Compilation of Family History Through Genealogical Records

January 27, 2010 at 1:00 am (Current Affairs, History, Science & Technology)

Genealogy has been defined as the study of family origins and its subsequent history through the compilation of lineages and lists of ancestors. The word is derived from the Greek word for lineal descent. In some ancient civilisations like China, some family histories can reliably date back to more than 2500 years as in the case of its most renowned philosopher, Confucius, whose more than one million descendants are distributed not only in China, but also in South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia and elsewhere. In ancient times, the recording of family history would be the preserve and past time of a nation’s monarchs. This practice was later emulated by its nobility and other prominent personages. In more recent centuries, when awareness and interest in the value of genealogy became more widespread internationally, more and more families began to see the needs to trace their family roots as part of their heritage.  Be that as it may, to trace a family history from scratch is a complex process that requires painstaking and persevering efforts on the part of the various extended family members to work as a team and a leader to coordinate the data collected and to render them into an easy to digest format , especially when numerous families nowadays are spread in different parts of the world. It also requires changes in the family composition due to births, deaths and marriages to be brought up to date periodically. The unenviable tasks involved for such an undertaking have often discouraged the faint-hearted families from doing so. In the light of this, most families anywhere can, at best, trace their roots to no more than five or six generations.

Recognising that the keeping of genealogical records had become an established international practice, there had been several attempts aimed at reaching an international agreement on a common method of compiling it for universal application. This culminated in the first International Congress of Heraldry and Genealogy, held in Spain’s city of Barcelona in 1928, with only limited degree of success. However, it had aroused greater public awareness in this fascinating subject. A further boost to genealogy came from the well known African-American author, Alex Haley, when he published his novel Roots in 1957. Consequently, more and more people in his country and elsewhere, especially in immigrant societies like Canada, Australia and New Zealand, were moved to the need to finding their roots and cultural heritage. In this regard, it is fortunate that some overseas Chinese families still possess copies of their family’s genealogical records, which have been handed down to them by their ancestors. The more elaborate of these would not only record blood ties among them and their distant ancestors in China but also their migrations to other countries, as well as significant historical events and family achievements. The tremendous value of such a document will enable them to trace and locate their relatives whenever the need arises.

Because of the widespread destruction of family and clan genealogical records during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976),  the Chinese Government in 1988 found it necessary to set up the Chinese Genealogical Research Centre in Taiyuan in Shanxi province in order to encourage the revival of this time-honoured practice, which is an integral part of China’s cultural tradition. The Guo Clan of Singapore was one of the overseas Chinese groups to appeal to them in 1991 for help to trace the clan’s  common founding ancestor. After a year’s research work, the centre succeeded in confirming that this clan’s common founding ancestor was none other than Guo Zhiyi, a prince and hero of the Tang Dynasty (618-917), whose descendants then numbered more than 10-million in China alone and numerous others were scattered all over the world. The centre’s director, Pro Li Ji said: ”Genealogy is an important part of the historical and cultural heritage of the country, as it records the blood relationships of human beings and relates to such areas as sociology, ethics, history, ethnology, folklore and economics.”

In recent months, two interesting media reports on family histories made international news: one concerns a Eurasian Singaporean, Kevin Shepherdson and the other Warren Buffett, an American billionaire and philanthropist and  President Barack Obama of United States. At the launch of Mr Kevin Shepherdson’s book, Shepherdsons around the world, unite! , the writer disclosed that,  after a decade of painstaking research at libraries, archives and history centres in this region and in Britain to ascertain his family roots, he finally succeeded in piecing together that all the Shepherdsons in Singapore and Malaysia are descendants of two English merchants, Captains Robert and Matthew, who had come to Singapore from Britain during the 19th century, married local women and raised their families there. He further discovered that their British ancestors had links to England’s 14th century King Edward III. Another surprise came when the media report revealed that through the study and research into the family trees of these two prominent Americans, an American genealogical research firm has established that both Buffett and President Obama are seventh cousins three times removed. The famous pair had a common ancestor in a 17th century Frenchman, Mareen Duvall, who had migrated from France to America in the 1650s. He is therefore President Obama’s ninth great-grandfather through his mother side , and the sixth great- grandfather of Mr Buffett. These findings must have stimulated even greater interest in genealogy worldwide. This is good for genealogical studies and should spur more people to take an enhanced personal interest  in their own family origins.

This reminds me of an article on this subject that I wrote in 1996, which was published as an essay in Singapore’s national English language daily, the Straits Times under the caption “Tracing one’s roots through the family tree”. I now have much pleasure to share it with my readers immediately after this posting.

Lam Pin Foo

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Tracing One’s Roots Through the Family Tree

January 27, 2010 at 12:00 am (Chinese Culture, Current Affairs, History, Science & Technology)

This article first appeared in the Singapore Straits Times 19 October 1996.

It is a well-known fact that China is among the most family and history conscious of nations. Every dynasty compiled its own dynastic history documenting major events and outstanding achievements for posterity. In addition, all district governments also recorded important aspects of local histories that will be of interest to their inhabitants.

As family has always been of supreme importance in Chinese culture, hand written genealogical records of individual families and clans were produced painstakingly and methodically, and periodically updated, to keep track of their origins and subsequent development. These were preserved reverently and handed down from one generation to another.

These efforts ensured that, in China’s 5000 years of history, there were no “Dark Ages” in the evolution of its society, as there were in Europe and elsewhere.

While every country has its own method of genealogy, the Chinese have developed theirs into a fine art, with distinctive characteristics and a flavour all its own. It is possible for many Chinese families, including those who have migrated overseas, to trace not only their roots, but also the fortunes of other family and clan members, wherever they might be.

The Chinese tradition of maintaining genealogy percolated to the other East Asian countries and to overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia.

