Yeung Kui-wan
Encyclopedia
Yeung Kui-wan was a Chinese revolutionary of the late Qing Dynasty
. In 1890, Yeung started the Furen Literary Society
(輔仁文社) in British colonial Hong Kong
to spread ideas of revolution against the Qing Dynasty and to establish a republic in China. He became the first President of the Hong Kong Chapter of the Revive China Society
in 1894 and was, with Sun Yat-sen
, in charge of planning an uprising in Canton (now Guangzhou
) in 1895 and in Huizhou
in 1900. Yeung was assassinated in 1901 in Hong Kong by an agent sent by the Qing government.
was Siu-chun . He signed himself 'Yeung Küwan' when he lived in Hong Kong and is now known as Yeung Kui-wan.
), but he was born in Fumen Walled City, Dongguan
, Guangdong
. At a young age, he followed his father to Hong Kong
and was educated in St. Paul's College
. When he was 14, Yeung learned how to operate machinery in a shipyard but an accident caused him to lose three fingers from his right hand. He switched to reading English and became a teacher after graduating. Later, he worked in the Zhaoshangju (招商局; now the China Merchants Group) as its chief secretary, as well as being a vice-manager in the Sassoon Maritime Company (沙遜洋行).
Yeung's knowledge of Chinese was scanty and he tried to improve it when he became involved in politics. His experiences in Hong Kong had given him a pugnacious nationalism: boxing was one of his hobbies and he was quick with his fists when he encountered foreigners taking advantage of Chinese people. His extensive reading of Western literature allowed him to speak with authority on revolutionary theory and history, and he is said to have dominated discussions on these subjects. He would instinctively assume the seat of honour at social gatherings and was not to be interrupted during his discourses.
On March 13, 1892, Yeung, together with Tse Tsan-tai
and others, started the Furen Literary Society
(輔仁文社) in Pak Tse Lane, Sheung Wan
, with Yeung as their leader and the guiding principles of "Open up the people's minds" (開通民智) and "Love your country with all your heart" (盡心愛國). The society released books and papers discussing the future of China and advocating the overthrow of the Qing
government and establishment of a republic in China. Yeung was also a member of the Hongmen
(洪門), an anti-government secret organisation.
In November 1894, Sun Yat-sen
founded the Revive China Society
( Xingzhonghui) in Honolulu, Hawaii
. He returned to Hong Kong in early 1895 and met up again with Yeung, whom he had first met in 1891. As they both wanted to take advantage of the uneasy political situation due to the First Sino-Japanese War
, on February 18, 1895, the Furen Literary Society
was merged into the Revive China Society, with help from Yau Lit
, a close friend of Sun and member of Furen. Yeung and Sun became the President and Secretary of the Society respectively. They disguised their activities in Hong Kong under the guise of running a "Qianheng Company" (乾亨行).
In October 1895, the Revive China Society planned to launch an uprising in Guangzhou
, with Yeung directing the uprising in Hong Kong. However, plans were leaked out and more than 70 members, including Lu Hao-tung
, were captured by the Qing government.
Under pressure from the Qing government in mainland China, the British colonial authorities in Hong Kong forced Yeung and Sun Yat-sen to leave, barring them from entering Hong Kong over the next five years. Yeung travelled to Johannesburg
, South Africa
, via Singapore
and later to Japan
, where he stayed from 1896–1899, to expand the Revive China Society and spread its ideas. While in Japan, he also gave private tuition in English.
His relationship with Sun Yat-sen was complicated: Yeung was President (and Sun was Secretary) when his Furen Literary Society first merged with Sun's Revive China Society in 1895 (renamed as the Hong Kong chapter of the Xingzhonghui). However Sun gradually became more powerful and edged Yeung out, resulting in Yeung resigning (as President) in 1899, to be succeeded by Sun Yat-sen.
In 1900, Yeung started another uprising in Huizhou
, Guangdong, but this also failed. He returned to Hong Kong and taught English in a school at Gage Street
to support his family. On January 10, 1901, around 6pm, Yeung was shot in the head and chest (while tutoring students on the second floor of his home with his young child seated on his lap) by Chen Lin (陳林), an assassin sent by the Qing government. He died from his wounds the following day and was buried in the Hong Kong Cemetery
in Happy Valley
. His tomb was completed on December 23, 1901.
