Updates.
5/03/2009 uploaded.
9/03/09 Changed maps, new photo
11/03/09 Photos
Wong /Foo gathering 1987. Grace Chung in arms at the rear, middle. Believed to be for the 80th birthday of Teh Sian Eng sitting front row centre.
Wong clan at Andrew's wedding 2009.
Wong Swee Thar’s wedding October 1987.
Sisters taken 2007.
Sisters photo taken 1971 cir.
After Tea Ceremony 1988 Alor Setar and Andrew’s famous fish head curry
Some cheeky cousins.
Dinner at the KK shop house 1988. The cook was too shy to have her photograph taken!
Photo taken 1965, Peter, Maria and Anne. The boy in the front is believed be the son of Ong Khek Ang and his first wife.
NOTES referred to in the other parts of the Family Tree.Note 1 Still living in 2008.
Note 2 Died in a motor vehicle accident with his son John, on All Souls Day.
Note 3 (Married at 12 noon 25th day of the Chinese 9th moon. Reception at the Safira County club, Seberang Perai. He is the eldest son.),
Note 4 Details from family members
Note 5 As shown on Anne Wongs Certificate of Baptism.
Note 6 Possibly the Catholic Church, Guxi village, township of Liang-ying, County of Chaoyang, China.
Note 7 Due to administrative changes in China the village of Rong-tang (榕堂), is now part of Chaonan District.
Note 8 Nat Register SHP 726802
Note 9 Nat Reg HSE 729431
Note 10 Details from business card.
Note 11 At this time Kedah was administered by Thailand as Japan passed control of Kedah over to Thailand to administer from 1943 to 1945 when the war ended.
Note 12 Went over to England to study in 2000 2001
Note 13 Dinner held at the S.R.J.K. Kay Sin School Hall on Sunday 4 June 1995 corresponding to the 7th day of the Chinese 5th Month.
Note 14 Was operated on for a brain tumour but later died from it.
Note 15 Banquet held at The Grand Ballroom of the Tropicana Golf and Country Club, KL. on Saturday 15th December 2001.
Note 16 Born at 8:53am weight 2.65kgs
Note 17 Baptised by Father Simon
Note 18 Born 8:54 weight 2.30 kgs
Note 19 Dinner held Bagan Bukit Tambun, Simpang Ampat S.P.S. corresponding to tenth day of Chinese 11th moon,
Note 20 Reception held 4 December 1999 at Maluri Value Inn Teratai Ballroom, Taman Maluri, Kuala Lumpur
Note 21 Church of the Holy Rosary, 10, Jalan tin Sambanthan, Brickfields, 50470, Kuala Lumpur on 3/1/2009 at 11.00am. Reception Grand Ballroom, Sheraton Sebang hotel and Towers, Jalan SS12/1, Subang Jaya, 47500, Selangor.
Note 22 Details from parents
Note 23 Copy of Birth Certificate
Note 24 Baptised by Rev. Fr. Paul Wong. Alor Star did became Alor Setar officiallysometime after Independence then from 2004 until January 2009 it reverted back to Setar. The name Alor Setar can be traced back over 300 years.
Note 25 Minister Rev. Fr. M. Ki
Note 26 Wedding dinner at Bukit Mertajam St Anne Hall corresponding to the 2nd day of Chinese 11th Moon.
Note 27 Phone 016 4926422, 012 463 5555
Note 28 Born 21/4/1992 at 6.04 pm weight 6lbs. Details from hospital card
Note 29 Have copy of Registration form
Note 30 Due to administrative changes in China the village of Rong-tang is now part of Chaonan District.
Note 31 Due to administrative changes in China the village of Rong-tang is now part of Chaonan District.
Note 32 Youngest daughter. Reception at the Sunway Lagoon.
Note 33 Believed it was this son who lived in Hong Kong and had visited Malaysia in 1970s.
My Ancestral Homes P. Wong.
(Pinyin spelling has been used in the text wherever possible, Chinese characters will be added in future dates). My father and his family were born in the village of Long-tou (陇头), in the County of Puning, Province of Guangdong. It is very likely that my father‘s family had been living in this village for a number of generations.