To produce a continuous and updated family history requires good organisation and consistent management. It is much more difficult drawing up a clan history (Zong Pu) - those with same surname and descended from the common founding ancestor. Consequently, only prominent families and clans would have the resources to embark on such a project.

It is not surprising that most Chinese, like their counterparts elsewhere, would only be familiar with their immediate forebears.Those with incomplete genealogy are often only able to trace their family-tree for no more than 200 to 300 years. Professor Wolfram Eberhard, a sinologist of international repute, once observed that, in many countries in Asia, if a person could enumerate the siblings of his grandparents and their in-laws, he belongs invariably to the upper-class of that society. Ordinary people rarely know beyond the names of the brothers and sisters of their parents, their spouses and the names of their grandparents.

The tie of kinship is a hallmark of the Chinese social structure. The bond which binds its members is thicker than water and will remain with them for life. This is evident from the regular gathering of Chinese clans in Singapore or elsewhere, which is attended by their clansmen from all over the world, to renew ties and to discuss matters of common interest.

The genesis of the Zong Pu goes back to Zhou dynasty (1050-221 BC), with refinements by subsequent dynasties. Its scope and function is wider than the mere devising of tables of descent of its clan members. It aims to glorify successful clan members, to instil pride in one’s ancestors and, ultimately, to exhort future generations to emulate their worthy forebears.

In old China, the village ancestral hall was the focal point for all clan activities, including that of ancestor veneration, and where all decisions affecting the clan would be taken.

In its more than 3000 years’ history, genealogy has dominated the traditional Chinese society. It reached its full flowering from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) to the earlier part of the Republic era (1911-1949).

What then are the main ingredients of the Zong Pu? Its format and manifold contents have undergone changes under different dynasties, but they became quite uniform from the Song dynasty (960-1276) onwards.

The family-tree would begin with the primogenitor who first settled in a particular location and started to raise his family there; and would end with the contemporary generation updating the genealogy, with all in-between ancestors duly recorded.

No margin of error was allowed in the compilation of the clan genealogy. All families within the clan were required to submit all births, deaths and marriages. Only brief bio-data were recorded: the person’s name, his parents’ names, his date of birth and death, names of his children and, finally, his burial place.

The place of entombment was of utmost importance. Often a detailed account of its selection in accordance with the time-honoured principles of fengshui, the Chinese art of geomancy, would be documented. Good fengshui would bring good fortunes to the family members. It would be the duty of the descendents to perform ancestor-worship rites at appropriate times and to keep the grave in good repair.

Frank Ching, author of 900 years in the life of a Chinese family, gives a fascinating account of how he, armed with his Zong Pu, succeeded in finding his founding ancestor’s long forgotten 900 year-old grave on Mount Hui in Wuxi.

Clansmen who achieved distinctions in life would earn honourable mention in the clan genealogy. In addition, their portraits would also be displayed in the clan hall. In old China, Confucian scholars were held in high esteem and often became top government officials through successes in imperial examinations. This would bring vicarious glory to their families and clans.

Today, this tradition is still being followed in some overseas Chinese communities. The Khoo clan of Penang, for example, still displays plaques of all members who hold university or professional qualifications, or have otherwise distinguished themselves in public life, in their clan hall of fame.

The inclusion of a clansman in the Zong Pu was generally regarded as testimony of his good character and acceptability. Conversely, one who became notorious or was deemed to have disgraced the clan, would have his name expunged.

Events of local and national importance, which affected the clan, would also be included. This would include wars, social upheavals, natural calamities and other significant occurences.

Another feature was the movements of clan people through migration to seek better life away from home. A case in point concerned the southward migration of the Hakkas, originally from North China, when their homelands were occupied by warlike nomadic tribes. They underwent five arduous trans-China migrations, the first of which predated Mao Zedong’s famous Long March by more than 1600 years.

The writing of Zong Pu would be entrusted to a committee of scholars, with necessary information given by individual families. It would be revised at regular intervals to take account of the changes that had occurred during the interim. Each family would receive a copy, and the remainder would be kept in the village clan hall.

The importance accorded the clan genealogy reflected the Chinese people’s immense pride in their civilisation and their abiding love for their family and clan. As the latter grew in number, more and more such genealogies were produced and reached their peak  during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).

This pride was shattered during the 19th century when Chinese sovereignty was repeatedly violated by aggressive foreign powers who, for selfish reasons, brought the country to its heels under the threat of gunboat diplomacy.

Revulsion against China’s military backwardness set in, as reform-minded Chinese began to reject traditional values and turned to Western science and democracy as a panacea for China’s ills. The keeping of genealogical records was seen as a reflection of China’s feudal past and frowned upon. It was eradicated  completely with the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

The preservation of genealogy suffered its severest blow during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), a period of senseless destruction of cultural heritage, unprecedented in Chinese history. In response to the call “to sweep away all remnants of old habits, old customs, old culture and old ideas”, the fanatical Red Guards raided homes all over the country mindlessly, making bonfire of any genealogical records they could uncover as these were considered the symbols of the decadent rich. At the same time, many Chinese families, fearful of persecution, had to destroy these invaluable heirlooms which had been passed down from generation to generation.

The losses suffered, both on a personal and national scale, were incalculable and irreplaceable. Professor Luo Hsiang Lin, one of the foremost authorities on Chinese genealogy, lamented that the cultural accumulation of China in the past several thousand years was reduced to ruins in a few months of unmitigated  absolute madness.

The writer’s clan and family genealogical histories kept in the ancestral hall in China did not escape the ravages of the Red Guards. Fortunately, copies of these had been handed down by his grandfather in Singapore to remind him of his origins, which date back more than two millenia.

Despite the above outrage, a fair number of old Chinese genealogical records, both family and clan, have been preserved in libraries in China, Japan,  South Korea, Taiwan,  Hong Kong, United States and in private collections elsewhere.