After Yeung died, Sun issued formal condolences and initiated fundraising for Yeung's family.
After the Xinhai Revolution
in 1911 that overthrew the Qing Dynasty, former members of the Revive China Society suggested to the new republican government that the body of Yeung be exhumed and reburied in Huanghuagang Park, Guangzhou
, along with the remains of the other 72 martyrs of the Guangdong uprising. However, the government did not accept this.
In December 1921, soon after Chiang Kai-shek
married his second wife, Ch'en Chieh-ju
, she asked him why he wanted to win the confidence of Sun Yat-sen. Chiang replied that "Dr. Sun is the greatest Chinese of the century." She then told Chiang that she had been "taught that Yeung Ch'u-yun (Yeung Kui-wan) of Hong Kong was the patron saint of our Republic". He said, "No, Yeung Ch'u-yun was a pioneer only and was assassinated. I believe Dr. Sun should definitely be the patron".
Following the death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925, Chiang Kai-shek became the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party
in 1926. In 1927, when he was setting up the Nationalist government in Nanjing, he was preoccupied with "the elevation of our leader Dr. Sun Yat-sen to the rank of 'Father of our Chinese Republic'. Dr. Sun worked for 40 years to lead our people in the Nationalist cause, and we cannot allow any other personality to usurp this honored position". He asked Chen Guofu
(at the time Head of the Kuomintang Department of Organisation) to purchase a photograph that had been taken in Japan in around 1895 or 1898. It showed members of the Revive China Society, with Yeung presiding and Sun, as secretary, on the back row, along with members of the Japanese Chapter of the Revive China Society. When told that it was not for sale, Chiang offered a million dollars to recover the photo and its negative. "The party must have this picture and the negative at any price. They must be destroyed as soon as possible. It would be embarrassing to have our Father of the Chinese Republic shown in a subordinate position". Chiang never obtained either the photo or its negative.
Since 2004, Yeung Kui-wan's nephew Yeung Hing-on has actively campaigned for official recognition of the important role his uncle played in the early revolutionary movement against the Qing Dynasty. He has approached the Antiquities and Monuments Office
and the District Councils in Hong Kong many times. In particular, he hoped that a planned park at Pak Tsz Lane would be named after Yeung Kui-wan or the Furen Literary Society that met near there.
Due to his efforts, a commemorative marker has been placed near the house, at 52 Gage Street
, where Yeung Kui-wan was assassinated.
In March 2011, the Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs of Hong Kong, Raymond Young, announced that "in order to honour the Qing revolutionary Mr. Yeung Kui-wan and Hong Kong's important role in the revolutionary movement, the Government will erect an information plaque beside Mr. Yeung's unnamed tomb at the Hong Kong Cemetery in Happy Valley Cemetery to highlight his revolutionary deeds." In May 2011, work began on the park, which is to be named Pak Tse Lane Garden.
In August 2011, it was reported in the South China Morning Post
(SCMP) that the promised information plaque would be installed alongside Yeung's unnamed tomb "next month" (Note that the SCMP was founded by Tse Tsan-tai
, the first treasurer of the Furen Literary Society
.).
Finally, in September 2011, the Hong Kong authorities place next to his tomb a granite plaque giving the story of Yeung Kui-wan - 110 years after he was assassinated and in time for the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Xinhai Revolution
, which resulted in the Chinese Republic that Yeung Kui-wan fought and died for.
, Xiamen
, Fujian
). Yeung Ching-seoi was educated in Malaya (now Malaysia). When he grew up, he tried farming in his hometown before working on ocean-bound ships. Due to illness, Yeung Ching-seoi probably went to Hong Kong in the 1860s, 'when Yeung Kui-wan was still quite young'. After he had recovered, he worked for the British colonial government in Hong Kong as a secretary and married Yeung Kui-wan's mother. The family name of Yeung Kui-wan's mother was Cheng
, and she was from Humen
. Yeung Ching-seoi and his wife had a son (Yeung Kui-wan) and two daughters. Yeung Ching-seoi continued to work in the shipping business and taught English in his later years.