My mother and her family were born in the village of Rong-tang (榕堂), in the then County of Chaoyang, Province of Guangdong. Rongtang is approximately 10 km southeast of Longtou.
My parents and grandmothers, like many Teochew emigrants, left China from the seaport of Shantou. They would have first traveled to Zhanlong, most likely from there to Puning to get some form of public transport, then traveled along the road (today highway G324) to Shantou. From there the sea journey would take about a week to, most likely, a port in Thailand.
The Chinese website http://www.xzqh.org/html/gd/list_235.html provides detailed history of the administrative changes of all these counties since ancient time.
History of Puning
Puning has been inhabited for 3-4000 years. During the Han dynasty (206BC - 220AD), it came under the Jieyang County, and in 331 AD, the Chaoyang County. First established as a county in its own right in 1563, known then as Pu An, changed to Puning in 1582. At various times, it came under a number of jurisdictions including Shantou City (Swatow). The number of villages which came under the administration of Puning had also changed throughout this period.
In 1993, Puning County was elevated to a county-class city, under the administrative control of Jieyang City (pop 6 M). This apparently has created some resentment from the Puning residents towards the Jieyang administration. (Jieyang also has a long history, it was established as a County during the Qin dynasty (221BC-206BC), became a district –class city in1991).
Puning itself administers 19 townships including a town called Zhanlong (pop 150,000). Zhanlong is 15 km west of Puning, along the main road G324, which links Puning to Shantou City. Zhanlong is the nearest major town to the village of Longtou (around 2 km). Puning is about 60 km from Shantou, 400k from Guangzhou City.
Today, Puning has a population of 2.16 M (2006 figure). The area is famous for fruits, including mandarin (Chia-kam), green plums (known as ‘green plum’ capital), and olives. Plum blossoms in Puning apparently are quite spectacular.
There are a number of overseas Chinese whose ancestors came from the Puning area, and overseas Chinese have a strong presence in the city.
Map of Long-tou area.
1945 map of southern China showing the location of Hong Kong to Swatow now Shantou and Puning
Historical Notes on Rongtang
Rongtang was under the County of Chaoyang when my grandparents and their family lived there. County of Chaoyang has a long and chequered history. Established as a county in 397 AD, it has been amalgamated, absorbed, or dissolved as a county at various times throughout its history. The County was liberated on 22 Oct 1949.
In 1993, Chaoyang was elevated to a county-class City. In 2003, its city status was abolished and the city was divided into two districts known as District of Chaoyang and District of Chaonan, both come under the administrative control of the City of Shantou. At the same time, a number of towns such as Chendian and Xiancheng which were once administered by the County of Chaoyang, are now part of the Chaonan District. The village of Rongtang comes under the township of Xiancheng, and so is now part of the Chaonan District.
Today, my grandmother’s descendants would have to refer themselves as from Chaonan, not Chaoyang, as they had been in the past. Rontang is now part of the township of Xiancheng, not Chendian. Both townships come under the District of Chaonan.
Catholics in my ancestral villages
Jesuits missionaries became active in China in 16th-17th centuries. Francis Xavier was the first Jesuit to reach China. He arrived at Taishan County (near Macau), Guangdong province in 1552. At that time, no foreigners were permitted to go inland, so he had to stay in the costal town, hoping to secretly enter inland. Francis Xavier died there in December of the same year.
Shantou was one of the ‘treaty ports’ forced to open to western countries for trading. It came under the British concession, missionaries would have entered freely.
French missionaries came to Shantou just before and during Emperor Guang-Xu’s reign (1875 -1908), they built the first church in Shantou around 1870. It is likely that from there Catholicism spread inland. Catholics suffered greatly during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. After the rebellion was defeated, the Qing Government turned around and offered protection to the christian churches. My paternal grandmother would have been converted to Catholic around this time.
The Roman Catholic church at the village of Guxi, in the township of Liang-Ying, County of Chaoyang, was built in 1882. This church is approximately 15 km from Rongtang, and is very likely to be the church my grandmothers’ (both sides) families attended or had attended.