The oldest Chinese genealogical works extant are  of Tang vintage (618-906), one is in China and and another two are abroad. One of the latter, along with many other Chinese national treasures, were removed from the world-renowned Dunhuang grottes by Sir Aurel Stein, a British archaeologist, and it is now kept in the British Museum in London.

Works of Song, Yuan (1276-1368) and Ming vintage are now rarities. Fortunately, a small number of these can still be found in Chinese institutions and elsewhere.

The Qing and the Republic genealogy are available in large numbers, especially in Taiwan, Hong Kong and among overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. However, most of these are from South and Central China, where most Chinese first emigrated overseas.

One of the most complete clan histories belongs to the Kung clan, whose famous founding ancestor was none other than Confucius (551-479 BC) himself . His descendents, who number more than one million, now live in China, Taiwan,  South Korea and in other countries.

The practice of compiling and updating Zong Pu, though long past its heyday, is still being carried on in Taiwan and, to a lesser degree, in Hong Kong. It is hoped that, before long, it  will be revived in China itself.

How would one evaluate the contributions of Chinese genealogy? Historians and scholars generally share the view that it  is a useful vehicle for the studying and understanding of the evolution of the Chinese society. It often complements historical records by filling up gaps or by elaborating on details omitted by history. It is also an extremely valuable resource for researching aspects of  social and political developments which had helped shape China and its people.

Moreover, scholars and researchers have convincing evidence that China’s earliest  histories were derived from its genealogical sources.

Finally, because Chinese genealogies also provide detailed information on migration, they enable us to follow the fortunes of a given family over a considerable length of time, sometimes for as long as a millenium or more.

The increasing pride in one’s cultural heritage has made roots-tracing a worldwide phenomenon. This palpable fervour is felt especially in immigrant societies such as the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Singapore.

A renewed interest in genealogy is also discernible among the more homogeneous communities which are, once again, devoting greater effort and resources to this important field of human endeavour, both for their own benefit and that of mankind.

Lam Pin Foo

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The Danube is Far From Blue!

December 1, 2009 at 12:00 am (Travel)

My wife and I had always been fascinated by the turbulent history and varied cultures of Eastern European countries which had finally freed themselves in 1989 from the tight control of the once mighty Soviet Union. In the past two decades countries like Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic had achieved commendable economic advancement, and their myriad tourist attractions and richly endowed scenic charms are again drawing an ever increasing number of visitors from worldwide. Our desire to visit some of them finally materialised in May this year when we, together with a  group of like-minded friends, embarked upon a 19-day journey there. Our itinerary first took us to Poland and Hungary,  followed by a delightful eight-day cruise down the legendary Danube river, which took us from Hungary’s capital Budapest to Slovakia, Austria and Germany and finally by coach to Prague, the enchanting capital of the Czech Republic. Our trip was personally and efficiently planned and organised by Ms Helena Ow, a general manager of Singapore’s Prime Travel and Cruise, who came with us to Poland and Hungary and then bid us bon voyage when we boarded the brand-new elegant Italian river ship, Amalyra, to begin our Danube adventure.

I will now share with you many of the highlights and my impressions of this our once in a life time memorable holiday and cruise to some of the celebrated towns and cities in Europe. Our first stop was Warsaw, the ancient capital of Poland, the largest country in Eastern Europe whose stable economy has withstood the current world financial crisis. But Its history was a tortuous one. It was time and again invaded by its more powerful neighbours and had its lands partitioned off by them. During and after World War II, it was occupied by both Nazi Germany and later became a client state of the communist Soviet Union. Warsaw was devastated during the last war and most of its historic, cultural and other prominent landmarks destroyed by the German victors. More than six millions Jews in Poland and in other occupied European countries were senselessly massacred by the Nazis in carrying out Hitler’s plan to exterminate the hated Jews from the face of the continent. It was a sombre and poignant moment when our group stood before the war memorial at the former Jewish Ghetto here to commemorate these Polish Jewish victims. Before WWII, almost one-third of the country’s population was Jewish and today only a small fraction are still here. In 1970, the then German Chancellor, Willy Brandt, travelled to Warsaw on a state visit and courageously knelt in front of this memorial to atone the dark deeds of the Nazis to Jews in Poland and Europe. His moving silent gesture had greater impact than spoken words would have  adequately conveyed. This brought the ugliest chapter in the unedifying German history to a close.

Warsaw’s once grand Old Town is a must-see for all visitors. The sprawling area, with its majestic royal palace, many old churches and cathedral, museums, historic and other  significant edifices are the main tourist attractions best seen on foot. Walking leisurely along its main streets and alley ways and taking in their ancient past,  it’s not easy to realize that the entire area was bombed in WWII and were entirely rebuilt not too long ago, based strictly upon the original architectural model of the prototype. The royal palace, with its splendid collection of European paintings, tapestries and other works of art adorning the superbly furnished sumptuous stately rooms and royal chambers were a feast on our senses. The guide told us that many of the rare art objects on display were hidden from the Nazis at the nick of time, otherwise they would have been plundered by them as war booties and removed to Germany.

The truly magnificent  medieval city of Krakow, less than two hours drive from the capital, was the main reason tourists worldwide flock to Poland. Fortunately for posterity, this world-renowned pride of Poland and its numerous historic buildings have largely survived the war unscathed. The Market Square is the oldest in Europe and has a multitude of fascinating side streets and alley ways that would conveniently lead you to the rest of the old quarter. It is quite an awesome sight to behold and has never failed to captivate all visitors. Most of  these ancient buildings are still in good condition and they date back to the European Renaissance era, and some even preceding it. One can easily spend days exploring this city without feeling bored. Many tourists in fact delight in doing just that. A short walk from the Market Square on well-laid cobbled streets brought us to one of the oldest streets in Krakow, with the beautiful church of St Andrew (1086) still in a pristine state of preservation. It was the only structure that had escaped destruction by the Tartar invaders from Asia in 1241. Those farsighted enough to take refuge in the church were spared by these ferocious warriors, while other hapless town folks were being mercilessly slaughtered. Close by this church is the Episcopal Palace where Cardinal Karol Wojtyla resided before becoming Pope John Paul II in 1978. A benign life-size wax figure of him stands prominently behind a large window, bestowing a gesture of  blessings to passersby below. The late Pope is the most revered son of Poland, and Krakow’s international Airport is named in his honour.

