Photo: Albert's mother with 3rd brother Nathan in Yuk Sow Lay, c. 1909
Village of Talent
Long Har Village 廊夏村
The village where Albert was born was called Long Har 廊夏村 or 廊下村 (Lang Xia Cun). As reported by relatives in immigration records, Long Har had about 100 houses, as well as three schools.
Yuk Sow Lay 毓秀里
With wealth from emigration, a new village called Yuk Sow Lay 毓秀里 (Yu Shu Li) was established about 1/2-1 li or 1/4-1/2 mile away around 1906. Although village names often referenced land formations, this new village's aspirational name translated roughly as "A Village Where Talent Blossoms".
Yuk Sow Lay is the native place name used on 1910 passenger lists for Albert when his father brought him to the US (written as "Yuet Sow Lee" and "Yuet Sue Lee").
Albert's father Quon Leon moved his family there, as did #3 Uncle Quon Tong. But Uncle Quon Mane stayed in Long Har, as did the #1 and #2 uncles.
Albert's daughter Lil visited Yuk Sow Lay in 2018 (assisted by Cantonese-speaking cousin Loretta Taam Huahn). The Quon house remains and photos show a piece of calligraphy above one of the doors with the Yuk Sow Lay characters:
Yuk Sow Lay is the native place name used on 1910 passenger lists for Albert when his father brought him to the US (written as "Yuet Sow Lee" and "Yuet Sue Lee").
Albert's father Quon Leon moved his family there, as did #3 Uncle Quon Tong. But Uncle Quon Mane stayed in Long Har, as did the #1 and #2 uncles.
Albert's daughter Lil visited Yuk Sow Lay in 2018 (assisted by Cantonese-speaking cousin Loretta Taam Huahn). The Quon house remains and photos show a piece of calligraphy above one of the doors with the Yuk Sow Lay characters:
The characters 毓秀里 are written from right to left.
In this photo, we see the same courtyard that appears in the main photo on this page:
Besides Yuk Sow Lay, around 1911 or 1912, overseas wealth enabled another new village called Gin On (presumably 建安, "Build Peace").
Tuo Fuk 陀附
Long Har and its offshoots were part of four Quon-dominated village clusters that collectively were known as Tuo Fuk 陀附 (Tuo Fu). Migrating from Fujian, Quons had settled there around 1230, and by 1930 numbered approximately 20,000 and roughly one-third of the immediate area's population.
Tuo Fuk's main asset was the small Tan River that connected it into the more significant Pearl River Delta that was bounded at its two edges by the trading ports Macau and Hong Kong. Albert reported that it took about two days by boat to reach Hong Kong from his village.
Tuo Fuk's main asset was the small Tan River that connected it into the more significant Pearl River Delta that was bounded at its two edges by the trading ports Macau and Hong Kong. Albert reported that it took about two days by boat to reach Hong Kong from his village.
Chikhom 赤坎
We note that in his naturalization papers in the 1950s, Albert gives Chikhom 赤坎 (Chikan) as his place of origin. This was also the nearby market town which Albert references in his story about his Uncle Quon Mane's second wife. It really took off as a commercial hub in the 1920s and 1930s, somewhat after the time of the story.
In 1929, overseas Quons funded construction of a new central lineage hall, in competition with their rival Szeto 司徒 (Situ) clan. This was where records such as the 1910 family tree were to be held. Presumably it was this prominence and role in clan identity that made Albert cite it as his native place, in favor of Hoiping, Yuk Sow Lay or Canton, which was used in earlier records.
Chikhom was about 8 li or 2-1/2 miles west of Long Har and Yuk Sow Lay.
In 1929, overseas Quons funded construction of a new central lineage hall, in competition with their rival Szeto 司徒 (Situ) clan. This was where records such as the 1910 family tree were to be held. Presumably it was this prominence and role in clan identity that made Albert cite it as his native place, in favor of Hoiping, Yuk Sow Lay or Canton, which was used in earlier records.
Chikhom was about 8 li or 2-1/2 miles west of Long Har and Yuk Sow Lay.
Wu Long Cun 五龍村
Today the modern way-finding point for Long Har and Yuk Sow Lay is Wu Long Cun, a nearby village located on a highway.
In traditional characters: 五龍村
In simplified characters: 五龙村
In traditional characters: 五龍村
In simplified characters: 五龙村
