Tjong Kwong Lim Life Story

I graduated from Shantou Senior High School when I was 20 years old. In winter 1929, I came to Indonesia with Uncle Ling. Soon after I arrived, my father got me out from the customs. I have lived in Indonesia for 42 years. Since 1932, I started writing the story about my family from my recollection. In 1962, I began writing a simple family tree and detailed story of the ancestors which I remembered. I know that my children and grandchildren will grow up overseas. In order that they will not forget their ancestors, I wrote this simple family history starting from my father based on my recollection.

Unfortunately, in August 15,1969 at 2:30 AM our house was burned. All the things that I wrote were gone. I thought about rewriting it all over again, but I am too busy and too old. Several years passed by before I started writing this summary of our family tree again. Since it happened a long time ago, I forgot a lot of details and I felt sorry.

Written on July 2,1971 in Bogor ( A town in West Java, Indonesia, 60 km South of Jakarta)

My ancestor lived in China, Guang Dong, Mei Xian, Shia See, Chang Village, Woo Dang Chang Family House. The old name of the city was Tjia In Chou, also called Mei Zhou, and the house was located in Tung Cie Pao(village), Phan Kwei Fang (Street). The Woo Dang name was used because there was a fish pool name Woo Dang in front of the house. The Chang ancestor came from Sie Cie Dang, Ping Yuan county(44 km northwest of Mei Zhou). The tenth generation first moved to old Chang house in Mei Zhou, then starting with the thirteenth generation they separated/moved out to build the Woo Dang family house. They moved to a house close to Pa Ciao Chiang (Pat Kwa- Octagonal Shaped Well) close to old Chang Family house (about 200 m away). Every Chinese New Year, they visited the old house to worship their ancestors. Woo Dang house was built by Chen Wen Grandfather. Chen Wen and Shen Wen were brothers. Our family are descendants of Chen Wen.

Additional notes from Wira's visit to Tjong Family house

At end of November, 1997, I visited Mei Xian county and Mei Zhou city which is the capital of Mei Xian county in Guang Dong province, Southern China. It is about 424 km northeast of Guang Zhou, the capital of Guangdong. It is about 8 and half hours by train from Guang Zhou. There were seven districts in Mei Xian, e.g. Ta Pu, Ping Yuan, Ching Ning, Uh Hua, Mei Zhou, Jiao Ling. Mei Zhou is a mid size town with about 700 thousand people in 1997.

The Woo Dang Chang family house is located in the small alley behind Mei Zhou Kao Chi middle school, close to Kang Chi San road, Tung Chiao Siang, Tung Chiau Chun area, old Mei Zhou city. Our Chang house is one of many similar Chang houses in the village. It was built by the thirteenth generation of our family. As of 1997, it is located in the slum/poor area with small alleys without any light at night. The Woo Dang is a small fish pool in front of the house which is typically found almost in all houses in the area. The house comprises of a ancestor worshipping area in the center and small attached houses/rooms (4x6 m2) around the worshipping area. It was about 200 years old and was made of brick and adobe. The houses are connected by a covered walkway with a small open playground on the back of the worshipping area. Several families made a lot of money in the last decade so they built their rooms into two or three story houses. I met my half-uncle Kwang Chau, Mr. Him Yung's(See Suk) son Mr. Ciau Dang and grand son Kwong Luk who still live in the Chang house. A lot of street names were changed so it was not easy to find all the places mentioned in the book.

Shantou, the capital of Chao Chou county, is a city located about 150 km south east of Mei Zhou Sung Gou is a small town close to Mei Zhou, about 40 km east and a half to one hour by bus.

Lie/Teng Kwei Tjen Life Story

Lie/Teng Kwei Tjen (her name was changed to Huei Chen because it was the same character as grandma Siao, Kwang Liem's mother). Her formal name was Teng Kuei Tjen.

She was the oldest daughter of Mr. Lie Yin Kuei (born in 1893) and Tjong Fat Yung(born on May 5, 1903). Her mother family was from Ta Cing Keng in East Sung Gou. She was born in Garut on September 16, 1924 ( 17th day of the 8th month of 13th Chinese Republic year at noon). Died on October 24, 1995 4.15 A.M due to cervical cancer in Karya Bakti Hospital, Bogor at 71 years old.

Her father, Lie Yin Kuei alias Teng A Kian, was suspected to come from Singkawang, West Borneo, instead of from mainland China. He had mysterious stepbrothers and sisters who lived in Tangerang area, which is famous for many generations of Chinese descendants.

She was grown up in Cikajang (South of Garut) where her father opened a mom-pop store. In 1943, she moved to Jakarta to follow her husband. In 1945(?), her family later moved to Garut due to the government regulations, which did not allow Chinese to live in a small city. They opened a shop at 145( new #167) Guntur Street across the street from old Garut market and a Chinese temple. She had three brothers (Lie Kay Dang, Lie Gie Dang, Lie Moek Dang), one step brother (Lie Pak Dang) and two sisters (Lie Kwei Hwa and Lie Kwei Lan).

She was studying at Pa Hua high school (a famous school at that time), at Patekoan area, Jakarta, when Japanese invaded Indonesia. At that time only very few parents let their daughter study far away from her hometown. She recalled how her father escorted her to Jakarta. Her brother Kay Dang at very young age successfully continued his father business after her father died at 59 year old on May 15, 1952. Her mother died on December 12,1988. Afraid of Japanese, she quit from the school and got married. After marriage, she followed her husband faithfully even though her husband had mistresses. Unlike her husband, she was shy and was not able to please people, so she did not have many friends. Her two sisters and brother Gie Dang went to China in 1959, while other brothers stayed in Indonesia.