RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1989 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h Tin magnate and businessman Eu Tong-sen had 13 sons and 11 daughters by his many wives, among whom were a few Europeans. He was also told he must continue building, although when he died, in 1941, he had completed only three fantasy homes (all now demolished); one at Eucliff at Repulse Bay and another at Euston in Bonham Road, both in pseudo-Gothic style. The third was an old-world, rambling, English-style country mansion, named "Sirmio", which stood on the north shore of Tolo Harbour. The author attended a swimming party at Eucliff which contained a large number of paintings — in 1955, and a picnic in the grounds of Sirmio a few months later. At the time, apart from caretakers, both were unoccupied. With 1997 approaching the Aw and Eu prophecies regarding building, as stated above, are now being applied to Hong Kong itself, and some believe that, if construction stops, the Territory itself will wither and die. Acknowledgement The author is grateful to Doctor James Hayes for his comments on a draft of this paper. NOTES 2 V.R. Burkhardt, Chinese Creeds and Customs (1982), p. 174. 3 Remarks of the nephew of J.J. Ropes, letter to the Editor Hong Kong Standard (later 1970s); and Anthony Walker and Stephen M. Rowlinson, The Building of Hong Kong. Constructing Hong Kong Through the Ages (1990), passim. 4 Burkhardt, op.cit. passim; and Anthony Walker and Stephen M. Rowlinson, op.cit. Chapter Four. 5 The author recalls how, when a Chinese woodwork instructor in one of the old Technical College workshops (which was equipped with western-style tools) wanted a particularly good finish on a piece of timber, he would always use his own Chinese plane. 6 The author taught building technology and allied subjects at the Government Technical College (this became the Hong Kong Polytechnic in 1972) during his early years in Hong Kong. 8 G.B. Endacott, A History of Hong Kong (1958), p. 116. 9 The Craft of Chinese Scaffolding, editor Ho So (Circa 1972); and Jayson Wong, "The bamboo wonders of territory's high-rise world", South China Morning Post, 20 September ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1991 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/k356gt84j 104 CHINESE FUNERALS: A CASE STUDY DAN WATERS The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power, And all that beauty, all that wealth ever gave Awaits alike the inevitable hour; The paths of glory lead but to the grave. Thomas Gray, Elegy Written in Country Churchyard. Introduction This paper examines an actual, fairly typical, present-day Chinese death in urban Hong Kong and the funeral services and mourning that follow. Comparisons are made with past customs in Hong Kong, with traditional Hong Kong New Territories funerals and European funerals. Because this paper is largely about Hong Kong, Cantonese terms and Romanisations are mainly used rather than pinyin. Currency quoted is in Hong Kong dollars. The author is grateful to Mr Gerald C.S. Siu, manager of the Hong Kong Funeral Home, Doctor James Hayes, the Reverend Carl T. Smith, Mrs Judy Kant Young and other persons and organisations named in this paper. Help varied from recommending source material to providing information. The Case Study One November night in 1988, a couple received a call saying the wife's mother had been taken to hospital. Shortly after midnight the couple, together with the wife's two younger sisters and two granddaughters, gathered around the corpse. Traditionally, Chinese hope for a peaceful death in old age with family mustered around the deathbed. In this case the end came suddenly. As Chuang Tzu, sometimes named as the first important Taoist writer, phrased it: We are born as from a quiet sleep, We die to a calm awakening. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1996 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/3n209j641 Any learned society depends on an impressive programme which provides a stamp of learning and authority. Details of our past year's programmes are as follows. 1996 12 April 10 May 14 June 19 July 6 September 4 October 18 October 1 November 15 November 6 December Title "The Forbidden City: the Great Within,” by May Holdsworth and Caroline Courtauld "What Makes Life Worth Living? How Japanese and Americans make Sense of their Worlds," by Dr Gordon Matthews "Fung Shui in the New Age," by David Yung. "Chinese Export Ware for the Dutch Market," by Dr Christian Jorg "An Introduction to Tam Kung: the Hakka Boy Deity," by Geoffrey Roper and Dr Anthony Siu Kwok-keung "Tsuen Wan: from Hakka Enclave to Post Industrial City," by Dr Graham Johnson. "Textiles and Traditions of Laos," by Mary Connors "Hong Kong Heritage Trails," by ST Chiu "Second Thoughts on a Memoir," by Dr James Hayes. "Dr Aurelius Harland: Prominent Hong Kong Doctor 1843—1858," by Professor Harland. 1997 17 January "Food Dynamics: Family, Class and Chineseness in Hong Kong," by Cheng Sea-ling. xiii ================================================================================