Hawaii County HI Archives History .....A Short History Of The Chinese Cemetery At Kaupakuea, Pepe'ekeo, South Hilo, Adjacent To Keawaiki Landing And Makea Stream, Hawai'i Island ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/hi/hifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Edward Johnston aliapoint@gmail.com March 17, 2012, 6:44 pm A Short History of the Chinese Cemetery at Kaupakuea, Pepe'ekeo, South Hilo, adjacent to Keawaiki Landing and Makea Stream, Hawai'i Island By Edward Johnston, with interpretation by Chun-Ngar Ng assistance from Doug Chong, Clyde Wong and Dr. C.S. Tang On the east coast of Hawai'i Island lies a small Chinese Cemetery located in Pepe'ekeo on the north side of Makea Stream on a hill looking out to the old Keawaiki Landing. County Tax Maps depict both the Landing and Cemetery within the 3rd Division, Zone 2, Sec. 8, Plat 08: 034. The Landing was a rough water seaport in the mid- 1800's when Ching Chuck and Ah Fong established the Ah Chuck Sugar Company. In later years it became Pepe'ekeo Sugar Company*. It is known that Ching Chuck operated his own sailing ship, 'China Packet', and brought in sugar laborers directly from Zhongshan County, Guangdong Province, China. The efforts of Ching Chuck and Chun Ah Fong, his business partner, resulted in the earliest and most successful large Chinese sugar milling operation in Hawai'i. Although the Chinese cemetery cannot be directly linked to the benevolence of sugar founders Ching Chuck and Ah Fong the connections are becoming evident through ongoing research. At least one traditional stone-marked Hawaiian grave is within the cemetery boundaries. Early maps clearly show a roadway which ran along the north side of the cemetery just makai of a small gulch and connecting to the original cemetery border. The original entrance area of the cemetery is marked by the tomb of Mr. Hui Yau framed in hand-laid bricks in a half-moon or traditional Chinese omega shaped arrangement. In true Chinese feng-shui geomancy practices the grave is built facing the ocean with the mountains at the back. Mr. Hui's gravestone says he is a man of profound knowledge, loyal and respected in the community and the first laborer buried at the cemetery. There remains an upright stone placed directly to the right side of Mr. Hui's tomb. This hand placed stone is standard in Chinese cemeteries and is dedicated to the earth sovereign, a tutelary deity. Facing the Mr. Hui Yau's Tomb is an old foundation directly to the front left. This cemetery Pavilion was once a covered patio structure. Former residents recall attending annual spring Ching Ming festivals (the Chinese Memorial Day) at this site for a day long event of rituals for the dead, including a roasted pig and fireworks. Old timers also recall that as late as the 1950's an elderly Chinese man lived near the cemetery in a small house near the bamboo grove on the high bank above Makea Stream. They believe he maintained the cemetery until his death. Behind the old pavilion and Hui Yau's tomb are various graves which fan out towards the back of the hill. All the Chinese were buried with the casket facing Keawaiki Bay with the headstone at the foot of the grave. There is also at least one traditional, pohaku marked Hawaiian grave within the current cemetery boundaries. The existing headstones in the cemetery mark the remains of seventeen individuals, most born in Zhongshan. Most are male adults although there is one male child and two young girls named Wu Fung Ngan and Ng Ngan. Older Pepe'ekeo residents say Ms. Wu was born in Hawai'i. Other names on various headstones include' Chow, Cheng, Lau, Yui, Chan, Tam, Hui, Ng, and Zhong. All the headstones are written with Chinese lettering, one headstone has the date of 1932 on the back. The rest of the headstones date back to the 1920s & 30s and mark the final resting places of perhaps the last few remaining sugar plantation laborers brought to Ah Chucks' Plantation fifty years before. Additional Comments: I have been documenting an old Chinese (circa 1920's/1930's) cemetery here on the east coast of Hawai'i Island. I have taken photos and had each headstone interpreted to English. Also had the area registered with the State of Hawai'i. Thank you--Ed Johnston aliapoint@gmail.com File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/hi/hawaii/history/other/ashorthi8ms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/hifiles/ File size: 4.7 Kb