Few visitors to Krakow would forego the opportunity to visit Auschwitz, the most deadly and infamous German concentration camp complex in Europe, although some might find it too morbid an experience. We were glad that our group went there and learned a valuable first-hand lesson in history. Shortly after the Nazis conquered Poland, close to 1.5 million Jews from Poland and elsewhere, including men, women, children, the old and the infirm, were sent there under the false pretext that from this camp they would later be resettled elsewhere for their own safety and well-being. They believed the German propaganda and brought along with them their portable household items, personal belongings and valuables which they would need in their new homes. Tragically, practically all the inmates at Auschwitz would be gassed, tortured  or laboured to death, with only a few exceptionally lucky ones who were able to make good their escapes in this heavily guarded camp to tell the outside world the horrendous crimes against humanity committed by the Nazi regime. The well-conducted comprehensive tour of the select components of this vast camp took us to the macabre gas chambers, the hopelessly over crowded living quarters of the inmates, the different categories of cells and torture chambers for those who violated the strict camp rules or were found to be rebellious, including the most feared Death Block. The tour was supported by a variety of photographic and actual exhibits of  the remnants of  the inmates’ personal belongings and other personal effects found on site after the war ended in Europe. The two-hour tour was presented in a factual and unemotional way by the professionally trained guide, who preferred to let the camp conditions before us and the exhibits we saw speak for themselves on man’s inhumanities inflicted on his fellow men. I came away with a heavy heart and it is my fervent hope that such crimes against mankind must never be permitted to happen again in future in any part of the world.

After our most enjoyable five-day stay in Poland, our group travelled by coach for a six-hour journey to Budapest, the cosmopolitan and vibrant capital of Hungary. The roads at many stretches were winding as we passed through the mountainous terrains but we felt relaxed soaking in the predominantly pine-clad pastoral scenery and enjoying each other’s fellowship. Our three-day stay here was also a satisfying one. There were much more foreign visitors here than in Poland, and the city was more tourist-oriented than the more sedate Warsaw, but substantially more expensive than the latter city.  Good food, more international class and budget accommodations and trendy shops and places of entertainment after dark abound and draw both domestic and foreign tourists here. However, compared with the better preserved medieval Krakow, there is a lack of truly ancient monuments and buildings in Budapest for the more culture attuned visitors to savour.  Most of the historic landmarks are located in the Castle District and the Old Town. The most visited places are the Buda Palace, which has a commanding view of the twin cities of Buda and Pest, the 15th century Matthias Church and the imposing St Stephen’s Basilica of the Renaissance era. Three of the nation’s most important museums are located within the cavernous precincts of the Buda Palace. All these three much visited landmarks had been rebuilt during the more recent centuries as the original structures had been largely destroyed by wars and ravages of nature.

Our first sight of the Danube was in Budapest, which was right in front of our hotel. Contrary to its legend, the water was far from blue and resembled the muddy colour of the Singapore river before it was successfully dredged clean by the public works water engineers who took up the challenge of the nation’s then premier, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, to achieve this engineering feat. What then inspired Austria’s world-renowned composer, Johann Strauss, to compose his immortal romantic piece, the Blue Danube, in the 19th century? According to our tour guide, when the redoubtable Napoleon Bonaparte’s navy sailed down the Danube after conquering Austria, their sailors’ sea-blue uniforms as reflected in the water transformed the murky water into a bluish hue, and hence the romantic legend of the Blue Danube was born and passed down to posterity through the musical genius of Johann Strauss!

We started our Danube cruise in Budapest. The ship can carry a maximum of 148 passengers in three classes of comfortable cabins, and most come with a French balcony so that one can truly appreciate the scenic views of the different segments of the Danube. Free Internet access is provided in every cabin. The carefully drawn up itinerary would give us an opportunity to see some of the celebrated historic villages, towns and cities along the routes. The passengers came from various English-speaking countries, especially United States, Canada and Australia. The Singapore and Hong Kong groups were the only Asians onboard. Our fellow passengers are in the 50’s to 70’s age group, well travelled, friendly and easy to communicate with. It was a good thing that the ship’s fare includes all onshore sightseeing. What was the shipboard life like? The captain and his officers, staff and crew were warm, welcoming, efficient and looked after the passengers’ needs excellently. The amenities were more than adequate for such a small ship, with a spacious and well appointed lounge and a more private reading room, a sun deck with a whirlpool, deck chairs, a tiny exercise room and a beauty shop. The food and refreshments were good, but fell short of fine-dinning standard on land. Unlimited complimentary red and white wines came with the dinner.  Fresh fruits were provided throughout the day and evening. On the flip side, all passengers would dine at the same time in the relatively small dinning room. Over crowding was inevitable and caused inconvenience if your table was back to back with another table or if  you were squeezed into an awkward corner table. This also impeded the movements of the serving staff and lengthens the time lapse in between dishes. The solution probably lies in having flexible dinning times, but this may require more staff and the increased cost may be passed on to the passengers. In the afternoon, an in-house pianist would entertain us with popular and light classical pieces. On most evenings when in port,  competent shore artistes would entertain us with musical performances of  good standard, or a guest speaker would give an interesting and informative talk on the history and culture of that country.

