Sangkai Hakka

[eugene]

My mum is a Sangkai Hakka. Her ancestors migrated to Malaysia from Guangxi (China). Can I know where is this place "Sangkai". I think Sangkai is a Hakka word, can I know what is the actual name in Mandarin?

[Ah Gin]

Eugene,

I wonder if it is New Territories (新界), now more or less considerd to be the outer suburb of Hong Kong. Certainly in Cantonese "Sangkai", sounds like so.

Our other guru, when they are back from holiday can advise. As Henry would advise, if you can get source documents in Chinese, it will help.

Regards, Ah Gin

[twoupman]

Your Sangkai is most likely Cenxi/Sahm Kai (岑溪) which is located in eastern Guangxi (廣西) just south of Wuzhou/Ngh Jau (梧州) at the border with Guangdong Province (廣東省).


houseofchinn.com

[eugene]

>Ah Gin
Thanks for your opinion. But, certainly not the Hong Kong (NT). Because, my mum said it's in Guangxi, China.

>twoupman
I checked this place Cenxi (Sahm Kai), as you said. But I couldn't find this place yet. The info that I have, are, my maternal family is belonged to a Sangkai Hakka tribe, their surname is Chung (鍾) and the Chung family migrated to Malaya during the late 1750s. Most of the Chungs returned back to China after they had successfully earned their fortune. The last elder Chung, in which my late maternal grandfather died at the age of 103 (in 2008), while his half-sister died at the ripe age of 99 (in 2005). Unfortunately, my grandfather's parents died in China, and were buried at their ancestral village, so searching for their graves may be wearily.

p.s. BTW if possible can someone please attach a map of Cenxi.

[Henry]

Hi Eugene,

Welcome to the Forum.

I am now currently enroute home from 10 days of travel in Florida - when I return home tonight and have access to my desktop computer, etc, I will post the map for you.


Henry

[Henry]

Hi Eugene,

The first map provides you with an overview of the location of your ancestral village in Guangxi province relative to the SiYi region of Guangdong province. Wuzhou is identified by an "A"




The next map shows you the city of Wuzhou, still denoted by the "A" and I have indicated where your ancestral village - now a small city:




Henry

[eugene]

>Henry

Thanks Henry,

From the second map, I could see that Dapu is also located within the area. For your info, most Hakka Chinese in Malaysia were originated from Dapu, besides, Zhuhai, Yongding etc.

This map is very informative and useful to me, I wonder where on earth did you get this map from? I'm currently writing a book on overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia, so this map might be useful to me.

[Henry]

Hi Eugene,

The map is from Google.com.

Please inform the Forum when you complete your book - there is a lot of interest regarding the history of the overseas Chinese in SE Asia. Please ping me directly when it is completed at :

[e-mail]


Henry

[tyuti1668]

the Google Maps- China

[eugene]

>Henry

I'll certainly share my research and knowledge regarding with the history of the Chinese settlements in SE Asia in this forum.

In the early 2007, I started to search for the descendants of the once famous Overseas Chinese families in Malaysia and Singapore. As the deeper my research go on, the more discoveries I gained. In the late 2008, I'd successfully completed the compilation of the first 100 famous Chinese families with the help from some friends.

In the mid of 2009, I received positive comments and suggestions from historians and sinologist from various countries, and of course the family members of those families involved in my research. They shared with me the facts and family history that never been recorded in any modern history books.

I was truly delighted to have contact with such great people, among the famous families have contacted me are the Loke Yew's descendants, Chee Yam Chuan's descendants and many more.

Right now I'm revising the early book in which I'd written (100 Famous Chinese Families in British Malaya). The early book will be annexed to my new book, with a new title 'The Overseas Chinese In Southeast Asia'.

I could not explain my work precisely in this limited space and time, so I hope you could wait for me to finish up my research, then, we could deliberate the contents.

Please visit the blog I've started recently,

overseaschinesecommunities.blogspot.com/

[Ah Gin]

Eugene,

I take my hats off to you for the great work you have done. The contributions of the Chinese in the development of many Asian countries over the years need to be recorded for all who come after us. I encourage you to carry on your work, and perhaps consider extending the work to cover samples of not so famous individuals, but nevertheless contributed to the development of their adopted countries. I trust and hope local Associations can help by providing names of their departed members they consider to be worthy of being recorded in the "Who was who". I say this as our organisation continue with some of the work of tracking down "the common people" who worked and died in the State of Victoria, Australia. It is heart warming for us when their living relatives discovered their history, no matter how common their deeds were.

Regards, Ah Gin

[helen]

Excellent work Eugene - A very wide brief. Is your early book available still - or is it a limited edition?

[eugene]

>ahgin

You are right, those family members who involved in my research are glad that their ancestors' contributions are mentioned and recorded in a right manner. They shared a lot of valuable info with me. And I'm really indebted to many of them for providing me such a great assistance and access to their family records.

>helen

My book is a very limited edition, and only available for academic studies only. I summit my work to various universities and having discussions with those genealogy experts, historians and sinologists, and right now is in the process of revision. Right now, I have no plan to publish it yet, and most probably I'll make it a free-of-charge digital book, via internet.

[Henry]

Eugene,

I admire and salute your efforts to document, preserve, and present the results of your research on the Internet. Overseas Chinese from all over the world will greatly benefit from your scholarly research.

Please let me know if I can help.

Henry

[Ah Gin]

Eugene,

I echo Henry's comments. You should publish your research. Knowing what I know (and that's not much), in the State of Victoria, Australia, when a book (such as the type you have written) is published in this State, by law, we need to lodge a copy with the State Library of Victoria. The Author is expected to supply a copy to the Library, free of charge. And that is a good thing for "Those of Come After Us." Also, select Regional Libraries may buy such a book, to be included in their collection, e.g. recent books our organisation published are now on the shelves of a few old Gold Mining towns where the Chinese Pioneers made their mark. Symbolically it seems a good thing to mark and to remember pioneers who struggled against all odds, away from their familiar surroundings oh so long ago.

In Australia, and indeed I think a number of other countries, your scholarly work would attract the attention of the academics. Few PhDs have been based on your type of work. So go for it. knock at doors of any universities near and far and get recognised for what's worth.

One of the most heart-warming experience and a humbling one at that is when the families share their history with authors. It is a very privileged position as you no doubt appreciate. The author-subject confidentiality is assumed in most cases. And we have a responsibility to say it with sensitivity, but say it we should.

Keep going, as you are.

Regards, Ah Gin