Rongtang was under the County of Chaoyang when my grandparents and their family lived there. County of Chaoyang has a long and chequered history. Established as a county in 397 AD, it has been amalgamated, absorbed, or dissolved as a county at various times throughout its history. The County was liberated on 22 Oct 1949.
In 1993, Chaoyang was elevated to a county-class City. In 2003, its city status was abolished and the city was divided into two districts known as District of Chaoyang and District of Chaonan, both come under the administrative control of the City of Shantou. At the same time, a number of towns such as Chendian and Xiancheng which were once administered by the County of Chaoyang, are now part of the Chaonan District. The village of Rongtang comes under the township of Xiancheng, and so is now part of the Chaonan District.
Today, my grandmother’s descendants would have to refer themselves as from Chaonan, not Chaoyang, as they had been in the past. Rontang is now part of the township of Xiancheng, not Chendian. Both townships come under the District of Chaonan.
Catholics in my ancestral villages
Jesuits missionaries became active in China in 16th-17th centuries. Francis Xavier was the first Jesuit to reach China. He arrived at Taishan County (near Macau), Guangdong province in 1552. At that time, no foreigners were permitted to go inland, so he had to stay in the costal town, hoping to secretly enter inland. Francis Xavier died there in December of the same year.
Shantou was one of the ‘treaty ports’ forced to open to western countries for trading. It came under the British concession, missionaries would have entered freely.
French missionaries came to Shantou just before and during Emperor Guang-Xu’s reign (1875 -1908), they built the first church in Shantou around 1870. It is likely that from there Catholicism spread inland. Catholics suffered greatly during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. After the rebellion was defeated, the Qing Government turned around and offered protection to the christian churches. My paternal grandmother would have been converted to Catholic around this time.
The Roman Catholic church at the village of Guxi, in the township of Liang-Ying, County of Chaoyang, was built in 1882. This church is approximately 15 km from Rongtang, and is very likely to be the church my grandmothers’ (both sides) families attended or had attended.
Bell tower of the church.
The Catholic Church in Guxi village Chaoyang county, Guangdong Province was a combination of two churches, the old one and the new onw. The older church was built in 1882 and the new one was added onto the old one in 1910.
see website: http://www.gxchurch.com/ which gives a bit of history of the Shantou parish, but this is a Chinese site.
Kakchio and harbour Swatow taken cir 1900.
Right, a view of the damage caused by the storm of 1922.
Short Notes on the History of WANG (王)
Wang is the most numerous surname in the world. In China alone, there are 92.9 M people with this surname. Being so numerous, the surname could have originated from several sources. Wang literally means ‘king’ or ‘prince’, and their families often called ‘wang jia’ (王家), ‘family of the king or prince’. There would be a number of lines of descendants from these families. Historical records provided more than a single origin of this surname.
One of the most commonly accepted origins of Wang started from Prince Jin (太子晋), one of the sons of King Zhou Ling (周灵王). He was born circa 565 BC (during the East Zhou Dynasty). His original family name was Ji (姬). Because of his political views, he offended the King, was admonished, and became a commoner. He spent the rest of his life in Tai Yuan, in the Province of Shanxi. He and his descendants were known to the locals as ‘wang jia’. Because of the locality, it was then known a Tai-yuan Wang family.
Prince Chin was recognized as the origin of Wang, and his son Zhong-jing (宗敬 ) was acknowledged as the ancestor of Wang (立姓始祖). After his death, Zhongjing was buried about 5 li north of Jingyang.
Taiyuan Tang 太原堂 is the Wang ancestral or clan house.
Wong is the Cantonise romanisation of two common Chinese surnames: Huang (黃; literally "yellow") and Wang (王; literally "king").
The logograph for Wong / Huang consists of the radical characters for "twenty", "fires" and "fields," all representing the colour of these images combined.