Yeung Kui-wan's wife's family name was Poon
. He had three daughters by her - Yeung Gam-ha , Yeung Lai-ha , and Yeung Sau-ha .
briefly features the assassination of Yeung Kui-wan, who was played by Jacky Cheung
.
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. In 1890, Yeung started the Furen Literary Society
Furen Literary Society
The Furen Literary Society, also known as the Chinese Patriotic Mutual Improvement Association, or the 'Furen Cultural Society Restoration Association ', was founded in Colonial Hong Kong in 1892 to spread ideas of revolution against the Qing Dynasty and establishing a republic in China.It was...
(輔仁文社) in British colonial Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
to spread ideas of revolution against the Qing Dynasty and to establish a republic in China. He became the first President of the Hong Kong Chapter of the Revive China Society
Revive China Society
The Hsing Chung Hui or Xingzhonghui translated as the Revive China Society, Society for Regenerating China, Proper China Society was founded by Sun Yat-sen on 24 November 1894 to forward the goal of establishing prosperity for China and as a platform for future revolutionary activities...
in 1894 and was, with Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
, in charge of planning an uprising in Canton (now Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
) in 1895 and in Huizhou
Huizhou
Huizhou , historically known as Waichow, is a city located in central Guangdong province of the People's Republic of China. Part of the Pearl River Delta, Huizhou borders the provincial capital of Guangzhou to the west, Shaoguan to the north, Heyuan to the northeast, Shanwei to the east, Shenzhen...
in 1900. Yeung was assassinated in 1901 in Hong Kong by an agent sent by the Qing government.
Names
The original name of Yeung Kui-wan was Yeung Fei-hung , his style nameChinese style name
A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...
was Siu-chun . He signed himself 'Yeung Küwan' when he lived in Hong Kong and is now known as Yeung Kui-wan.
Biography
Yeung's ancestral home was in Haicheng (海澄; a town in present-day Longhai City, FujianFujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
), but he was born in Fumen Walled City, Dongguan
Dongguan
Dongguan is a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong province, People's Republic of China.An important industrial city located in the Pearl River Delta, Dongguan borders the provincial capital of Guangzhou to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, Shenzhen to the south, and the Pearl River to...
, Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
. At a young age, he followed his father to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and was educated in St. Paul's College
St. Paul's College, Hong Kong
St. Paul's College is an Anglican day school for boys in Mid Levels, Hong Kong and is located adjacent to University of Hong Kong. Established in 1851, it is the oldest secondary school in Hong Kong that is still in operation...
. When he was 14, Yeung learned how to operate machinery in a shipyard but an accident caused him to lose three fingers from his right hand. He switched to reading English and became a teacher after graduating. Later, he worked in the Zhaoshangju (招商局; now the China Merchants Group) as its chief secretary, as well as being a vice-manager in the Sassoon Maritime Company (沙遜洋行).
Yeung's knowledge of Chinese was scanty and he tried to improve it when he became involved in politics. His experiences in Hong Kong had given him a pugnacious nationalism: boxing was one of his hobbies and he was quick with his fists when he encountered foreigners taking advantage of Chinese people. His extensive reading of Western literature allowed him to speak with authority on revolutionary theory and history, and he is said to have dominated discussions on these subjects. He would instinctively assume the seat of honour at social gatherings and was not to be interrupted during his discourses.
On March 13, 1892, Yeung, together with Tse Tsan-tai
Tse Tsan-tai
Tse Tsan-tai , styled Sing-on , art-named Hong-yu was a Chinese revolutionary of the late Qing Dynasty. Tse was the first Chinese to fly an airship, China in 1899...
and others, started the Furen Literary Society
Furen Literary Society
The Furen Literary Society, also known as the Chinese Patriotic Mutual Improvement Association, or the 'Furen Cultural Society Restoration Association ', was founded in Colonial Hong Kong in 1892 to spread ideas of revolution against the Qing Dynasty and establishing a republic in China.It was...
