Members of Victoria’s Chinese diaspora community came to the rocky Oak Bay outcrop on Wednesday (April 5) despite having no personal connection to the resting spirit in Harlem Point – to lay flowers for the annual Tomb-sweeping Festival sacrifice.
The Chinese Cemetery at Harling Point is the final resting place of hundreds of people who came to Canada from China in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to work on the Canadian Pacific Railway and various other industries.
It was established in 1903 and was used until the 1960s.
“They paved the way for us in Canada,” said Kevin Hung, who attended the ceremony. “A big part of Chinese culture is recognizing what people before you have done.”
However, the site has been neglected for years, with tombstones and tombstones in disrepair and the grounds overgrown with weeds.
In the 1990s, community organizations such as the Victorian Chinese Charity Federation began working to restore and protect the cemetery. Volunteers worked to remove overgrown vegetation, restore gravestones and clear the grounds.
Today, the cemetery is a testament to the strength and resilience of Victoria’s Chinese-American community and a reminder of the contributions and sacrifices made by Chinese immigrants to build Canada.
Tomb-sweeping Day, also known as Tomb-sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese festival and the first day of the fifth solar term in the lunar calendar.
This is the day when people honor their ancestors by cleaning and tidying graves, offering food, burning incense, and sometimes even setting off fireworks.
Former Golden City restaurant owner Paul Chow put it simply.
On April 5, Paul Chow, former owner of Golden City restaurant, attended the Qingming ceremony held at Harling Point Chinese Cemetery in Oak Bay. (Austin Westphal/News Staff)
“We all respect our ancestors, it’s the custom,” he said. “It’s important for us to carry on this tradition and teach our children to respect the older generations.”
Respect for predecessors seems to have been lost on many, Zhou said.
The Chinese Cemetery at Harling Point is listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Site of Canada.
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Canadian Chinese Community Local History Oak Bay Victoria