As a result of late 17th to 18th century colonial activities, where English speaking colonists transcribed the family name as "Wong" in south China, we find this version of the family name following the migratory routes of the early migrant Chinese from this southern region to places such as Canada and the United States. As a result, one can often determine a multi-generational non-native Chinese persons whose surname is Wong back to this historic artifact - usually as "Cantonese" Wong, inferring the fact that the person's ancestral heritage is from south China. To the Chinese mind, this colour relates to mother Earth. In fact, the Chinese character for Wong is based on parts that relate to this colour - in reviewing the derivative characters that form Wong , we see "Bright" (from the ancient form for the number twenty over the character for burning fires) + the character "farm fields" (square grid at center) inset between the characters "twenty" (the 'crown') and "fire" (two strokes at 'base').
The use of Wong (黃; pinyin: Huáng) as a surname started in 648 BC when the Huang Kingdom located in Henan Province of China was sacked.
The Huang Kingdom was a legacy state established and governed by the beloved royal descendants of the ruthless Qinshihuang who unified the area known as China today as the "Ch'in" or (Qin) State, which the Northern "barbarians" from Mongolia invaded.
By royal decree, all the citizens chose to adopt the name of their King and their Kingdom as their surname in remembrance of their origin. From Henan, they dispersed all over China and eventually to all corners of the globe. As a result, there is a tiny branch of those with this surname who are members of the first royal dynasty of China while most of others were the subjects or citizens of this ancient state.
Now, it is said to be among the top seven most common surnames in China and one of the most common surnames in the world, numbering more than 60 million (about the population of modern-day UK or France).
Wang (王; pinyin: Wáng) is one of the most common and ancient Chinese family names. It is ranked 8th in the Hundred Family Surnames, and 1st in "National Citizen ID Information System" (NCIIS). As of 2007, Wang is ranked as the most common surname in Mainland China, with 92.88 million people bearing this surname.[2] Translated into English, Wang literally means "king” (see Chinese noble#Wang, also King (surname)), although bearing the name has no royal implications in most cases. Outside of China, there are also many people who bear Wang as their surname, such as in Korea.
Wang (Chinese: 王; pinyin: Wáng) is also romanized as "Wong", especially for people from Hong Kong or from Guangdong. Note that "Wong" is actually the Cantonese romanization of three different surnames; Wang (Chinese: 王; pinyin: Wáng), Huang (Chinese: 黄; pinyin: Huáng) and Wang (Chinese: 汪; pinyin: Wāng). In addition, "Wang" is the Cantonese romanization of the following uncommon family names: 橫 (Pinyin: Héng), 弘 (Hóng), 閎 (Hóng), and 宏 (Hóng). In Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, it was romanized as Ong (Hokkien romanization) and Heng (TeoChew Romanization).
From Wikepedia.
Swatow now Shantou
The second-largest city in Guangdong Province is a seaport and industrial center in the Han River delta on the South China Sea. Fish, fruit, processed food, and lumber are the Shantou's principal exports. Major industries include food processing and shipbuilding. A minor fishing village until the 19th century, Swatow, as it was then known in the West, developed rapidly as a seaport and commercial center after it was opened to foreign trade in 1860. It was occupied (1939-45) by Japan and was developed by the Chinese as an industrial center following the severance of traditional trade ties with nearby Taiwan after 1949. It is now the site of the highly rated Shantou University. The metropolitan area has a population of 4.7 million; the city proper, 1.2 million. It is occasionally in the path of typhoons. A huge storm and tidal wave in August 1922 killed over 40,000 people. In May 2006 typhoon Chanchu hit land between Shantou and Xiamen, formerly Amoy. It is said to have been the strongest typhoon on record to enter the South China Sea in the month of May.
In the 1930's Swatow had branches of six foreign banks, several Catholic and Protestant missions, churches and schools and the oil companies: Asiatic Petroleum Company, Standard Oil and Royal Dutch.
The second-largest city in Guangdong Province is a seaport and industrial center in the Han River delta on the South China Sea. Fish, fruit, processed food, and lumber are the Shantou's principal exports. Major industries include food processing and shipbuilding. A minor fishing village until the 19th century, Swatow, as it was then known in the West, developed rapidly as a seaport and commercial center after it was opened to foreign trade in 1860. It was occupied (1939-45) by Japan and was developed by the Chinese as an industrial center following the severance of traditional trade ties with nearby Taiwan after 1949. It is now the site of the highly rated Shantou University. The metropolitan area has a population of 4.7 million; the city proper, 1.2 million. It is occasionally in the path of typhoons. A huge storm and tidal wave in August 1922 killed over 40,000 people. In May 2006 typhoon Chanchu hit land between Shantou and Xiamen, formerly Amoy. It is said to have been the strongest typhoon on record to enter the South China Sea in the month of May.
