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Post by sylviamar on Oct 20, 2016 23:06:11 GMT -5
Hi, I am Sylvia from Fiji in the Pacific. I am trying to locate my grandfather's village and family. My grandfather, MAR KIM QUAN came to Fiji (the year I don't know)...and married my Fijian grandmother. I understand that he would have come from Guangdong and his village would be Chengsun ( I have been told). Any assistance is appreciated.  |
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Post by douglaslam on Oct 21, 2016 1:28:42 GMT -5
Two possibilities Sylvia, your grandfather was from one of two Mar villages, one called Sa Chung and the other Tong Gum. Sa Chung is 99% certain. There are many Mars went to Australia and Fiji as part of the banana industry. These people were Chungshan or as you put it Chengsun, natives I am in Taipei, Taiwan now, and got stuck by a typhoon which prevents all flights from landing in Hong Kong. I'll be calling on both Mar villages next week. But I need more clues, clues in Chinese, from you so that I can help you. Check out your grandfather's headstone for any Chinese inscription, old correspondence, old photos with names on the back, remittance receipts etc. anything in Chinese passed down from your grandfather. I know local identities well from both villages. If I may say so, this is your best chance to connect with your roots at very short notice. See attachment of a reunion of the Mars from Sa Chung. Last year I guided a 17 strong party of Australians to their ancestral village and home. Go, Go. To our older members, I am to meet up kaluosima alias Carlos ( remember him ?) from Peru. He is in China now. Somehow, we did not coordinate our itineraries, Carlos went alone to Guangzhou and met his Ma family members. He is going to stay for a while and apply for re-entry into Australia from China. I'll be calling on Tong Gum for a celebration. As for Sa Chung, there is still unfinished business I have to attend for the Mars from Australia.  |
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Post by sylviamar on Oct 21, 2016 6:14:24 GMT -5
Hi Douglas, am so grateful for your reply. Unfortunately, I don't have anything of my grandfather, as he passed away before I was born. As told by my dad, a boat had brought in Chinese mostly male and were dropped off on islands in Fiji, name of the boat is unknown. He (my grandfather) had owned a grocery shop on the island and he also owned a shotgun and also brought with him artifacts or sentiments from China. It's sad that these items are no longer with us.  My grandfather had passed away on the island and was buried there. My father is the eldest of three children and he is now 74 years old. If you could get information on relatives while visiting the Mars in China, would be a positive move. Secondly, I am told by a Chinese lady here in Fiji that my grandfather's village is next to Macau and Hongkong, and is very beautiful place. Looking forward to your response.  |
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Post by douglaslam on Oct 21, 2016 7:34:53 GMT -5
Ｓylvia, I did not add 張家邊 Chang Gar Bin or Zhangjiabian ( you can google this ) as a probable answer. All the native Mar / Ma people in the county account for themselves in those three locations. So I was told by the Mar elders. In one way or other they are all very close to Macau. Tong Gum village is only a short drive away. Without Chinese characters, it is hard to go about. Are there old friends of the family who could provide clues?
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Post by sylviamar on Oct 23, 2016 4:57:07 GMT -5
Oh this is very sad. I will need to further search from my end and in doing so, I wont be able to give the timeline when I will get this infor across to you.
Your email address has been given to me by Henry. I will email you if I do get any infor. |
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Post by douglaslam on Oct 24, 2016 2:19:37 GMT -5
Sylvia, I am in China now. I'll get down to some searches on foot as from tomorrow. I excluded the Mars from Chang Gar Bin because many of the villages were wiped from the map for industry, commerce and housing. I still think Sa Chung is the likely place. Tong Gum the other village is better known for people going to Peru. If I had more than one name from the village, your chances would be a good deal better.
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Post by sylviamar on Oct 31, 2016 19:30:00 GMT -5
I hope you will get some positive answers while in China. Good luck.
Appreciate your effort.
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Post by douglaslam on Nov 1, 2016 9:35:29 GMT -5
Sylvia, all of us here want to help. But with no Chinese characters at all as clues, it is an impossible task. I am going to make one more trip to the Mar village of Sa Chung before I leave China for Hong Kong, I hope something happens favourably.
It was the banana industry that attracted other servicing industries which your grandfather engaged in. The man I am meeting in Sa Chung has a genealogy record presented to him by the descendants of the Sincere Dept. Store fame. It is something money can't buy. Find anything passed down from your grandfather, family friends or relatives. If I can't do it this year, there is always next year.
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Post by sylviamar on Nov 4, 2016 3:50:04 GMT -5
Hi Douglas
Will try to find out if anything from relatives and will forward to you... ok that's great will try again next year.
Hope to hear from you soon on any positive outcome from your trip to China. |
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Post by douglaslam on Nov 4, 2016 5:59:02 GMT -5
Sylvia, all is not lost even when I had gone home from China. The Mar people from Australia as mentioned on my Oct 21 post were presented with a copy of the genealogy record. I can readily ask for it, electronically, to check on the record. Again, I must have a name in Chinese, more the better because a male member may have up to three names in the old day. The record book may have only one of those three names. And if knew the generation designation, then it'd be a piece of cake. I check in the forum just about everyday.
Don't give up.
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Post by douglaslam on Nov 4, 2016 9:31:11 GMT -5
Sylvia, you maybe interested in these two photos of Sa Chung, whence ( an educated guess ) your grandfather made that fateful decision to Fiji, and raised a family there.  This is the village where your grandfather most likely to have come from. The top two characters reading left to right Sa Chung, meaning Sandy Stream. The village does have a sandy stream flowing through it, but it is now polluted.  Your grandfather would certainly remember this tower, the tallest structure in the village. The tower is a complete rebuild, made possible mostly by money donated by Mars all over the world. The person in the picture is a 87 years old Mar villager. It is his first visit home ( 12 months ago ) since he was a four-year-old. His father went to Sydney early in the 20th. century but was forced to return to China with his young family because of the White Australia Policy. |
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Post by sylviamar on Nov 6, 2016 7:14:58 GMT -5
Yes, I almost lost hope...Am so happy to see a pic of my village, will share this with my family. In the meantime will search for Chinese characters in this regards and appreciate your assistance.
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My grandfather had passed away on the island and was buried there. My father is the eldest of three children and he is now 74 years old. If you could get information on relatives while visiting the Mars in China, would be a positive move.