(輔仁文社) in Pak Tse Lane, Sheung Wan
Sheung Wan
Sheung Wan is an area in Hong Kong, located in the north-west of Hong Kong Island, between Central and Sai Ying Pun. Administratively, it is part of the Central and Western District...
, with Yeung as their leader and the guiding principles of "Open up the people's minds" (開通民智) and "Love your country with all your heart" (盡心愛國). The society released books and papers discussing the future of China and advocating the overthrow of the Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
government and establishment of a republic in China. Yeung was also a member of the Hongmen
Tiandihui
The Tiandihui is a fraternal organization that originated in China. The Hongmen grouping is today more or less synonymous with the whole Tiandihui concept, although the title "Hongmen" is also claimed by some criminal groups.As the Tiandihui spread through different counties and provinces, it...
(洪門), an anti-government secret organisation.
In November 1894, Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
founded the Revive China Society
Revive China Society
The Hsing Chung Hui or Xingzhonghui translated as the Revive China Society, Society for Regenerating China, Proper China Society was founded by Sun Yat-sen on 24 November 1894 to forward the goal of establishing prosperity for China and as a platform for future revolutionary activities...
( Xingzhonghui) in Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. He returned to Hong Kong in early 1895 and met up again with Yeung, whom he had first met in 1891. As they both wanted to take advantage of the uneasy political situation due to the First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
, on February 18, 1895, the Furen Literary Society
Furen Literary Society
The Furen Literary Society, also known as the Chinese Patriotic Mutual Improvement Association, or the 'Furen Cultural Society Restoration Association ', was founded in Colonial Hong Kong in 1892 to spread ideas of revolution against the Qing Dynasty and establishing a republic in China.It was...
was merged into the Revive China Society, with help from Yau Lit
Yau Lit
Yau Lit , born Yau Kwai-bok , styled Tui-hau or Ling-kwai was a Chinese revolutionary from Shuntak, Kwangtung. He is one of the Four Bandits, together with Sun Yat-sen, Chan siu-bak and Yeung Hok-ling....
, a close friend of Sun and member of Furen. Yeung and Sun became the President and Secretary of the Society respectively. They disguised their activities in Hong Kong under the guise of running a "Qianheng Company" (乾亨行).
In October 1895, the Revive China Society planned to launch an uprising in Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, with Yeung directing the uprising in Hong Kong. However, plans were leaked out and more than 70 members, including Lu Hao-tung
Lu Hao-tung
Lu Hao-tung , born Lu Chung-gui , courtesy name Hsien-hsiang , was the first "revolutionary martyr" of the Republic of China...
, were captured by the Qing government.
Under pressure from the Qing government in mainland China, the British colonial authorities in Hong Kong forced Yeung and Sun Yat-sen to leave, barring them from entering Hong Kong over the next five years. Yeung travelled to Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, via Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and later to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where he stayed from 1896–1899, to expand the Revive China Society and spread its ideas. While in Japan, he also gave private tuition in English.
His relationship with Sun Yat-sen was complicated: Yeung was President (and Sun was Secretary) when his Furen Literary Society first merged with Sun's Revive China Society in 1895 (renamed as the Hong Kong chapter of the Xingzhonghui). However Sun gradually became more powerful and edged Yeung out, resulting in Yeung resigning (as President) in 1899, to be succeeded by Sun Yat-sen.
In 1900, Yeung started another uprising in Huizhou
Huizhou
Huizhou , historically known as Waichow, is a city located in central Guangdong province of the People's Republic of China. Part of the Pearl River Delta, Huizhou borders the provincial capital of Guangzhou to the west, Shaoguan to the north, Heyuan to the northeast, Shanwei to the east, Shenzhen...
