The Manoa Chinese Cemetery is not only the largest Chinese cemetery in Hawai'i but it is also the oldest. The Chinese have great respect for the dead and their concern in honoring the dead properly is shown in the planning and care of this cemetery. I began my research by contacting the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. They referred me to the Lin Yee Chung Association and the current president of the association, George Young, who provided much of this information.

In 1852, a Chinese immigrant named Lum Ching hiked up the valley with a friend and came to Akaka Peak. There they discovered a beautiful view from the valley to the sea. Lum Ching, with freshly acquired knowledge of an astronomy/ geology-based study called "kuni yee hok," had with him two instruments, a compass and a light reflecting mirror. He carefully placed the compass on a level surface and to his surprise, the compass pointed directly south. He did further calculations using his mirror and compass and then exclaimed to his friend, "We are at an extraordinary spot. It is the pulse of the watchful dragon of the valley. People from all directions will come from across the seas and gather here to pay homage. Birds, too, will come to sing and roost. It is a haven suitable for the living as well as the dead. The Chinese people must buy this area and keep it as sacred ground."

The Chinese community did buy the "dragon's pulse." The land was purchased gradually, starting in 1852, from former land owners, Ahu, Kulani, Rice and the Bishop Estate. The present day cemetery encompasses thirty-four acres of Manoa Valley.

Lum Ching became the founding member of Lin Yee Chung. Lin Yee Chung means "We are buried together here with pride." About thirty years later, a new set of Lin Yee Chung leaders recognized the need for a charter from the Hawaiian Kingdom in order to legalize the group's status and to protect its property and rights. On May 11, 1889, a petition was filed for a perpetual Charter of Incorporation under the name of Lin Yee Chung. On June 7, 1889, the organization was granted its charter by the Minister of Interior, L.A. Thurston.

The early care and maintenance of the cemetery was a constant problem for the founders and early leaders. There was insufficient income to employ caretakers for the area, no plots were mapped out and there was no person responsible to oversee the project. The responsibility of selling and issuing burial certificates and the planning of ceremonies fell into many different hands at different times. Many of the founders eventually accumulated their desired wealth and returned to China. These conditions went on for thirty years. The election of officers to run the cemetery improved conditions slightly The leaders did not want to deal with disputes over the boundary issue.

The United Chinese Society was formed in 1884. One of the organization's project was the management of the cemetery. For the next fifty years the supervision of the Lin Yee Chung was assigned to members of the United Chinese Society on an annual rotating basis. The two organizations worked cooperatively until 1965 at which time relations were severed.

Shortly after World War 1, when the Lin Yee Chung seemed destined for oblivion due to the lack of a consistent, sustained management policy, three men came to rescue it from its fate. Wat Kung, Chun Hoon and Luke Chan managed the cemetery with foresight and passion, working to systemize it, improve it and make it more self-supporting. Under their direction, the cemetery was laid out in an orderly fashion, plots were numbered and roads were built or improved. Luke Chan successfully testified in court on behalf of the Association when the neighborhood attempted to abolish the cemetery. The collective input of these three men did much to ensure the continuation of the cemetery throughout the twentieth century Today the cemetery is operated by the Lin Yee Chung Association.

There are several points of interest within the Manoa Chinese Cemetery. The Grace of the Great Ancestor is near the highest point of the cemetery. The plot is marked by a large horse-shoe shaped stone made of white coral. This grave represents all ancestors, and for this reason it is the site of the main services on Ch'ing Ming. Buried here is Lum Ching.

The White Mound is just below the Grave of the Great Ancestor. It contains over three hundred remains, each placed in individual Urns. These remains, buried during the early years of the cemetery when plots were picked at random, were dug up when plots were finally mapped out. All of the remains were unclaimed and untraceable. The White Mound is usually the second place where ritual is offered on Ch'ing Ming day.

The Tomb of the Unknown Chinese Soldiers is another notable point of interest. In 1948-49, the United States Army began to bring back remains of soldiers from Burma and Southeast Asia to Honolulu for identification and consignment to proper relatives in the United States. Among the remains were the remains of six Chinese pilots and soldiers and those of a woman. The remains of the seven were flown here in error. The Army, wanting to dispose of the remains as quickly as possible, contacted the Chinese Chamber of Commerce seeking help, and eventually the remains of the seven war casualties were laid to rest on the slopes of Manoa Valley.

Another significant spot is the Bone House. The Chinese believed that the interment of remains, washed and properly placed in permanent crockery containers or even suit cases would bring forth posterity (more offspring) in the generations to come and prosperity.

The most touching section of the cemetery is located near the entrance. All the burials along this part of the cemetery are of children ranging in age from new born to six years old. The Chinese bury their infants and young children close together so that their spirits may play with one another in eternity

One of the most important rituals that takes place at the Manoa Chinese Cemetery is Ch'ing Ming. This festival takes place annually on April 5 (or April 4 if its leap year). Ch'ing Ming is a month long celebration and is one of three traditional Chinese ceremonies that honor the dead. The memorial service is called Chung Mung or Bai San to the Chinese from the Chungshan district. To others it is known as Sau Mull or the "sweeping of the tomb," since it is also a time for tidying up the graves of ancestors. Ch'ing Ming traditionally begins one hundred and six days after the winter solstice.

On opening day, a special and elaborate offering table is set Lip and draped with a bright red table cloth. A banquet consisting of whole roast pig and five main courses is set before the Grave of the Great Ancestor. The five main courses are ceremoniously placed alongside the roast pig. These dishes include pan fried shrimp, oyster stewed with fried tofu, red stewed pork, black mushrooms and bamboo shoots, boiled chicken and roast duck. Pyramids of red and white blacksugar buns are placed near the roast pig, as are pyramids of oranges and apples. A vegetarian offering of deep fried long rice, bean curd strips and red and white starch strips, collectively known as jai, is also laid out on the table. Five cups of tea, five cups of whiskey, five bowls of rice and five pairs of chopsticks are neatly arranged fronting the five main dishes. Five is significant because it represents the five qualities of benevolence, purity, prosperity, wisdom and truth. Red candles and large and small incense sticks are lit. On the ground to the right and above the headstone, a plate containing a strip of plain boiled pork, fried tofu and duck eggs is placed for San Ga, the ground keeper or the servant of the ancestor. Rice, tea and wine are laid out.

The society men and community leaders gather in rows before the ritual table as the Chinese brass instrument, drum and sonar band sound. A few women and the other: men gather along the periphery. The master of ceremonies takes his place and calls out the formal step by step ritual. During the ritual, the men make offerings of flowers, incense, tea, wine and food, bowing low at each offering. Then paper money of gold and silver are burned for the souls of all ancestors. A bit of tea and whiskey is dribbled on the ground as an offering for the departed souls for the Ch'ing Ming period. As the eulogy is read, the men bow their heads low three times in grateful respect. A long string of firecrackers sounds the end of the ritual. Blessings will be forthcoming to the Chinese community, who will dutifully pay their respects to their ancestors at their own family grave sites for a whole month.

Continuing with the opening day ceremonies, three more stops will be made, each with humble offerings. The second stop will be at the White Mound also called Bak Kwut and then on to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. The last stop will be at the Bone House. All participants finally adjourn to the memorial hall to share in a lunch of noodles, dim sum and roast pork.

Ch'ing Ming is synonymous with America's Memorial Day and the Japanese Obon services. But the difference is that Ch'ing Ming is a month long and it is over three thousand years old. I learned a great deal from my field study research. I have a great appreciation for the cemetery and for those who worked very hard at maintaining it as well as the traditions that accompany it.

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