March 18, 2012

Friends and Family Outing in the 60's to Bukit Aup



Just recently Facebook helped me connect with a grand daughter of the late Rev Ling Kai Cheng. And we have started a marvellous journey of sharing our knowledge and heritage .

And I am writing this for her mother who happens to know most of the people in this photo.

Ease Chen's uncle and aunt were also best friends with my  late Third Uncle(Tiong Ta King)  and my late Aunt (Lu Kie Kee) .

In the photo is James TC Wong's (blogger) mother (furthest left)...and James himself (the little boy). The two little girls must be James Wong's sisters.

My two cousins Dr. Gracia  and Ivy are standing...The late wife of Lau Hieng Ing is third from the right sitting atop the landrover. Next to her could be Belinda Lau.

My third uncle is standing behind. And my third aunt is sitting in the front with very fashionable sunglasses.

I love the sunglasses the people in the photos are wearing.

All sunglasses must be from the International Optics owned by an uncle Tiong Dak King. There are two branches of International Optics in Miri which continue to provide excellent services with kindness from the heart!

Today the l Malaysia Cultural Village is sited in almost the same place where the photo was taken. In the 1950's Bukit Aup was a good place for picnics and outings for the whole family. A visit to the neigbhouring longhouses was a thrill for many people too. A small road connected Bukit Aup to Sibu via Sungei Merah. Or brave people would take long boat rides from Sibu by the Igan River to reach the end of the Aup Road which ended near the Igan River next to the longhouses.

Today this area is well populated and more development seems to be taking place.

15 comments:

easechen said...

Thanks, Yi Chang! Really appreciate your thoughtfulness! It's been awesome for mum to relive her memorable past in Sibu & recall her dear old friends! It's been really exciting & meaningful for me too! My mum doesn't live with me, but I'll bring her over just to look at your postings. Btw, what are the names of the parents of James TC Wong? It's been really great to connect with you. My mum has a lot of old pics. I'll be posting them soon. God Bless!

Ensurai said...

Dear Ease
james Wong's parents are Mr and Mrs. Wong Sie Kong (the proprietor of Far East Supermarket). Your uncle and aunt would know them very well.

By the way I will be going to Putien (China) soon to do a project on the History and Origins of the Heng Huas of Sibu (2012 is the 100th Anniversary of the Arrival of the Heng Hua's in Sibu). There will be a big celebration this year in Sibu in Nov. I will let you know more about this.....I am really glad your mum is happy looking at my photos. And am really looking forward to the old photos you are going post!! I read Daniel Yiek's blog too and always comment. I love history ...

God bless.

Anonymous said...

thot it was Sugei Aup as it was commonly known then..(i might be wrong).....is it the place quite close to the old airport and near the Igan river?Now it has been developed into something like a running a track with fish ponds around it?
Was James Wong eldest brother by the name of Ronnie(the body builder)?I do know the family then when they were operating cold storage along the Ramin Way during the confrontations......with the British soldiers stationed in Sibu.Back then Ronnie was driving an open top Falcon sedan car...the envy of Sibu kids.

Ensurai said...

Yes..it was often called Sungei Aup..My grandfather's brickyard was sited there...now the Centenary Park and l Malaysia Cultural Village are there..

That's right. Ronnie Wong was the dashing young man with big car..and the parents Mr. and Mrs. Wong Sie Kong operated the Far East Supermarket - the first air con shop in Sibu...

Anonymous said...

Were there any mixing between Foochow and Henghua during early settlement? Were there Foochow in Sg Aup 100 years ago?

Ensurai said...

Dear Anonymous
Sg. Aup was mainly Iban country. Sg. Teku (there is a bazaar there) is mainly Henghua farm land. The Heng Hua Church and Kiang Hin Primary School were built in the 1920's by Heng Huas and as a result a fairly huge settlement resulted.

The Foochows came later in the 1950's when some families could afford to buy the land there. In the earlier days inter-dialectic marriages were not the trend..My Foochow uncle married my Heng Hua aunt in the early 50's and it was considered "pioneer"!! Later Rev. Ho's sons married Foochows. These are the specific inter-dialectic marriages I personally know of. I shall be writing some articles about the Heng Huas in the near future. Thank you for asking.

Ensurai said...

Anonymous..the Heng Huas arrived in Sibu in 1912 led by Rev. Dr. Brewster. They were given assigned areas of Sg. Teku or Northern Sibu. I am sure 100 years ago there were no Foochows in Sg. Aup. My Foochow grandfather bought his land in 1952 and others followed soon after.

If there were Foochows in Sg. Aup 100 years ago..two Methodist features would have been found - a church and a school.

Anonymous said...

I once wrote a comment here about one of my aunts who was adopted by Heng Hua family, because my grandma raised the son for another Foochow family (the only son who survived in that family after several fatalities). The aunt and this man both have passed away more than a decade ago. I believe they could be around 80 if still alive. I am really curious how my grandpa and grandma knew the Heng Hua family at that time, if there were not much mixing between Foochow and Heng Hua. I believe Foochow and Heng Hua were in serious conflict when they first came here to Sibu.

This adoption may be a relevant article for your stories.

14-doo boy

Ensurai said...

Dear Anonymous at the beginning (1920's) the foochows and Heng Hua's were rather distant from one anothe. But they had to mingle more harmoniously when Sg. Merah started to bloom. Please let me know the name of the son..or you aunt if you want me to find out...thanks.

Yes the adoption would be good story for my blog and for the whole of Sarawak. thank you

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

will never forget the sungei Aup outing with Mr. Mason and the geography class.

Ensurai said...

Ann

Do you still have Mr. Mason's contact? I heard he went on to become a doctor. I think Mr. Mason was such a nice person..when my dad passed away he did not know what to give to me. He went to buy some orchids and sent to the house. I was already crying hard and wearing the sack cloth patch..I think it must have been his first home Chinese funeral. He was quite shocked to see the whole scene. I believe the kampong girl did not know how to thank the angmo teacher enough...Got stuck in my heart.

Ensurai said...

This year the Heng Huas will be celebrating their Centenary of Settlement in Sibu . The Tien Doh Tong will be celebrating its 100th year also..on May 22. So look out for the various reports and anniversary books.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

no, I have no contact. As I write this, I think of Puppy love or To Sir with love. I was rather young and a later maturer. I now spice it up to make it more interesting. heheheh,

But I did slip from the hill, and slide all the way down the slope and he caught hold of me to prevent further injury. I did scrap my knees and elbows, but the injury was more in my ego.

That trip, some of us B and D class went. Tang Pick Ling and Lei Sing were in D class, if I see them, I will ask if they went and if they witnessed my most embarrassing moment.



Pity no photos, may be Mr mason took some.

Ensurai said...

Would be nice to know more about Mr. Mason. He went on to graduate from Medical college I heard...Leh Sing would have contacts with Mr. Gregory I think.

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