After less than a day’s sailing, we disembarked at Bratislava in Slovakia, our first port of call. This nation’s economy has been booming, due largely to the substantial foreign investments pouring in to take advantage of the cheap labour and operating costs here. It has now become one of the biggest producers of cars in Europe, a commendable achievement. It also has a well preserved and lively old town whose major sights include the charming Old Town Hall, the attractive 13th century Mirbach Palace, with breathtaking views of Slovakia and neighbouring Austria and Hungary and a stately opera house. We enjoyed the walking tour of its charming old town areas.

The next stop Vienna was one of the high points of this cruise. It is one of the most elegant, glamorous and civilised ancient capitals in Europe and lives up to its reputation. Its historic buildings and monuments are in abundance and impossible to savour in a short time. Within the time constraint of a day, we were able to savour the awe-inspiring Schonbrunn Palace, the most beautiful and extravagant in Vienna and one of the most famous in Europe. It was the summer palace of the Habsburgs who had reigned over most of this continent for more than six centuries. Its superb art treasures would wow even the most discerning visitors. The grand National Library, which was previously the private domain of the Habsburg family, is an important attraction, and so is the stupendous St Stephen’s Cathedral, which is the premier church in this city. Not to see another world-renowned landmark, the Vienna Opera House, will be a regret for life in this city of the arts and music and the land of Mozart and Strauss. We spent the rest of the time available simply strolling through the major shopping and entertainment districts, soaking in the romantic Baroque atmosphere of this stunningly beautiful city and relishing its famed pastry until its time to return to the ship.

Early the next morning, the river scenery suddenly changed drastically, from the mundane and repetitive wooded pine trees  to a much more picturesque and tranquil landscape as our ship was approaching the picture postcard-like charming Austrian town of Durnstein. Clearly visible on a hilltop stood the ruined castle where King Richard the Lion heart of England was held for ransom in 1192, and a little further on several ancient churches and other architecturally striking buildings came into view on the hill slopes. The walking tour of this historic town ensued, and we were most impressed by the many 16th century town houses, inns, wine taverns and quality souvenir shops that lined the main streets of this well-known town. Many tourists of different nationalities  were there that morning. We sailed again and disembarked in Melk, the last Austrian town before we entered the first German romantic town of Passau the next morning. The highlight in Melk was a conducted tour of the magnificent Benedictine Abbey. There was much to see and explore here, from the valuable art treasures and antiquated artifacts to the well presented exhibits in the abbey’s museum showcasing the history and life of the monks through the centuries. It was a very informative and spiritual experience.

The scenic charm of the Danube continued all the way into Passau. Most of  the passengers preferred to take a whole day optional tour to Salzburg, the birth place of Mozart, but we chose to explore the ancient atmosphere of Passau. It was a joy to view the numerous old buildings, churches, inns, beer houses and interesting arts and crafts shops that dotted this dreamy town’s old quarter. It is also famed for its beer, which is reputed to be the cheapest in Germany. However, the crown jewel of one of the best preserved German medieval cities, Regensburg, a World Heritage site, awaited to enchant us with its magnetic attractions. What a delightful experience and aesthetic assault on our senses the two-hour long walking tour of this sprawling ancient wonder turned out to be. Mercifully and thankfully, its sparkling Old Town was spared by the allied bombing during WWII. I had never seen so many splendid ancient edifices in one place as in this city, and I felt as if I had been transported back in time to the Renaissance era of Europe when Regensburg was at the peak of its glory due to its economic and political superiority over other comparable German cities. We marvelled at the majestically beautiful architectures of its cathedrals and churches, the grand Old Town Hall and other civic buildings, the grandeur of the palaces, the sumptuous homes of the rich and powerful and the elegant centuries old shops and art galleries that have all conspired to awe and delight even the most fussy of visitors. Not satisfied with what we had seen during our afternoon walking tour, after dinner we walked back to the Old Town again to savour some of the landmarks that we had to forego earlier.

Our memorable cruise reached its final lap when we crossed the Continental Divide, with an elevation of more than 1300 ft, as we entered the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and steamed ahead to the final port of call, the industrial city of Nuremberg. We went on a half day sightseeing tour of its major sights. To me and many others, it was a let down especially when the earlier places that we had visited were so much more exciting and unforgettable. Most of the ancient landmarks, including the old city, were destroyed by the allied planes in the last war and were subsequently reconstructed. The city became famous because it was in a huge stadium here that Hitler held many of his rabble-rousing political rallies. It was also here that some of the principal Nazi war criminals were tried and convicted by the International War Crimes Tribunal in 1946. Unfortunately for us we did not get to see the interior of either of these landmarks as they were closed for visitors because the stadium was reserved exclusively for a jazz festival and the court house was closed for the weekend.

From Nuremberg we journeyed by road to Prague, arriving in the late afternoon. The disappointment of Nuremberg was more than made up by our glorious three-day stay in the capital of the Czech Republic, the industrial heartland of Eastern Europe. What an appropriately fitting finale it was. The city is commonly referred to as the Paris of the East because it is the most glamorous and vibrant metropolis in this part of Europe. In terms of the bountiful harvest of historical structures, other legacies of the past and cultural attractions it is in the same league as Krakow and Regensburg, and even exceeding them in sheer numbers and varieties because it is a much larger city. Besides these, it also has numerous international and budget hotels, excellent restaurants and entertainment outlets and specialty shops and malls to cater to the whims and fancies of visitors and tourists from all over the world. It is therefore hardly surprising that it is the foremost tourist destination in Eastern Europe. To get the most out of our sightseeing, we had to be selective in our choices that best suited our preferences and limited time. We therefore opted to go mainly for the historical and cultural relics of this exciting city.