, Guangdong, but this also failed. He returned to Hong Kong and taught English in a school at Gage Street
Gage Street
Gage Street is a street in Central, Hong Kong. It is on the lower hill and between the junction with Cochrane Street and Lyndhurst Terrace, Graham Street and Aberdeen Street. The street is mainly a market.It is named after William Hall Gage.-See also:...
to support his family. On January 10, 1901, around 6pm, Yeung was shot in the head and chest (while tutoring students on the second floor of his home with his young child seated on his lap) by Chen Lin (陳林), an assassin sent by the Qing government. He died from his wounds the following day and was buried in the Hong Kong Cemetery
Hong Kong Cemetery
Hong Kong Cemetery, formerly Hong Kong Cemetery and before that Hong Kong Colonial Cemetery, is one of the early Christian cemeteries of Hong Kong during its colonial era . It is located beside the racecourse at Happy Valley, along with the Jewish Cemetery, Hindu Cemetery, Parsee Cemetery, St...
in Happy Valley
Happy Valley, Hong Kong
Happy Valley is a mostly residential suburb of Hong Kong, located in the northern part of Hong Kong Island. Administratively, it is part of Wan Chai District....
. His tomb was completed on December 23, 1901.
After Yeung died, Sun issued formal condolences and initiated fundraising for Yeung's family.
Subsequent events
It was Yeung's wish before he died that his tombstone be anonymous, so his tombstone was inscribed with only the serial number "6348" to avoid being recognized and desecrated by the Qing government.After the Xinhai Revolution
Xinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
in 1911 that overthrew the Qing Dynasty, former members of the Revive China Society suggested to the new republican government that the body of Yeung be exhumed and reburied in Huanghuagang Park, Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, along with the remains of the other 72 martyrs of the Guangdong uprising. However, the government did not accept this.
In December 1921, soon after Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
married his second wife, Ch'en Chieh-ju
Chen Jieru
Chen Jieru was the second wife of Chiang Kai-shek.Chen's ancestral hometown was Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, and she was born in Shanghai...
, she asked him why he wanted to win the confidence of Sun Yat-sen. Chiang replied that "Dr. Sun is the greatest Chinese of the century." She then told Chiang that she had been "taught that Yeung Ch'u-yun (Yeung Kui-wan) of Hong Kong was the patron saint of our Republic". He said, "No, Yeung Ch'u-yun was a pioneer only and was assassinated. I believe Dr. Sun should definitely be the patron".
Following the death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925, Chiang Kai-shek became the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
in 1926. In 1927, when he was setting up the Nationalist government in Nanjing, he was preoccupied with "the elevation of our leader Dr. Sun Yat-sen to the rank of 'Father of our Chinese Republic'. Dr. Sun worked for 40 years to lead our people in the Nationalist cause, and we cannot allow any other personality to usurp this honored position". He asked Chen Guofu
Chen Guofu
Chen Guofu, or Chen Kuo-fu , was a Chinese politician in the Republic of China. He was born in Wuxing, Zhejiang, China . Chen Guofu joined the Tongmenghui in 1911. He participated in both the revolution against the Qing dynasty and the "second revolution" against Yuan Shikai...
(at the time Head of the Kuomintang Department of Organisation) to purchase a photograph that had been taken in Japan in around 1895 or 1898. It showed members of the Revive China Society, with Yeung presiding and Sun, as secretary, on the back row, along with members of the Japanese Chapter of the Revive China Society. When told that it was not for sale, Chiang offered a million dollars to recover the photo and its negative. "The party must have this picture and the negative at any price. They must be destroyed as soon as possible. It would be embarrassing to have our Father of the Chinese Republic shown in a subordinate position". Chiang never obtained either the photo or its negative.
Antiquities and Monuments Office
Antiquities and Monuments Office was established when the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance was enacted in 1976, to preserve Hong Kong's monuments under appropriate protection....
and the District Councils in Hong Kong many times. In particular, he hoped that a planned park at Pak Tsz Lane would be named after Yeung Kui-wan or the Furen Literary Society that met near there.
Due to his efforts, a commemorative marker has been placed near the house, at 52 Gage Street
Gage Street
Gage Street is a street in Central, Hong Kong. It is on the lower hill and between the junction with Cochrane Street and Lyndhurst Terrace, Graham Street and Aberdeen Street. The street is mainly a market.It is named after William Hall Gage.-See also:...
