Qing Ming

Manoa Chinese Cemetery

The Chinese were the first large immigrant group to settle in Hawaii.   Some writers believe that the first Chinese in Hawaii may have been deck hands who jumped ship from American and English vessels which visited Hawaii harbors in the late 1700’s.   As the Chinese community became established, eventually, there was a need for a cemetery.  In 1851, the Lin Yee Chung Association was formed for the purpose of founding a Chinese cemetery. .  A few years before, one of the founders, Lum Ching used his knowledge and skill of geomancy to find the ideal location for a cemetery.  Lum Ching stood in the area which today is the site of the Waioli Tea Room (Manoa Road and Lowrey Avenue).  He and a friend noticed a knoll, then called Akaka Peak which was situated about a mile from where they were standing.   Following the run of the mountain range, he used the Chinese compass or Low Poon and discovered that the compass needle pointed directly south.  He did more calculations with the mirror and compass and remarked:

We are at an extraordinary spot.  It is the pulse of the watchful dragon of the valley.  People from all directions will come from across the seas and gather here to pay homage.  Birds, too, will come to sing and roost.  It is a haven suitable for the living as well as the dead.  The Chinese people must buy this area and keep it as sacred ground.

In 1851, the Lin Yee Chung Association acquired the property of 1,183,994 square feet or slightly over 27 acres. There are several notable sections of Manoa Cemetery: The Grave of Tai-Ju is in the shade of a huge banyan tree.  The plot is marked by a large horse- shoe shaped stone constructed of white coral.  The area is also known as the Grand Ancestor’s Tomb and buried here are the remains of Lum Ching.   This grave represents all ancestors, and for this reason, the Qing Ming festival is always held on this site.   The gateway, designed by James C.M. Young, AIA was erected in 1997. The White Mound contains the remains of 300 unidentified persons. The Tomb of the Seven Unknown Chinese Soldiers contains the remains of six Chinese pilots and soldiers and one woman.    Sometime between 1948 to 1949, the United States Army brought remains of American soldiers from Burma and Southeast Asia to Hawaii for identification and consignment to proper relatives.  The remains of the seven unknown Chinese soldiers were brought in error, and the Army requested the assistance of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce as to the proper disposition of the remains.   The Chinese Chamber of Commerce enlisted the help of Lin Yee Chung Association  which donated a plot for a final resting place of the unknown.   Kau Tom Post no. 11 donated a plaque in their honor and referred to them as the “Seven Heroes”.  

Each year preceding the "Qing Ming” opening program, members of the Kau Tom Post no. 11 honor the Seven heroes together with other military who are buried at Manoa Chinese Cemetery.   The veterans are given a full military tribute that begins with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Seven Unknown Chinese Soldiers, Air Force honor and color guards, the singing of the National Anthem, Hawaii Ponoi, a pigeon release, Three-gun volley, and Taps.

In China, bone-picking was a common practice.   After a number of years, the remains of the deceased are disinterred, and the bones are washed and properly placed in crocks.  The Chinese believed that doing this would ensure prosperity and more offspring for future generations.  Bone-picking was practiced in Hawaii as Chinese families would transport the bones to China.  At Manoa Cemetery, a Bone House was constructed to store bone crocks for later transport.  Bone-picking was banned in 1949, and the Bone House stands as a reminder of a past Chinese practice.

Since the 1980’s, the Late George C.K. Young produced the Qing Ming event at Manoa Chinese Cemetery, and the public was invited to the elaborate affair.  George passed away in October 2001, and there was no Qing Ming ceremony for the public the following Spring.  In 2002, under the leadership of President Lawrence W.J. Siu and Vice Chairman, Danny S.M.Young, the United Chinese Society of Hawaii assembled leaders of numerous Chinese societies to discuss the future of Qing Ming at Manoa Chinese Cemetery.  From that meeting, the Hawaii Chinese Qing Ming Celebration Committee (HCQMCC) was formed, and it staged its first Qing Ming celebration on April 6, 2003.   The purpose of the HCQMCC is to perpetuate the Qing Ming ceremony and educate the younger generation about its significance.   Each year, the committee meets with members of various Chinese societies to plan the public event which is held on April 6.  Individuals from the various societies are selected to participate in the ceremony. Today, the Lin Yee Chung Association continues to oversee the maintenance and operations of the Manoa Chinese Cemetery just as it did in 1851.   

- Ginny Young 2006

Sources:

Wong, Harry C.Y. April 2004. 2nd Annual Hawaii Chinese Qing Ming Celebration.

Young, George C.K. “Qing Ming”, 2000