Two villages in Taishan

[Taishan Guy]

Hi,

I'm just starting out on my genealogy project and trying to find the following two villages on the map of Taishan

廣海城外西關村起龍坊

and

官竇村

These are the villages of my grandfather and grandmother.

Thanks

[twoupman]

Here is the site for Xiguancun: www.insearchofroots.org/villagedb/display.cgi?level=Village&id=2190

[Taishan Guy]

Thank you so much for your lead. I have just picked up this thread of my pilgrimage. According to the data base, grandfather came from Area 8, Kwong Hoi Heung, South Gate subheung and the village of Sai Kwan while my grandmother came from Area 3, Lau Nam Heung, Kun Tau Bo subheung and the village of Kun Tau.
My greatest drawback in this search is my ignorance in reading Chinese and my inability to speak the language and dialects at a sensible level. My hope is that there may be some persons in Cyberspace that may have knowledge of these villages and who may wish to share with me. My gratitude to twoupman.

[Henry]

Hi Taishan Guy,

When you searched the Village Database [ www.c-c-c.org/villagedb/search.cgi ] and found the ancestral villages of your grandfather and grandmother - you were quite fortunate ! Most people are not that lucky. Since you are new at this - let me help you a little:

When you found "Sai Kwan" you needed to click on the "Kwong Hoi Heung (廣 海 鄉 )" which would have brought you up one level higher so you could get 2 very important pieces of locational information: the nearest market town to the village " Kwong Hoi City (廣 海 ) and the Map Location - FQ 81,32. Looks like your grandfather was a Chan or Lee surname.

Similarly, when you found "Kun Tau", click on the "Lau Nam Heung (蔞 南 鄉 )" which brings you up to find that the nearest market town is "Chung Lau (沖 蔞 ) " and the Map Location - FQ 85,47. Your grandmother was probably of the Ng surname?

Now the Villages Database people do not have the associated maps for this database - I do and I have posted them for free use on my website: mysite.verizon.net/vzepzaui/maps4.html
I have asked Dominic Yu, Village Database manager, several times to put my link to these maps on the Village Database and he has yet to answer me - whatever!

The Map Location - grid cell coordinates are read (right, up). I hope this helps.

Henry

[Taishan Guy]

Hi Henry,
Thank you for your prompt response. Yes I confirm my grandfather's surname is Chin and my grandmother's Ng. However in the case of my GM when the village name is Kun Tau, you identified the nearest market town instead of the village proper. Is this because the village proper is no longer in existence?
May I further ask whether the two specific village locations can be identified on one topographic grid cell map in Chinese and English? If so, I will be very pleased to mail you a money order for it upon receiving your reply. Thanks ever so much.

[Henry]

Hi Taishan Guy,

I identified the nearest market town in both cases.

The maps were compiled at the time when your grandparents were probably still in China - I 'll look for these villages.

Please email me at: [e-mail] for details.

Henry

[Taishan Guy]

Hi Henry,
My e-mail will follow.
Much obliged.

[KenWong]

Hi,

I read all your messages with interest. I am wanting to go to ToiShan for a look around this June when in Hong Kong. I note that the most effective way to get to Toisan from HK is via the hydrofoil. Then I will land at GuangHai port . I persume there will be immigration and all(?) Is Toi San itself a city? Are there any good hotels there? I was told my ancestral village is Nam (South)Chiun (Village) Sar (Sand) Lok (as in Fai Lok, Happy) – Happy Sand South Village – in Cantonese . Surname Wong. I hope someone can assist. Many thanks your help.

KenWong

[Henry]

Hi Ken,

Toishan or "Taishan" (Pinyin) is a general name for a place in Guangdong (Kwangtung) province where the vast majority of Chinese in North America originate from. It is the name of one of the 4 county cluster known as SiYi, i.e., Taishan is a county - Taishan city is known as "Taicheng".

To travel to Taishan by hydrofoil, I suggest checking: Chu Kong Passenger Transport Company (English version) :

www.cksp.com.hk/eng/home.html

which has ferries from the China Ferry Terminal in Hong Kong to the river port of Gongyi ( 公 益 ) in Taishan County. I think you can then catch either a bus or taxi to travel due south for approximately 15 miles to Taicheng. I believe the hydrofoil fare is approximately $30 USD one way and it takes 4 hours.

[KenWong]

Hi Henry,

Many thanks, much appreciated.

I will search for hotels in Taicheng then. If anyone out there knows of Nam Chiun Sar Lok village, it will be a great help. Cheers

[Raymond]

Ken,

As a supplement to Henry's response, you can alternatively take an express coach bus to Taishan from Hong Kong/Kowloon. Check out the following website for buses offered by China Travel Service: ctsbus.hkcts.com/english/routes/dt-shunde.htm Note the several stops in Taishan. For details on the ferry departing for Gongyi from the China Ferry Terminal in Kowloon, check out: www.norraytvl.com/Products/transport/ferry/Other%20regions.htm As for hotels, there is a decent-but-older review on the Taishan Garden Hotel (Taishan City) at: www.virtualtourist.com/hotels/Asia/China/Guangdong_Sheng/Taishan-1000775/Hotels_and_Accommodations-Taishan-BR-1.html

Good luck,
Raymond

[Henry]

Hi Ken,

I've only had lunch at the Taishan Garden Hotel - very nice: other friends tell me that it is a decent place to stay. It is a 3 star hotel - "local best". I think the rate is around $65 USD a night, which is not cheap for that area. Or if you want to stay in Kaiping at the Tanjiang Peninsula Hotel, a 5 star hotel at $65 USD a night. Kaiping is a major nearby city about a 30 minute ride NW of Taicheng. These hotels can arrange for a driver/guide and car for the day - probably around $50 USD for the day.

May I suggest that you take a digital photo of the gravestone of one of your ancestors - it should have in Chinese - the family name, village name etc. Email this photo to me at: [e-mail] and I will post it on the Forum and then - people on the Forum may be able to help you locate the village.

Henry

[MH Yee]

Hello Ken,
Is the Chinese for your surname that of the "three stroke Wong" and which means [prince]? If so, please refer to the genealogy posting "Sijiu Town, Nam Ching? Village Toisan," in particular Woodson's reply #1. There is a map for "Nan Cun" or "Nam Chiun." This placename is associated with the Wong (pinyin: Wang) and is a cluster of smaller villages. As well, this Nan Cun is located in the Market town of Doushan zhen.
MH Yee

[MH Yee]

Sorry, the last sentence should read "Tuhu zhen" instead of "Doushan zhen. "[It is rare to find a four character village name so I took the Nan Chiun to be one meaningful unit and the Shar Lok to be the other. ]

[kenwong]

Yes, MH , the Chinese for my surname is that of the "three stroke Wong". I'll search the genealogy posting you mentioned. Tks