May 16, 2012

How to Say Good Bye in Xianyou (Putien)

Welcoming Speech by Chen Bai Chai - Chairman of the Chinese Surname Research Centre
The Centre is a very busy place with many clansmen coming together very often to do research. We came on a Sunday when they were having a meeting. Fortunately they were able to squeeze in one hour to meet up with us.

Ling Clan Building in Xian You (Fujian)


Every one stood up to prepare for the guests to leave the hall after the dialogue session. (Meng has found more than 70 pioneers' villages and more than half have not been traced....Where did some of the Heng Hua Pioneers of Sibu come from? Each surname group would help to find the villages of those Heng Hua Pioneers.we have not been able to trace..with instructions from Chen Bai Chai..)
Standing up in the main hall - shaking hands and saying good bye. (first farewell)

One of the clan leaders had a personal talk with Steve Ling..asking more about our research. Standing up and ready for group photo taking (This group already know where they should stand.....Committee members of the Ling Clan and the members of the Surname Cultural Committee ..and their guests) Group photo courtesy of Steve Ling...



FAREWELL NO2...The whole group after saying a farewell at the main door walked the Overseas friends to the gate....

Farewell No. 3 - at the main entrance.Xian You Historians .Waving and Wishing good wishes to the VVIP  Overseas Visitors..

Here I include a poem by Li Bai who wrote it in 754 - 5 characters on each line and 8 lines in all. (now traaslated into English) It is amazing how Li Bai can capture the spirit of a touching farewell in 40 words and have them "kept in perfect state for us to appreciate 1300 years later!!)

 Would be nice if Li Bai were with us to describe this scene....Good bye to Nanyang friends...on a gentle rainy morning....
The dark hills stretch beyond the northern rampart,
White waters wind around the eastern wall1,
From this place where we do one deed of parting,
Tumbleweed has a thousand miles to sprawl.
A floating cloud: all that a wanderer thinks.
A setting sun: all an old friend can say.
It is goodbye, and as we wave our hands
Our parting horses cry and neigh, and neigh. 


青山橫北郭,  
白水繞東城,  
此地一為別,  
孤蓬萬里征.   
浮雲遊子意, 
落日故人情,  
揮手自茲去,  
蕭蕭班馬鳴。

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting about this clan related news. I once wrote, the earliest Lin into Fujian was Putien. From there, Lin spread to different parts of Fujian, Taiwan, and other provinces. But since Lin originated from Henan, there were also Lin coming directly from there into other parts of Fujian.

14 doo boy

Ensurai said...

Thanks 14 Doo boy. If you are from Sibu..Meng Lei has a book fromthe Surname Research Centre compiled by Chen Bai Cai. It specific refers to how the Ting/Chen/Chan (ear east) surname originated. Fascinating research.....
Your article should be very interesting reading...Yes indeed Lings are Gutian Foochows also...There is one whole village of Ling in Putien!! And the largest no of Putien people are also Lings.

wenn said...

wow..such grand goodbyes..

Ensurai said...

Wenn...these historians and members of the Surname Research Studies Centre showed great respect to our team..I was terribly touched. But then I think they do take research very seriously and view our work as something very significant. Cannot find this perhaps on in some very cultured kampongs in Sarawak...(just my opinion)...A friend also commented..the bigger the city the less warm reception and farewells. What do you think?

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

hehehe, today, I was quite busy so I left the kids to do work by them self. Gave them certificates and told them to exhange it the japanese way. They think the Kowtow is so funny.

Naomi said...

My grandfather's hometown is eside Xian You toll station

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