In the 1930's Swatow had branches of six foreign banks, several Catholic and Protestant missions, churches and schools and the oil companies: Asiatic Petroleum Company, Standard Oil and Royal Dutch.
On March 8, 1939 G.H. Thomas, traveling from Hong Kong to Tientsin by a Dutch steamer, writes of his brief stopover in Swatow. The Japanese would occupy the city just several months later.
Swatow city itself is small and flat, but across the harbor is a large green and rocky island where there are a few good foreign homes and a mission or two. Around the whole section is a rim of hills about eight or ten miles from the harbor. ...The most striking thing to be noted in a quick ride through the town is the number of American flags flying over the houses. I counted at least twenty during my twenty-minute ride. The reason is that from Swatow come almost all the fine handkerchiefs and drawn linen work sold in the States. The business is almost entirely in the hands of Syrian and American Jews from New York.
Swatow city itself is small and flat, but across the harbor is a large green and rocky island where there are a few good foreign homes and a mission or two. Around the whole section is a rim of hills about eight or ten miles from the harbor. ...The most striking thing to be noted in a quick ride through the town is the number of American flags flying over the houses. I counted at least twenty during my twenty-minute ride. The reason is that from Swatow come almost all the fine handkerchiefs and drawn linen work sold in the States. The business is almost entirely in the hands of Syrian and American Jews from New York.
Short Notes on the History of WANG (王)
Wang is the most numerous surname in the world. In China alone, there are 92.9 M people with this surname. Being so numerous, the surname could have originated from several sources. Wang literally means ‘king’ or ‘prince’, and their families often called ‘wang jia’ (王家), ‘family of the king or prince’. There would be a number of lines of descendants from these families. Historical records provided more than a single origin of this surname.
One of the most commonly accepted origins of Wang started from Prince Jin (太子晋), one of the sons of King Zhou Ling (周灵王). He was born circa 565 BC (during the East Zhou Dynasty). His original family name was Ji (姬). Because of his political views, he offended the King, was admonished, and became a commoner. He spent the rest of his life in Tai Yuan, in the Province of Shanxi. He and his descendants were known to the locals as ‘wang jia’. Because of the locality, it was then known a Tai-yuan Wang family.
Prince Chin was recognized as the origin of Wang, and his son Zhong-jing (宗敬 ) was acknowledged as the ancestor of Wang (立姓始祖). After his death, Zhongjing was buried about 5 li north of Jingyang.
Taiyuan Tang 太原堂 is the Wang ancestral or clan house.
Wong is the Cantonise romanisation of two common Chinese surnames: Huang (黃; literally "yellow") and Wang (王; literally "king").
The logograph for Wong / Huang consists of the radical characters for "twenty", "fires" and "fields," all representing the colour of these images combined.
As a result of late 17th to 18th century colonial activities, where English speaking colonists transcribed the family name as "Wong" in south China, we find this version of the family name following the migratory routes of the early migrant Chinese from this southern region to places such as Canada and the United States. As a result, one can often determine a multi-generational non-native Chinese persons whose surname is Wong back to this historic artifact - usually as "Cantonese" Wong, inferring the fact that the person's ancestral heritage is from south China. To the Chinese mind, this colour relates to mother Earth. In fact, the Chinese character for Wong is based on parts that relate to this colour - in reviewing the derivative characters that form Wong , we see "Bright" (from the ancient form for the number twenty over the character for burning fires) + the character "farm fields" (square grid at center) inset between the characters "twenty" (the 'crown') and "fire" (two strokes at 'base').
The use of Wong (黃; pinyin: Huáng) as a surname started in 648 BC when the Huang Kingdom located in Henan Province of China was sacked.