Our first stop was the most popular Castle District, whose top draw is the famed Prague Castle, the largest ancient castle in the world and dating back to the 10th century. Within its gigantic precincts, which includes the palaces of the successive Czech kings and their families, churches and chapels, the most dominant is the St Vitus Cathedral, and a museum with a large collection of  valuable old European paintings and sculptures. Some of the former royal residential quarters had been converted for state purposes. The seat of the Czech government is in this castle, and the office and official residence of the president is also here. Some of the state rooms are open to the public on special occasions. To take an in depth look of the castle, including the museum, will take at least half a day. Our second destination, the Old Town area, is the third most visited tourist spot. Just like the old towns in Krakow and Regensburg but bigger in area, the Prague Old Town too has many ubiquitous churches and cathedrals,  an old town hall and various other municipal buildings, old town houses, inns and taverns, museums, theatres as well as an  assortment of shops, restaurants and entertainment outlets to cater to the growing needs of tourists and residents. We spent a good part of a morning taking in the sights, and discovering its numerous side streets and alleys in order to get a better feel of  this ancient heartland of the city. A short walk from the centre of the Old Town is the Jewish Quarter, which has several medieval synagogues as a testimony to the large and prosperous Jewish population that was once an integral part of the country. Sadly, the majority had been murdered by Hitler’s men, just like in Poland. Most of those who survived the war had long ago emigrated to Israel and America. Today less than 10,000 of them have continued to live here. We gained an insight into Judaism by visiting the Old-New Synagogue (1270). It is the oldest still active Jewish synagogue in Europe and it is housed in one of Prague’s oldest Gothic buildings. We also visited the Old Jewish Cemetery (1478), the oldest extant such cemetery in this continent. Some 100,000 Jewish people are believed to be buried here. The final stop of our exploration of Prague was the Charles Bridge and its historic vicinity, which makes it the number two most visited tourist destination. It spans over the very busy Vitava river, which is easily the most ornate and impressive of bridges in Prague. Built between the 14th and 15th centuries, it has 16 stone pillars and is lined with statues and lamps, supported by a Gothic watch tower at each end of the bridge. The surrounding scenery from the bridge is truly breathtaking, especially when viewed at night. it is an ideal place to take a leisurely evening stroll after a satisfying meal in one of the cafes or taverns with a good view of the river and this famous bridge.

To round up our short but excitement filled stay in Prague, several friends joined my wife and I for an enjoyable Czech dinner in a restaurant at a quieter end of the busy Old Town square. We did our fair share of people-watching here. All of us unanimously settled for a representative dish of the nation’s renowned pig’s leg. We had to wait  for close to an hour for it to be slowly roasted over a charcoal fire. When the four king-size pig’s legs were eventually placed in front of us, complete with toasted bread dumplings and pickled side dishes, each couple could not manage to consume their entire delicious pig’s leg of plentiful lean meat and crackling skin, even though we were famished by then. It can in fact easily feed three adults adequately!

Having seen most parts of  continental Europe over a period of  about 50 years, my wife and I hope to see the vast land of Russia in the not too distant future.

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How Should One Live and Die?

November 1, 2009 at 12:00 am (Current Affairs)

This article is dedicated in memory of Mr Fu Weng Leng and Mrs Masako Deguchi, whose warm friendships my wife and I will always cherish.

It’s a trite saying that there are two certainties in life – death and taxes. While death is inevitable as part of the natural cycle of birth, life and death, taxes, on the other hand, are created by man and could be minimised or even avoided legally if one is rich enough to afford the services of a clever lawyer or a tax adviser. Throughout mankind’s history, human minds have been preoccupied and gripped by the fear of death except the very brave or selfless among them who would deem it a great honour to sacrifice their lives as a patriotic act or for a worthy cause. However, to live a long, healthy and happy life would be the ultimate goal of most people everywhere.

Despite the inevitability of death, some rich and powerful personages would do their utmost to reverse the law of nature in the hope that they could prolong their lives indefinitely. A well-known example was China’s mighty First Emperor, who had the country’s Great Wall built at the cost of numerous lives and who aspired to have his dynasty lasting a thousand years. He devoted a good part of his reign to finding an elixir of life that would give him eternal life, but only to die of gradual mercury poisoning in the hands of his desperate and helpless imperial physicians!  At the other extreme, there had been instances in the past decade of some obsessive multi-millionaires who would instruct their loved ones to keep their dead bodies in cold storage in the hope and belief that in the not too distant future, medical science and technology would have advanced to such an extant that they could then be resurrected from the afterlife and live again! Well, it would appear that nothing is beyond the fertile human mind in its quest for immortality.

Just as in ages past, today most of us would also aim to live to a ripe old age and to leave this world peacefully and painlessly. This would indeed be a perfect ending. In reality, however, this is often beyond our control. For instance, we can be inflicted with a lingering death caused by a dreaded illness like stroke or cancer, or meet with a fatal motor accident or die in a capital crime committed by a felon or be a hapless victim in an earthquake, war or civil disturbance.

One of the saddest things in life is to lose one’s spouse or family members or close relatives and good friends. They would all have enriched one’s life, give it fuller meaning and make it more complete. Be that as it may, this must,  eventually happen and one must accept it as part of living, no matter how painful and unbearable such a loss can be. It is therefore all the more important and necessary that we must treasure every moment that we have with them while it is still possible for us to do so. When they are gone, the fond memories of them would comfort and sustain us for the rest of our lives. The anguish of parting from our loved ones, through death or other circumstances, has been most poignantly captured by China’s celebrated Song poet Su Dongpo in his immortal poem “Shui Diao Ge Tou” 水调歌头, which all educated Chinese, young and old, are familiar with. May I, in my  amateurish way, translate its most well-known lines into English for the benefit of viewers who do not know Chinese. Here it goes: “We humans have moments of joy and sadness, parting and reunion, just as the moon has its cycles of brilliant brightness and contrasting dimness. This has been so since ancient times and, alas, nothing in nature or human life can ever be perfect. So, I can only wish that we will all live long in order that we can always share the sight of the beautiful moon even when we are thousands of miles apart from each other.” Su dedicated this poem to his beloved brother, a fellow poet, who was far away from him when he feelingly composed this poem.

