Sg. Sian, Bintangor

Before 1921 there were no Foochows in the Bintangor or Binatang area. Tiong Kung Ping, Yao Shiao King and Ling Ming Lok founded the Foochow settlement of Binatang having received a grant of land from the Rajah, with the help of the Reverend James Hoover. The three pioneers spearheaded the rubber growing program in the area while several Foochow families from Sibu and China settled down there.

Soon another area, Sg. Sian (The Chinese name of this river is "City River") was established. The land was rather low lying.

Small road and newly opened land in Sg. Sian (Photo from Borneo Post) According to my Grandfather, all new land owners had to dig trenches 6 ft wide and 12 ft deep to form their land demarcation before they started planting their rubber trees, a decree from the Rajah. 

Wong Meng Lei and siblings in front of Ming Dao church and Ming Cheng Primary School

But in a few years the Foochows overcame many challenges and successfully grew tangerines, pineapples, some other fruits and rice.

A church Ming Dao Church and a primary school, Ming Cheng (1936), were established by these villagers. Ming is the Chinese character taken out of the Bin (Ming) atang of the name of the town.

Photo from Sarikeians. Sg Sian Ferry brings home villagers every evening

My friend Wong Meng Lei's parents first taught in the Ming Cheng Primary Schoolin the 50's.

Today Sg. Sian continues to thrive with more agricultural development, including oil palm planting.