom settled in their new locations due to cultural and political reasons. This, however, began to change in the latter half of the 20th century as the Western nations amended their immigration policies primarily because of the overseas Chinese’s contributions to the war effort during World War II. This coupled with events in China made many decided to have their families joined them and settled in the foreign land.

A place of great significant during this southward migration is Zhujixiang, Nanxiong (南雄珠璣巷). A vast majority of the families in the Pearl River Delta area trace their roots to there. One can say it is Pearl River Delta genealogy’s equivalent to the Americans’ Mayflower and Plymouth Rock.

The surnames we are actively researching are: Chan, Chow, Der, Kwan, Lee, Mak, Wong, and Zhao (陳周謝關李麥黃趙). So far we only have time to compile some of the information on the Chow (周), Der (謝), Lee (李), and Zhao (趙).

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Things remained relatively unchanged until the Three Kingdom period (三國時代). In 222 AD, one of the Kingdoms, Wu (吳), established Wuyee County (武夷縣) which approximately where present Xinhui is situated. The name was changed to Xinyee (新夷) in 280 AD. Sine the word yee (夷) means barbarians then it is not difficult to conclude this part of China was not exactly civilized. In actual fact the northerner, the inhabitants north of the Yangtze, commonly referred the inhabitants across the river and beyond as Southern Barbarians (南蠻子).

The name Xinhui (新會) first appeared in 420 when Xinhui Quon (新會郡) which initially contained three and later increased to twelve counties was established. It covered a large area including the entire present Xinhui, Taishan (台山), Heshan (鶴山), Kaiping (開平), Shunde (順德), southeast portion of both Xinxing (新興) and Gaoming (高明), eastern portion of Enping (恩平), northeastern and eastern portions of Zhongshan (中山).

The next major change came in 590 AD when it and six other counties were placed under the jurisdiction of Feng Zhou (封州). The next year it was renamed E Zhou ((允州)) which two years later was changed to Gong Zhou (岡州). Gong Zhou was also the name of town where the Xinhui administration was located. Many historians believe it is located at the southwest corner of present day Xinxing. During the ensuring 130 years, there were many flip-flops on Gong Zhou. Finally, Gong Zhou was abolished and the land was divided into two counties, Xinhui and Yeening (義寧), under the jurisdiction of Guangzhou (廣州). Xinhui’s boundaries were finally established and remained unchanged until 1152.

From 1152-1732 the following counties were established by partitioned land from Xinhui. The first, in 1152, to be established was Huengshan (香山) which was renamed in the 20th century to Zhongshan (中山). It is the birthday place of the father of modern China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Following the Chinese tradition of not using the country’s chief executive’s (prime minister) personal name but the county of origin. Thus to the Chinese he is generally known as Sun Zhongshan (孫中山). Three other counties were established in fairly rapid fashion: Shunde (1452), Enping (1478) and Xinning (新寧)(1499). The final two partitions took place during the Qing Dynasty (清朝), Kaiping (1649) and Heshan (1732).

Xinhui will always be remembered as where, Yamen (崖門), the army of the Southern Sung Dynasty (南宋), in 1279, made its last stand against the invading all-conquering Mongolian army. The prime minister, Luk Shiufu (陸秀夫), determining that both himself and the emperor should never be captured, strapped the eight year-old child onto his back and jumped off the cliff into the water below.

The story doesn’t end here. Legend has it that days later a monk found the body of a young boy in a yellow robe (traditionally yellow is the colour reserved for the royal family) floating in the open sea. The body was sheltered by birds. After collecting the body and upon close examination the monk discovered the royal seal (玉璽) which confirmed the body was that of the boy emperor. Quietly the monk buried the body and it wasn’t till years later before words of this grave got out. Now each Qing Ming (清明) the Chiu (Zhao) Association in Hong Kong visits grave and pays its respect. The legend and photo of the grave are provided by Henry Chiu.

Another legend is that this child emperor hung his robe on a lychee tree before the fatal event. From then onward, lychees from the area all have a green strip and the sweetest (掛綠荔枝).

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In 1871 BC agreed to enter Confederation as a province of Canada, on the condition that a transcontinental railway be built to link it to the rest of the country. The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway brought the second wave of Chinese immigrants. The 1885 Royal Commission on Chinese Immigration reported that 15,701 Chinese entered Canada between 1881 and 1884. In 1882 alone, eight thousand arrived in Victoria.

