My friend, Mr. Lee Yuen Tsaan, was born in Heung Shan, China, opposite to Macau, in December 1903. This, coincidentally, was also the birth place of Dr. Sun Yat Sen (alias Suen Chung Shan), who graduated in 1892 from the Hong Kong College of Medicine. After his death the name, Heung Shan, was changed to Chung Shan in memory of Dr Sun.
Mr Lee told me, as a boy, he enjoyed life in the village of Haang Mei (meaning ‘constantly beautiful”), which had a population of about 2,000. It was a single-lineage village. Every person had the surname ‘Lee’. He recalled living close to a stream with running water which contained shrimps. He is proud that his father was the first Christian in the village where he was known as ‘Christian Kwoon-hor’ (his given name on marriage). He had been baptised in Australia where he lived when he was young.
Xenophobic disturbances, such as the anti-foreigner Boxer Uprising in 1900, sometimes created waves of people who had been associated with western firms on the Mainland. These Chinese often felt it prudent to move to Hong Kong. Others went there just because it was a better place to do business.
In a speech to students at Hong Kong University, in 1923, Sun the Revolutionary contrasted the peace, law and order and good government of the British Colony with the backwardness and corruption of China.
Until after World War II, there were no immigration restrictions when travelling from the Mainland to the British Territory. Many Chinese looked upon it as little more than moving from one part of China to another.
The Lee family moved to Hong Kong, from Heung Shan, in 1987, when the population of the Colony was just over half a million. Although electric fans started to replace punkas as early as the late 1890s, when young Lee arrived in Hong Kong some punkas could still be seen. For instance in offices, schools and barbers shops. Electric fans were expensive and coolie labour (to pull the punkas) was cheap,’ Mr. Lee explained.
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TALES OF A VENERABLE CHINESE GENTLEMAN
DAN WATERS
My friend, Mr. Lee Yuen Tsaan, was born in Heung Shan, China, opposite to Macau, in December 1903. This, coincidentally, was also the birth place of Di. Sun Yat Sen (alias Suen Chung Shan), who graduated in 1892 from the Hong Kong College of Medicine. After his death the name, Heung Shan, was changed to Chung Shan in memory of Dr Sun.
Mi Lee told me, as a boy, he enjoyed life in the village of Haang Mei (meaning 'constantly beautiful”), which had a population of about 2,000. It was a single-lineage village. Every person had the surname 'Lee. He recalled living close to a stream with running water which contained shrimps. He is proud that his father was the first Christian in the village where he was known as 'Christian Kwoon-hor' (his given name on mamage) He had been baptised in Australia where he lived when he was
young.
Xenophobic disturbances, such as the anti-foreigner Boxer Uprising in 1900, sometimes created waves of people who had been associated with western films on the Mainland. These Chinese often felt it prudent to move to Hong Kong Others went there just because it was a better place to do business.
In a speech to students at Hong Kong University, in 1923, Sun the Revolutionary contrasted the peace, law and order and good government of the British Colony with the backwardness and corruption of China.
Until after World War II, there were no immigration restrictions when travelling from the Mainland to the British Territory Many Chinese looked upon it as little more than moving from one part of China to another.
The Lee family moved to Hong Kong, from Heung Shan, in 1987, when the population of the Colony was just over half a million Although electric fans started to replace punkas as early as the late 1890s, when young Lee arrived in Hong Kong some punkas could still be seen For instance in offices, schools and barbers shops Electric fans were expensive and coolie labour (to pull the punkas) was cheap,' Mr. Lee explained.
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