Help with Locating my Village

[dewong]

Hi Everyone!

I am a Wong from NYC who is interested in learning more about my heritage. I ran a search on www.insearchofroots.org for my parents' village (Village 49) but it did return any results.

Any advice? Thanks

[Henry]

Suggest you check out:

www.geocities.com/bx_huang/

www.generasian.ca/

mysite.verizon.net/vzepzaui/village.html

Henry

[helen]

What else do you know about your parenst - are they cantonese, siyip? what language do the speak?

[David Wong]

hi all-

I just updated the "Wong" section to my website today: www.generasian.ca/roots_wong.html which describes the origins of the clan name.

And based on the info I've been cobbling together, with help from Erik Huang in Brunei, the English transliteration of the clan name Wong would indicate that dewong may have originated from south China (ie. v/s "Huang"). But it's best for dewong to check with his elders on dialects, landing dates etc.

[dewong]

Hi all,

I just tried to locate my parents' village on the toishan village site: www.insearchofroots.org/villagedb/display.cgi?level=Village&id=279

Unfortunately, it appears that my village is not located!! Does anyone know where I can find information about say gow village (village 49). It's located next to ng sup (village 50) which appears on the site. I appreciate any assistance. Also, some of my family is from bon hom village. That was also not on the list - does anyone know where I can find this information?

[dewong]

Helen,

My parents are from Toison. My dad's from sak bon hom and my mother's side is from say gow (village 49). We speak toishanese at home.

[Henry]

Dewong,

Contact me at "[e-mail]" - I have some maps for you.

Henry

[MH Yee]

To find your father's village go to the "Toishan Village Database." At the homepage to the left side you will find options. Hit "browse." Then hit "Toishan." Now hit "Area 1." Then hit "Wing Hing Heung." From this page you will find sub-heung"Shek Pan Hom Heung." As well, it will mention under Market(s) "Sze Kau Sun[Four-Nine New].
The current address in the western style of smallest to largest unit and in pinyin (another option on the database) is Bantan cunweihui [greater village], Sijiu zhen [market], Taishan shi [city]. At sijiu.tsinfo.com.cn (in simplified Chinese) there is village information for Sijiu [Four-Nine] market. If you hit "Bantan" under the list of "cunweihui," you will find that it consists of 8 smaller villages, has a population of 2833 and had the old address (according to the Chinese style of largest to smallest unit) of Taishan xian [county], Di Yi qu [First Division], Bantan xiang [village cluster]. Incidentally, Shibantan or "Shek Pan Hom (Sak bon Hom)" can be abbreviated as Bantan or "Pan Hom."
As for your mother's "49 Village," there may be several explanations for your difficulties:
1) The village exists but cannnot be located or it exists under another name.
2)The village no longer exists or has been amalgamated into another identity.
3) There has been some miscommunication. For instance, it is not uncommon for those of the immigrant generation to refer to the closest market town or even the village cluster (i.e. "Heung"/xiang or pao) instead of the actual village as their "home village."
4) The Market Town of Sijiu is the real place of birth.

[Henry]

After following MH Yee's instructions and arriving at - Sze Kau Sun[Four-Nine New] - you'll see "Map Location FQ 9056". These are grid coordinates which are read 90 "right" and 56 "up" on the following map on Tom Genealogy:

mysite.verizon.net/vzepzaui/maps3.html

If you want to see a more modern map see the following map. Arrow 1 refers to "49" and arrow 2 refers to "50"

[MH Yee]

Although you mentioned "village 50" {pinyin Wushi [Five-Ten]} and Henry has kindly indicated this place as "arrow 2," I believe (at least in reference to your father's village) that the cluster of Huang (Wong) villages found near there does not include Shibantan. On this particular map you will find in Chinese "Bantan Xiguang [Tin? Mine]" which is south east of Sijiu zhen [Market]. According to a hand drawn map found in the Xin Ning Magazine, as well as on the Pearl Delta Touring Map (both in Chinese), "Bantan cun [village]" is located nearer there.
(By the way Henry, incredible map!)

[Henry]

Hi MH Yee,

If you click on the link: mysite.verizon.net/vzepzaui/maps3.html - you'll see the Toishan and Hoiping maps that go with the Village Database Map Locations - the incredible map is the section of the large scale topographic map for the same area shown on the Toishan map - on the next page.

[dewong]

thanks for all your help!