However, the long journey extracted a heavy toll. The travelers faced with numerous hazards such as storms, pirates, insanitary conditions, starvation and scurvy. It was estimated that nearly ten percent died of scurvy. In December 1859, the Lady Inglis was lost on her voyage from China to Canada. The Lawson arrived at Victoria in June 1860 with 68 passengers, although its list showed 280; the missing passengers couldn’t be accounted for. The captain was later charged with having no clearance paper and no medicine chest on board.

The majority of the immigrants came from the two southern coastal provinces of Guangdong (廣柬省), particularly the four adjacent counties of Xinhui (新會), Taisan (台山), Kaiping (開平) and Enping (恩平)- collectively known as Siyi (四邑), and Fujian (福建省). The similar dialect spoken by these Siyi people are commonly referred to as Taishanese (台山話). It became the defacto Chinese language in North America up to and until the early 1970′s Then Hong Kong became the primary source of Chinese immigrants and Cantonese (廣東話) is now the most commonly spoken dialect in the communities. However, majority of Chinese immigrants now come directly from China. This shift will not only impact the spoken language but also the written form as Simplified Chinese, standard in Mainland China, replaces the current popular Traditional Chinese.

Here is a listing of the Chinese in British Columbia 1884 – 1885 by surname and county of origin as compiled by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association.

By 1886, Chinese begun to settle at the corner of Carrall and Pender (was Dupont at the time). The main business was laundries. Slowly the settlement spread eastward along Pender. However, all was destroyed during the disastrous Vancouver fire of June 13, 1886.

Because of the depression at the time, the local unemployed white workers, through the Knights of Labour, expressed strong feelings against Chinese labour. The Knights of Labour were adamant that Vancouver should excluded all Chinese. In early 1887, Anti-Chinese Leagues were formed and meetings held throughout British Columbia. On February 24, 1887, an Anti-Chinese meeting was held in Vancouver because it was rumoured that at least a hundred Chinese had landed in Vancouver. This eventually led to the February 24 Chinatown Riot.

The Vancouver Anti-Chinese League held a meeting on February 24, 1887 when twenty-four Chinese arrived from Victoria to clear the Brighouse Estate. After the meeting was formally adjourned, someone called for “Those in favour of running out the Chinese tonight.” The crowd responded with a roar and they, estimated at three to four hundred strong, marched through the snow to the Chinese camp at the western end of the Coal Harbour Bridge. The Chinese were roughly herded outside and the camp destroyed. To escape the kicking and manhandling, some of the Chinese jumped into the icy water and the rest were chased onto the CPR right-of-way without shelter. Not satisfied, part of the mob returned to Vancouver and set fire to some of the Chinese buildings on Carrall Street. The mob returned to Chinatown the next day and forced the Chinese to leave for New Westminster.

The Chinese didn’t return to Vancouver until the Attorney General in Victoria introduced An Act for the Preservation of Peace within the Municipal Limits of the City of Vancouver and brought 36 constables from Victoria to Vancouver. By 1887 present day Vancouver Chinatown began to take shape along Dupont (present day Pender) from Carrall to Main (was Westminster Avenue at the time) with thirty-two businesses. For the next eighty years the Vancouver Chinese community remained in this area which expanded later to Gore St. on the east and Keefer on the south.

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Can anyone help me identify the two villages that my grandparents came from? My grandparents Wong came from Jung Seng, Dong Guan, Yu Tien village, Doong Fong branch. My other set of grandparents, the Woos, came from Kwang Tung Province, Toishan, Sai Sarm Bow, Wang Jo Cheung.
I have seen a map of Jung Seng, but unfortunately, I can’t read Chinese. I have a general idea of where the village is, but I would like to get more specific.
Thank you!

Zengcheng

Dongguan 1

Dongguan 2

Wong Tong

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The discovery of a Chinese grave marker at the Youbou millsite has the future plans for this area up in the air.

Former mill workers reported seeing the marker and pictures were taken. The last sighting before the recent find dates back to 1987. However, the carved stone has remained in tact. Translated by Dr. Hua Lin at the University of Victoria, the marker reads: Zheng Weijing, (from) En Yi Shi Tan Cun, 1925.

