May 21, 2015

China Series : Yong Lau

In many parts of Fujian, relatives who made it in Nanyang would remit money home to their old villages. This money would help to erect a new building which is double storeyed with a lovely balcony. This balcony called "Yong Lou" meaning "Ocean Building"proudly indicates that the family has a member who has migrated overseas and has some success.


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Thus in many Minqing villages there are examples yong lous . In Fuzhou prefecture, most of the yong lous were built after 1919 when money was made from the boom created by the high prices of rubber in Sarawak, Malaya and Indonesia.

It is quite a skill to get a balcony done . In the Republic Period, bandits came very often to attack villages so in fact a balcony was really not an ideal feature for homes.

It would be interesting to write about the stories of those who have migrated to a nice place overseas. But today many Chinese are also "returning" to China which is now becoming a world power. The tide seems to be turning.
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China was opened to visitors since 1980's. This is the Fuzhou City Opera House.

NOTE : Malaysians of Chinese descent below 55 were not allowed to travel to China between 1963 and 1983. My paternal grandfather never went back to China as a returning oversea migrant due to several reasons best known to himself. Perhaps he wanted to wait. But since the opening up of China, many Malaysians have gone to China for reunions, for holidays etc. In fact Chinese agents even organize Returning Tours for overseas Chinese.

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