In recent months, my wife and I had unexpectedly lost two valued friends in quick succession. We were quite stunned by the unexpected news because when we last met them not that long ago, they both appeared to be in good health then. We will always remember them with fond memories and cherish the warm friendships between us and them and their respective spouses. I would like to share with the viewers some of their admirable personal attributes which had made them very decent and likeable human beings.

Mr Fu Weng Leng

We first met Mr and Mrs Fu Weng Leng several years ago through an old friend, Dr Chee Choong Seng, a prominent surgeon in Singapore. Dr Chee had invited us to join a 9-day tour of the world-renowned Hakka tulous 土楼 (earth buildings) in the Yongding county in China’s Fujian province, where many Singaporean Hakka Chinese’s forefathers, including Aw Boon Haw of Tiger Balm fame, came from. Some of the extant tulous date back to the Ming dynasty. The tour was organised by Dr Chee and Mr Fu, under the auspices of Singapore’s Yongding Clan Association, of which they were then the president and deputy president respectively. We gladly accepted the invitation as we had always been fascinated by these tulous which are now an UNESCO World Heritage site. The trip was a resounding success, thanks to the efficient efforts of both the organisers. During the tour, some of Mr Fu’s manifested character traits had made a deep impression on my wife and I. First, he arranged for our group to visit his ancestral tulou, still inhabited by some of his close relatives, where we were given a hospitable rousing welcome. He and his charming wife then took leave of our group for half a day in order to pay their respects to the Fu ancestors at a hilly grave site, as all filial Chinese descendants there or overseas would do on special occasions. To ensure that all of us were satisfyingly and happily fed throughout the tour, he, without our knowledge, had generously subsidised us with additional more expensive dishes whenever he felt that the standard menu provided by the travel agency fell short of his expectations. When we later found out that the excellent food that we all had been raving about came from his own pocket, we offered to reimburse him but he cheerfully declined saying that if the food was palatable to us all, then that would make him very happy. Another example of his sincere and helpful disposition emerged when a tour member was anxious to contact a long lost relative, whom he had never met, he came to his rescue by enlisting the help of a prominent local friend to trace the whereabouts of this relative. As luck would have it, his friend was successful in doing so and the two sides had a happy meeting which would not have materialised without the spontaneous and timely intervention of Mr Fu. A further example of his generosity was his hosting a sumptuous dinner at an expensive restaurant and invited the group, 22 of us, to share the joy of his wife’s 60th birthday celebrations. At the conclusion of the holiday, he gave all of us presents of specialty local products to bring home. After this holiday, My wife and I continued to meet up with Mr and Mrs Fu at regular intervals, usually in Dr and Mrs Chee’s residence or as the latter’s guests at social events at Yongding Clan Association. The last time we met Mr Fu was barely six months ago when he and Mrs Fu had decided to join the Chees, us and other mutual friends on a 19-day trip to Eastern Europe, but Mr Fu later changed his mind as he had new plans to take his extended family on a separate holiday elsewhere later in the year.

We only learned of Mr Fu’s death through Dr Chee after his funeral was over. He told me that it was Mr Fu’s wishes to keep the wake and funeral as simple and private as possible and therefore only his close relatives and a few old friends and business partners, including the Chees, were informed by his family members of his death and they were at the wake. No obituary appeared in the newspapers. However, a memorial service would be held later for those of his relatives, friends and business associates who might wish to bid Mr Fu farewell. Dr Chee asked me to look out for the press announcement as my wife and I would like to attend. The memorial service was called “Celebration of Life”, and took place at the ballroom of Ritz Carlton Hotel, followed by a buffet high tea. What an unusual memorial service it turned out to be, the like of which we had not experienced before. A large group of several hundred people were there, including not a few who had come from overseas countries. This is a signal testimony of the popularity and respect that Mr Fu commanded among his relatives, friends and business associates.

The service began with the master of ceremony announcing that Mr Fu would very much like this occasion to be a joyful celebration of the happy times that he had shared with all present, and not a mournful event. To the surprise of us all, a video, made shortly before his death, was shown to the gathering. A well composed Mr Fu, sitting comfortably on a sofa surrounded by all his caring family members, telling the viewers calmly that he has had a short illness and that he is unlikely to recover from it.  After much discussion and persuasion, his family members have finally come to terms that he will shortly be leaving them. He is much comforted that they have promised him that they will continue to cope well with life without him. He is most blessed to have a good and caring wife, filial children and lovely grandchildren, all of whom he would dearly miss. He has also been blessed with a good and full life. He is glad that his family business has been built up through sustained sound management and hard work, with continuing strong and loyal support of his staff, partners and business associates and he would take this opportunity to thank them all. After the video presentation, poignant tributes from his children and a nephew, laced with interesting anecdotes, to show what a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and uncle that Mr Fu had been to them all. Several other sincere and moving tributes also came from his close friends and business associates, both from Singapore and overseas, from which I caught glimpses of Mr Fu’s fine human qualities as a true friend and a principled businessman. In my view, the tribute that most aptly encapsulates Mr Fu’s life came from his long time doctor friend who said: “Mr Fu not only knew how to live well but he also taught us how to die gracefully. This should be an inspiration to us all”.  To end this memorable service, all Mr Fu’s children came on stage again to bid their beloved father a final farewell by singing their parents’ favourite Mandarin song, which had a sentimental significance for them both. I chanced to look around me and observed that not a few ladies in the audience were wiping off their tears at the conclusion of this celebration of life.