, where Yeung Kui-wan was assassinated.
In March 2011, the Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs of Hong Kong, Raymond Young, announced that "in order to honour the Qing revolutionary Mr. Yeung Kui-wan and Hong Kong's important role in the revolutionary movement, the Government will erect an information plaque beside Mr. Yeung's unnamed tomb at the Hong Kong Cemetery in Happy Valley Cemetery to highlight his revolutionary deeds." In May 2011, work began on the park, which is to be named Pak Tse Lane Garden.
In August 2011, it was reported in the South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
(SCMP) that the promised information plaque would be installed alongside Yeung's unnamed tomb "next month" (Note that the SCMP was founded by Tse Tsan-tai
Tse Tsan-tai
Tse Tsan-tai , styled Sing-on , art-named Hong-yu was a Chinese revolutionary of the late Qing Dynasty. Tse was the first Chinese to fly an airship, China in 1899...
, the first treasurer of the Furen Literary Society
Furen Literary Society
The Furen Literary Society, also known as the Chinese Patriotic Mutual Improvement Association, or the 'Furen Cultural Society Restoration Association ', was founded in Colonial Hong Kong in 1892 to spread ideas of revolution against the Qing Dynasty and establishing a republic in China.It was...
.).
Finally, in September 2011, the Hong Kong authorities place next to his tomb a granite plaque giving the story of Yeung Kui-wan - 110 years after he was assassinated and in time for the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Xinhai Revolution
Xinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
, which resulted in the Chinese Republic that Yeung Kui-wan fought and died for.
Family
Yeung Kui-wan's father Yeung Ching-seoi was originally from Haicheng (present-day Haicang DistrictHaicang District
Haicang is one of the six county-level districts in the municipal region of Xiamen, FJ, and one of the four located on the mainland proper, as opposed to on Xiamen Island.-Liberation:...
, Xiamen
Xiamen
Xiamen , also known as Amoy , is a major city on the southeast coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of and population of 3.53 million...
, Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
). Yeung Ching-seoi was educated in Malaya (now Malaysia). When he grew up, he tried farming in his hometown before working on ocean-bound ships. Due to illness, Yeung Ching-seoi probably went to Hong Kong in the 1860s, 'when Yeung Kui-wan was still quite young'. After he had recovered, he worked for the British colonial government in Hong Kong as a secretary and married Yeung Kui-wan's mother. The family name of Yeung Kui-wan's mother was Cheng
Zheng (surname)
Zhèng or Cheng is a Chinese family name and is the name of an ancient state in today's Henan. It is written as 鄭 in traditional Chinese script or as 郑 in simplified Chinese script....
, and she was from Humen
Humen Town
Humen Town , also known as Taiping, is a town within the borders of Dongguan city, on the eastern side of the Bocca Tigris on the east bank of the Pearl River Delta, in Guangdong province, southern China...
. Yeung Ching-seoi and his wife had a son (Yeung Kui-wan) and two daughters. Yeung Ching-seoi continued to work in the shipping business and taught English in his later years.
Yeung Kui-wan's wife's family name was Poon
Pan (surname)
Pan is a family name originated from China. Pan also is often romanized as Poon or Pun. The surname is spelled as Poon or Pun in Hong Kong and Macau, Ban in South Korea and Phan in Vietnam....
. He had three daughters by her - Yeung Gam-ha , Yeung Lai-ha , and Yeung Sau-ha .
Media appearances
The beginning of the 2009 film Bodyguards and AssassinsBodyguards and Assassins
Bodyguards and Assassins is a 2009 Hong Kong film directed by Teddy Chan, featuring an all-star cast, including Donnie Yen, Nicholas Tse, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Leon Lai, Wang Xueqi, Simon Yam, Hu Jun, Eric Tsang and Fan Bingbing.-Plot:...
briefly features the assassination of Yeung Kui-wan, who was played by Jacky Cheung
Jacky Cheung
Jacky Cheung is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actor. The Chinese language media refers to him, Aaron Kwok, Andy Lau and Leon Lai as the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings , with more than 60 million records sold as of 2000....
.