Hainanese Hans hold first gathering in Brunei

By Zhang Jin (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-08-23 19:35

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei: Robert Han Wei Kwang switched conversing between English, Putonghua and the Chinese dialect of Hainanese. The 49-year-old Australian did so at an extended family gathering of about 200 people from Thailand, China and Brunei in Kampung Berangan, Brunei, on Saturday.

Even though he was speaking different languages, Han knew he and these people share one thing in common -- the same surname.

Hainanese Hans hold first gathering in Brunei
Han King Juan (right) and his wife cut an eight-layered cake at the Hainanese Hans' family gathering at his residence in Brunei on Saturday.[Photo by Rachel Thien/Brunei Times]

The first gathering of Hainanese Hans, both young and old, in Brunei was held at the residence of Han King Juan, a prominent Bruneian Chinese businessman, who sponsored the event.

"There are many people I haven't seen for decades and I am very glad to meet them," Robert said. Robert left Brunei at the age of 15. But since 2000, he returned every year to mark the Qing Ming Festival, when Chinese pay tribute to the dead.

Robert said he felt great to see Han's family growing as the gathering brought together many new faces. Beginning a conversation with the rank in the family tree, Robert soon got acquainted with many of them.

"We know we are somewhat related, so we talk like family members," he said. Hans' ancestor dated back to 700 BC, and a branch of the family migrated to South China's Hainan province in 1197.

Some Hans fled the war-torn island province in the 1930s, and they settled down and formed a small community in Brunei after traveling several countries.

"But in the past decades, as Han's family prospers and extends, many of our sons and grandsons moved to other parts of the world," said Han Min Yuen, who was the co-chairman of the 10th Congress of the World Federation of Hainanese Association in 2007.

He wanted the gathering to offer an opportunity for the younger generation to network and keep Chinese traditions and culture alive. "We should never forget that we share the same roots," he said during the gathering, adding that Chinese have a tradition to worship their ancestors and respect family values.

At Saturday’s gathering, Han Lingguang, 57, said he was glad to see young people getting along with one another. With children chasing each other around him, the farmer from Changshu village of Hainan said he wished the children could meet more often.

Hainanese is a dialect originated from Hainan, the smallest province of China located at the country's south end with a population of about 8 million.