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Post by Henry on Jun 1, 2006 12:18:26 GMT -5
skwdvm, I believe you owe Raymond a big thank you - "Wan Chau" ( Wan Jew) village is located in grid cell FQ 9037, check: mysite.verizon.net/vzepzaui/maps4.htmllook to the right for the 90 line and then up for the 30 line - these intersecting lines form the SW corner of the grid cell - where the village is located. Henry
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Post by skwdvm on Jun 1, 2006 19:01:40 GMT -5
Xie Xie to everyone who helped solve the mystery of where the villages are located. As they say in French, "Merci pour tout!" ( Thanks for everything!) One of my grandmother Wong's favorite phrases in Cantonese was "Nay Gum Ho!" when someone did something especially nice for her.Raymond, I hope you translate that as " You are the greatest and I'm grateful for your help."
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Post by raymond on Jun 1, 2006 21:35:14 GMT -5
skwdvm,
Ahhhh!!! A success story, something all of us pseudo-genealogist (me anyway) strive for. No raving compliments necessary......just the mere satisfaction that you have connected with your maternal grandfather's ancestral village is my/our reward! I'm just happy to have helped in your search. I hope you will soon discover your paternal grandfather's ancestral village as well. Much good luck to you in your continuing quest............
Raymond
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Post by helen on Jun 1, 2006 21:41:57 GMT -5
Wow you guys are good. Good News Sharon - you're closer to getting the Woo's side done.
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Post by geoff on Jun 2, 2006 5:54:44 GMT -5
Woodson,
To my surprise I recognised Shapu on the map you posted on May 31 at 4:52. I don't speak or read Chinese but was told that "Bak Skek village" was to the left of Shapu. When I saw Shapu on Guangshen Railway, I printed the map & a friend confirmed that the 2 chinese characters as "Bak Shek" to the left of Shapu. Thank you very much. I can stop looking now.
However, it has mad me more inquisitive about its distance from Canton City? Would you please post a map of Canton which would be left of the map posted. What is the scale of the map? Also, do you have a map with 'Wong Tong village" which I have been told is 15km west of Zengcheng City? Once again, thanks.
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Post by skwdvm on Jun 2, 2006 10:16:23 GMT -5
Wow! I was glad to see that the map helped Geoff find his village, too. Great stuff. How does one get a copy of the maps? The color is great.
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Post by Woodson on Jun 2, 2006 12:27:33 GMT -5
Woodson, To my surprise I recognised Shapu on the map you posted on May 31 at 4:52. However, it has mad me more inquisitive about its distance from Canton City? Would you please post a map of Canton which would be left of the map posted. What is the scale of the map? Hi Geoff, The map publisher failed to give the scale. Just wondering whether Henry, our map expert, can and have the time to work out the distance if we give him the longitude measurements? Please click on the link for an enlarged map www3.telus.net/arts/wunhu/yaotian11.jpg
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Post by Henry on Jun 2, 2006 15:56:29 GMT -5
Geoff, The distance, as the crow flies, from Guangzhou ( Canton ) to Shapu ia approximately 20 miles. Henry PS I checked another, more accurate map - distance is closer to 25 miles.
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Post by geoff on Jun 2, 2006 16:46:58 GMT -5
Woodson, Thank you for another map. Over the past couple of months I have been eager to find a map after being told (via email from NZ) of its approx location. I'm my researching the Wongs from Bak Shek village, the Chow's from Wong Tong village & Ng's from Ngar Yiew village, Jungseng. The chinese name is #96, #17 & #6 respectively from www.geocities.com/Tokyo/3919/hundred.htmlCongratulations to all the members of this site who are so willing to share their experiences & knowledge with new researchers such as myself. After living in Australia for 6 generations we can't speak or read chinese. If I'd known 2 years ago what a gaint task researching over 130 years in Australia was going to be, maybe I wouldn't have started. It has had its highs & lows but finding this internet site is definitely one of the "highs" & I will contine on. In the future I may want to research the China end. Does anyone know how to make contact with a village in China via email? Or is it easier to save up for a visit to the villages & accompanied with an interpreter? Thanks everyone.
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Post by Henry on Jun 2, 2006 17:25:31 GMT -5
Geoff, I suggest you get as much detailed information regarding your ancestors ( preferably in Chinese ) and maps of your ancestral village first, then visit this page on my website: mysite.verizon.net/vzepzaui/village.htmlfor the contact information with the Guangdong Overseas Chinese Affairs office. Since you do not speak Chinese - they will have to contact the village chief for you - especially if you intend to visit these ancestral villages. If you take a China Tour, you may want to add on a couple of days so you can visit your ancestral villages. Also, I suggest you check my website in general - it will provide you with information and maps that you may find useful. Henry
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Post by geoff on Jun 2, 2006 18:04:13 GMT -5
Henry,
Thank you for your 2 replies.
We are also called "ABC" (Australian born Chinese). We call ourselves "Australian" or "Aussies" but others still call us "ABC".
I have found documents & pics of most of our ancestors at National Archives of Australia. Detailed info was recorded on Chinese travelling in & out of Aust. As our ancestors had family (wife & children) in China, the husbands travelled to & from China from late 1800's to mid 1900's. This has proved a rich source of our family history. We ddn't have some of these photos in our family albums until I discovered them at NAA.
Gotta go now as the day is just begining here "Down Under".
Geoff
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Post by twoupman on Jun 2, 2006 20:09:47 GMT -5
Geoff,
From Bak Shek (Baishi), your Ngar Yiew (Yayao) is just NE less than 2km distance, while Wong Tong (Huangdeng) is about 20km NW.
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Post by Woodson on Jun 2, 2006 22:02:58 GMT -5
Here is Wong Tong in relation to Zengcheng
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Post by geoff on Jun 3, 2006 6:18:52 GMT -5
Henry, Twoupman & Woodson, Thank you all so very much for all the info & maps. With these maps & locations we'll have a much more visual family history presentation.
Woodson, your comment "a picture is worth a thousand words", so you are worth "4,000 words".
Thanks again from a very happy & grateful "ABC Down Under".
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Post by helen on Jun 3, 2006 18:40:35 GMT -5
Geoff, Bak Shek was the market place for our families. The villagers would go there maybe 3 times a week. My husband's maternal Granfather was a shoe shop owner there- he made the shoes to sell in the market town. They also had a cake shop - looking at about the late 1890s. My husbands mother recalls going to Bak Shek as a child, to listen to the street theatre and opera. Her and her sister learnt all the words to the songs of that era.
We have many Nga Yiew people in NZ. My husband's paternal Uncle married a lady from there. It is one of the bigger villages and they had strength by numbers, when the pirates and brigands raided the villages.
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