coffins, and a greater number of wooden boxes containing remains of deceased Chinese from abroad. Chinese of the conservative type still attach much importance to the fung shui question, and unless a man is extremely poor his descendants or relatives are bound by old custom to send his remains back to his native country for burial in case of death in a foreign land. Annually, hundreds of such small wooden boxes, or in some cases even rattan baskets, containing human remains, are sent to the Tung Wah Hospital. They are stored at the Yee Chong for, it may be, ten to twenty years, because of the delay sometimes in relatives returning to Hongkong to find a suitable ground with correct fung shui for the final burial.
Searching the old records pertaining to the Tung Wah Hospital we find that as bodies were permitted to remain at the "I-tsze" about the year 1870 while awaiting burial, the Government did not favour this establishment. The practice was accidentally discovered, and the discovery showed the authorities the need for the formation of a hospital managed by a committee of responsible Chinese citizens.
From one of the oldest residents, who has taken a keen interest in the welfare of this charitable institution for the last thirty years, it is learned that the Government contributed an initial endowment fund of $100,000 in 1870. The hospital was formally opened in February 1872, which means that the "I-tsze" actually started in 1867 terminated with the formal opening of the hospital. The first Board of Directors in 1872 consisted of thirteen members, including the late Mr. Leung Hok-chau, who was the father of Mr. Leung Yan-po, who died only a few years ago. Like his son, Mr. Leung Hok-chau, the Chairman of the Tung Wah Board in 1872, was then a compradore of Gibb, Livingston & Company. Another prominent director then was the late Mr. Lo Chan-kong, the compradore of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. Several others of the original directors were grandfathers or fathers of leading Chinese residents alive to-day. The youngest member of the board was the late Mr. Tang Kam-chi, who died some fifteen years ago.
Further study of the "Ching Shun Luk" published by the hospital discloses such names as that of Mr. Li Yau-tsun, Sir Robert Ho Tung and Mr. Kwok Siu-lau as amongst the Chairmen of the Board of Directors in the early part of the current century, about thirty years ago. In those early days Chinese compradores were among the keenest workers for the hospital and they were assigned three seats on the Board each year, as compared with the present single seat. Thus we find that in those days, after Sir Robert Ho Tung's name, was attached the foot-note of "compradore department of Jardines" and after that of Mr. Kwok Siu-lau, "compradore department of Banque De L'Indochine." Mr. Li Lau-Tsun is the oldest of the permanent advisers still associated with the Tung Wah, having been appointed to that post in 1906.
Another interesting aspect of the Tung Wah Hospital is that when the hospital was opened in 1872 many properties owned by the Hospital as part of the endowment fund were in the name of the Colonial Secretary. The name was only changed back to that of the Tung Wah Hospital some thirty years ago, following a lawsuit involving the Tung Wah Hospital and one of its tenants in the Tung Wah Property, and the Colonial Secretary of that year had to appear in court as complainant. Subsequently the investment was altered back to the Tung Wah.
While the Tung Wah Hospital claims chief honour among the Colony's oldest institutions caring for the Chinese public, and in particular the poorer residents, the Po Leung Kuk comes next as an old institution, having been formed about twenty years...
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coffins, and a greater number of wooden boxes containing remains of deceased Chinese from abroad. Chinese of the sonservative type still attach much importance to the fung shui question, and unless a man is extremely poor his descendants or relatives are bound by old custom to send his remains back to his native country for burial in case of death in a foreign land. Annually, hundreds of such small wooden boxes, or in some cases even rattan baskets, containing human remains, are sent to the Tung wah Hospital. They are stored at the Yee Chong for, it may be, ten to twenty years, because of the delay sometimes in relatives returning to Hongkong to find a suitable ground with correct fung shui for the final burial.
Searching the old records pertaining to the Tung Wah hospital we find that as bodies were permitted to remain at the "I-tsze" about the year 1870 while awaiting burial, the Government did not favour this establishment. The practice was accidentally discovered, and the discovery showed the
uthorities the need for the formation of a hospital managed by a committee of responsible Chinese citizens.
From one of the oldest residents, who has taken a keen interest in the welfare of this charitable institution for the last thirty years, it is learned that the Government contributed An initial endowment fund of $100,000 in 1870. The hospital
as formally opened in February 1872, which means that the "I-tsze" ctually started in 1867 terminated with the formal opening of the ospital. The first Board of Directors in 1872 consisted of thirteen members, including the late Mr. Leung Hok-chau, who was the father of Mr. Leung Yan-po, who died only a few years ago. Like his son, Mr. Leung Hok-chau, the Chairman of the Tung Wah Board in 1872, was then a compradore of Gibb, Livingston * Company. Another prominent director then was the late Mr. Lo hen-kong, the compradore of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. Several others of the original directors were grand-
athers or fathers of leading Chinese residents alive to-day. The youngest member of the board was the late Mr. Tang Kam-chi, who died some fifteen years ago.
Further study of he "Ching Shun Luk" published by the spical discloses such names as that of Mr. Li Yau-tsun, Sir bert ho Tung and Mr. Kwok Siu-lau as amongst the Chairmen of the ard of Directors in the early part of the current century, acout thirty years ago. In those early days Chinese compradores were among the keenest workers for the hospital and they were assigned threee seats on the Board each year, as compared with the present single seat. Thus we find that- in those days, after Sir Robert Ho Tung's name, was attached the foot-note of "compra-
ore department of Jardines" and after that of Mr. Kwok Siu-lau, "compradore department of Banque De L'indochine." Mr. Li Lau- Tsun is the oldest of the permanent advisers still associated
th the Tung Wah, having been appointed to that post in 1906. nother interesting aspect of the Tung Wah Hospital is that when the hospital was opened in 1872 many properties owned by the Dospital as part of the endowment fund were in the name of the Colonial Secretary. The name was only changed back to that of the Tung Wah Hospital some thirty years ago, following a lawshit involving the Tung wah Hospital and one of its tenants in the Ting wah Property, and the Colonial Secretary of that year had to appear in court as complainant. Subsequently the investment
as altered back to the Tung Wah.
While the Tung Wah Hospital claims chief honour among Le Colony's oldest institutions caring for the Chinese public, and in particular the poorer residents, the Po Leung Kuk comes next as an old institution, having been formed about twenty
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