Heng Hua (Putien) 100 years (1912-2012)

On 22nd May 1912 101 Heng Huas arrived in Sibu.  They had been sailing in the South China seas for more than two months. However being led by Rev Ting Cheng Tung. With plenty of doubts they had set sail from the southern coast of China. Each day was a long day for these scrawny and thin folks who had hopes in their hearts and prayers in their head. When they finally saw the mouth of the Rajang River in the darkness they could not wait for the sunrise to arrive!!

Rev Ting said a long prayer when they landed along the bank of the Igan River where three atap houses were ready as their accomodation. All of them must have said "Praise God..We have finally arrived." In the next year they faced snakes and wasps. They were bitten by mosquitoes and sandflies. But even with all the rattan baskets on their backs and the hand hoes in their hands or short knives..they were not afraid of hardwork and tiresome tasks. They moved on. This was the beginning of the Heng Hua Pa (or Farm Land of the Heng Huas).

The second batch of pioneers arrived the following year in 1913 on June 17th comprising of 40 people.

An old photo showing the Lu family - one of the pioneering Heng Hua families.

Wong Meng Lei interviewing a third generation Lu family member  to gather primary resources of Heng Hua History.

In 1992 only three of them were still living. They were Ho Ing Hung and Wong Swee Nguk. The third one was Ho Sing Nguk

Now 100 years later in 2012..the blood and the sweat of these original pioneers have indeed created a niche and a good start of the  Heng Huas. The third and fourth generations of the clan are now having comfortable lives but continue to have strong faith in God . The legacies of the older generations will not be forgotten by the younger generations..