In 1925, Youbou was not yet established. A small mill operation called, Medina on Cottonwood Creek processed timber amidst a small community named Yap Alley. Immigrants from Europe, Asia, America and India worked to clear virgin land and create settlements.

Racial tension was high during this period, especially for the Chinese. The promise of gold and better living during the late 1800′s had brought the Chinese people in droves. Initially, the hard laboring ethics of the Chinese was appreciated by most. Hundreds of workers were recruited from China by Island companies seeking cheap labor. There was plenty of work to be had for everyone and the Chinese immigrants built the CPR that brought the greatest economic shift on the Island. Others worked as laundry and domestic help. But that was not to last very long.

Anti-Chinese Riots occurred at work sites and in newly formed cities. Chinese people were killed, homes were destroyed and many perished from the inhumane circumstances they were forced to live under. The formation of the Anti-Chinese Society in 1873, brought considerable pressure to government legislation.

BC archives report earnings that demonstrate the prejudism of the time. A Chinese worker could make 9 cents a day, an East Indian 12 cents and a white worker 55 cents for much the same labor.

The government took strong action against further Chinese immigration through required head tax increases. The Chinese were the only immigrants that were required to pay this tax to the government. By 1904, the amount had jumped from $50 in 1885 to $500. This determent greatly affected the number of Chinese immigrants. However, by 1923, the Exclusion Act passed in BC prohibited any Chinese from entering the country. Those who lived here could leave but were forced to return within a specific period of time as determined by authorities or they would not be allowed to return. The impact on the Chinese was devastating. Dreams of returning home with money or of bringing wives, children and other family over to Canada to built a new life were destroyed. Many did not see their spouses or children for over a decade. Many more committed suicide.

Local legend surrounding the grave marker found at Youbou tell of a man who met with such a fate. It is told by Youbou resident, Gary Lavoie, that Zheng Weijing hung himself from a Maple Tree. Lavoie’s father, now passed away, layed claim to witnessing the grisly find. He went on to say that the Chinese workers at the site banded together and refused to work until the entire tree had been cut down.

According to Rosemary Crawford in an article written for The Old Cemeteries Society Newsletter, Winter 2001 issue, treatment of the dead was meticulous:

“…traditional beliefs and rituals had been brought with the Chinese from their homeland. In earlier days most Chinese believed the soul stayed in the bones after death, and therefore it was extremely important that the remains be handled according to strict tradition.

The dead were buried in shallow, temporary graves; then after seven years the body would be exhumed and the bones cleaned and placed in a small wooden box with the name of the deceased and his or her village painted on the box.”

Whether Zheng Weijing’s body was treated according to this tradition or not is unknown at this time. Timberwest, owner of the land where the grave marker is located has roped off the immediate area surrounding the site.

Initiatives pertaining to the preservation of this area and the surrounding area have commenced. Local area residents are writing letters to Timberwest executive and to the BC government in an appeal to the proper treatment of the section of land where the marker is located. Reports of other grave markers as well as many artifacts found on the site has fueled the communities’ insistence.

John Waddington, Youbou resident wrote, “It has been brought to my attention that a Chinese grave site has been discovered on the Timberwest sawmill site in Youbou. As a member of this community I would like to see the Entire Chinese Bunkhouse area and Grave Site set aside and donated to Youbou as a Historical Monument, to commemorate the Chinese people who gave their lives to help build our community as well as others throughout BC.

Proper treatment for “Zhang Weijing”, from the village of “En Yi Shi Tan Cun” who’s grave has been left to the weeds and scrap iron on the Timberwest site is imperative.”

Following a series of discussions on this area, Timberwest Executive, Don McMullan had this to say about Timberwest’s plans:

“Decommissioning works, primarily foundation removal, will likely carry through into 2002. Once the foundations are removed, we will undertake a Level 2 environmental assessment and will have it completed by the end of 2002.”

As it now stands, it seems reasonable to expect that we would be in a position to develop a managed and coordinated approach for assessing the site for historical values sometime in 2002.”

Steve Lorimer of Timberwest reports that the Cemetery and Funeral Services Branch has been contacted and that the company intends to adhere to all legislation concerning the area.

Historical preservation organizers ask that you contact them at 250-749-4973 for further information on the Youbou area initiatives or in the event that you have materials or information relevant to Chinese Immigration in Cowichan Valley.

Corinne Pratz
June 2001

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