Mrs Masako Deguchi

My wife and I first met Mr and Mrs Hisaki Deguchi in late 1980s when we were dinner guests of our mutual Japanese friends Mr and Mrs A Ishiwara. Mr Deguchi spoke very good English and his wife had picked up enough of it in Singapore for us to communicate with her in that language. They immediately impressed us as a very friendly, cosmopolitan and likeable couple. They first came to Singapore from Tokyo around the late 1970s when Mr Deguchi accepted a key executive position with a well established local firm with operations here and in Malaysia and which had much business dealings with Japanese and Korean firms. Mrs Deguchi, skilled in Japanese flower arrangements and had an artistic flair, opened a florist shop in Orchard Road. Apart from the local Japanese and Singaporean customers, she also specialised in exporting high quality cut orchids to the Japanese market where the demand for these was growing. Besides his full time job her husband, together with a couple of Tokyo-based Japanese partners, set up one of Singapore’s earliest authentic Japanese restaurants in Orchard Rd area. Mr Deguchi later resigned from this local firm in order to devote himself fully to expanding his restaurant business in Singapore and Malaysia and to pursue other business interests.

A few months after meeting Mr Deguchi, I received a surprise telephone call from him. He told me that, although he already had a legal adviser for some years now, he would like to come and see me on some legal matters which needed urgent attention. From then on, the legal consultations on his business affairs became more frequent. At the same time I was also asked to look after his wife’s legal matters as well as acting as their legal adviser on their personal matters. We got on very well in our professional relationship, and, over time, he  became one of my highly valued clients. With my help, he and his wife became permanent residents of Singapore. They were both delighted with their new status, which they said was an important milestone in their life. Once the client and lawyer relationship was firmly established to his satisfaction, Mr Deguchi began to introduce some of his fellow Japanese and other friends to me when they needed a lawyer. Apart from work, my wife and I also met up with the Deguchis for social evenings, sometimes at one of their restaurants, as our guests at  Chinese restaurants as they both liked Chinese food  and also at each other’s house and, occasionally, at each other’s clubs. So, from a purely  professional relationship, a warm personal friendship had thus developed between us and our spouses.This friendship has continued into the present time, after my retirement from my law practice. We would continue to meet up at regular intervals. Just two weeks before Mrs Deguchi passed away recently, I telephoned her husband intending to invite them and our other mutual friends for dinner at our home. He thanked me warmly but had to decline our invitation as his wife had taken ill with an old health problem, but he assured me that her doctor had diagnosed that her medical condition was not life threatening. He also told me that in a fortnight’s time he and his wife would be taking another holiday in Europe and that they were looking forward to it. He ended the conversation by saying that they would tell us all about the European trip when we meet again before long. I wished them bon voyage.

You can imagine how shocked I was when I received a telephone call from Mr Deguchi one week later telling me in an emotion charged voice that he had just lost his wife who passed away peacefully in her sleep at home last night,  just as he thought she was getting better and felt excited about their impending European trip. It was the most painful and unbearable moment of his entire life which would now be vastly different without her. They had been a most loving couple throughout their long married life. My wife and I went to her wake with a heavy heart and, for the first time in our 20-year friendship, I spontaneously hugged Mr Deguchi as words of condolences would have failed to adequately convey that we truly shared his profound grief. Many of their other friends and his business associates of different nationalities had turned up on both nights of the wake to bid Mrs Deguchi a fond farewell. Her Japanese siblings and their family members had specially flown in from Tokyo to attend her wake and funeral. I was told by Mr Deguchi that, after the Singapore funeral, he would shortly be bringing his wife’s ashes back to Japan for burial in the Deguchi family grave site, after their Japanese friends and relatives there had paid their final respects to Mrs Deguchi in accordance with the Japanese custom and funeral rites.

I would share with the readers some of the admirable personal attributes of the late Mrs Deguchi which had endeared herself to my wife and I, and we will always treasure the memories of the happy times that we he had shared with her and her husband. Our first impression of her was that of a friendly, personable, refined and well-groomed lady who was quite at home in the multiracial society of Singapore, which was so distinctly different from Japan. She told my wife that she had many Singaporean friends and enjoyed the informal life style and the different ethnic cuisines here. She had also adjusted herself well to the humid Singapore climate. However, she did miss the seasonal changes  of cooler Japan. As we got to know her better, we found that she always had good things to say about our mutual friends and was never critical of others’ shortcomings. Like most Singaporeans,  she also sometimes did her groceries at wet markets, including the Chinatown market, together with her local friends to ease the language difficulties. A devout Buddhist, she attended the famed Bright Hill Temple on special religious days in the Buddhist calendar. She spent a good part of her day running her florist outlets, with the help of her Singaporean and Japanese staff, and was glad that she had turned her love for flowers and plants into a viable business. When we periodically ordered bouquets from her shop, she would always ensure that the value of the content would exceed the price we paid. For almost two decades, she would, without fail, give us a beautiful floral arrangement during Chinese New Year, in addition to their festive gift of wine and mandarin oranges. Her floral arrangement had always drawn praises and admiration from our friends and relatives. Like Chinese Singaporeans, the Deguchis also celebrated the Lunar New Year by donning traditional Chinese attire, receiving guests in their house and visiting them with mandarin oranges. As her husband is in the food business, it is not surprising that Mrs Deguchi enjoyed good food of both East and West and was skilled in the culinary art of her native country. When she and her husband invited us and other mutual friends to their elegantly furnished home for dinner, she would personally prepare and serve up a delightful Japanese fare of good restaurant standard. Their guests would enjoy the food tremendously in the relaxing setting of their rear garden, surrounded by mature trees and fragrant flowering plants and  shrubs, sipping sake and wine and enjoying the congenial company of each other. The Deguchis must have put in a great deal of thoughtful effort to make the evening such a memorable one. In the latter years, Mrs Deguchi’s conversational English had, to our pleasant surprise, improved markedly. When we complimented her, she modestly admitted that the credit should go to the British Council courses that she had been attending, despite her busy life here. She came from a close-knit family, and she and her husband would visit her siblings and their families annually. They too would come to Singapore regularly, as one of Mrs Deguchi’s nieces did during her recent illness.

We will truly miss her as a good friend and may she rest in eternal peace.

Lam Pin Foo

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