The Huang Kingdom was a legacy state established and governed by the beloved royal descendants of the ruthless Qinshihuang who unified the area known as China today as the "Ch'in" or (Qin) State, which the Northern "barbarians" from Mongolia invaded.
By royal decree, all the citizens chose to adopt the name of their King and their Kingdom as their surname in remembrance of their origin. From Henan, they dispersed all over China and eventually to all corners of the globe. As a result, there is a tiny branch of those with this surname who are members of the first royal dynasty of China while most of others were the subjects or citizens of this ancient state.
Now, it is said to be among the top seven most common surnames in China and one of the most common surnames in the world, numbering more than 60 million (about the population of modern-day UK or France).
Wang (王; pinyin: Wáng) is one of the most common and ancient Chinese family names. It is ranked 8th in the Hundred Family Surnames, and 1st in "National Citizen ID Information System" (NCIIS). As of 2007, Wang is ranked as the most common surname in Mainland China, with 92.88 million people bearing this surname.[2] Translated into English, Wang literally means "king” (see Chinese noble#Wang, also King (surname)), although bearing the name has no royal implications in most cases. Outside of China, there are also many people who bear Wang as their surname, such as in Korea.
Wang (Chinese: 王; pinyin: Wáng) is also romanized as "Wong", especially for people from Hong Kong or from Guangdong. Note that "Wong" is actually the Cantonese romanization of three different surnames; Wang (Chinese: 王; pinyin: Wáng), Huang (Chinese: 黄; pinyin: Huáng) and Wang (Chinese: 汪; pinyin: Wāng). In addition, "Wang" is the Cantonese romanization of the following uncommon family names: 橫 (Pinyin: Héng), 弘 (Hóng), 閎 (Hóng), and 宏 (Hóng). In Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, it was romanized as Ong (Hokkien romanization) and Heng (TeoChew Romanization).
From Wikepedia.
History of the name FOO
The 36th most common last name in China. The are two main origins of this last name. 1) Descendents of Huang Di, an ancient king. Huang Dis grandson, Da You, was awarded the land of Fu, during the Zhou Dynasty. His descendents bear the last name Fu. 2) Descendents of Fu Shui, the prime minister of the Shang Dynasty. When Shang Wu Ding became the emperor, his kingdom was very weak, and Wu Ding vowed to strengthen his empire. One night, he dreamt of a fairy who introduced a man to him. This man dressed in ragged clothing and was a hunchback. The fairy said to Wu Ding, "This is the saint that can help you succeed." After he woke up, he drew a portray of this man, and asked his followers to look for him. Indeed, such a man was found in Fu Yan (south east of Ping Lu in Shanxi province). His name was Fu Shui. With Fu Shuis help, the Shang Dynasty prospered. Shang Wu Ding is thus known as a king of reformation. Fu Shui on the other hand is known as the forefather of the Fu family.
The 36th most common last name in China. The are two main origins of this last name. 1) Descendents of Huang Di, an ancient king. Huang Dis grandson, Da You, was awarded the land of Fu, during the Zhou Dynasty. His descendents bear the last name Fu. 2) Descendents of Fu Shui, the prime minister of the Shang Dynasty. When Shang Wu Ding became the emperor, his kingdom was very weak, and Wu Ding vowed to strengthen his empire. One night, he dreamt of a fairy who introduced a man to him. This man dressed in ragged clothing and was a hunchback. The fairy said to Wu Ding, "This is the saint that can help you succeed." After he woke up, he drew a portray of this man, and asked his followers to look for him. Indeed, such a man was found in Fu Yan (south east of Ping Lu in Shanxi province). His name was Fu Shui. With Fu Shuis help, the Shang Dynasty prospered. Shang Wu Ding is thus known as a king of reformation. Fu Shui on the other hand is known as the forefather of the Fu family.
2 comments:
that photos of the sisters (at 30+ years apart) are so priceless.... and boy, the positioning was perfectly remained...i'm wondering if it was coincidence!!
btw, both aunty maria & anne are gorgeous at their youth.... **cough cough**
The aunties will be flattered with your observations!! It was accidental that they were posed the same. I tried to get them all at Kims wedding but could not get the, all together.
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