The Portrait Photo

My maternal grandfather[1] (Andrew Lowe) was born in China, and came to New Zealand via Australia, as a lay evangelist for the Church of England. Religion was very important to my mother (Estelle WONG). I did all the usual things, taught Sunday School, went to Bible classes, and church nearly every Sunday. My high school education was at a Church of England girls school. By the time I left school, I had a healthy portfolio of Christmas Carols, prayers, and services all learnt by heart.

In my 30’s I started reading about Buddhism, thinking about it, and trying out different ways of being a Buddhist. About 10 years ago I did a retreat at Bodh Gaya, India. I left knowing I wanted to continue my work at being a Buddhist. It is a life’s work to work on one’s life.

[1] My paternal grandparents came here in 1898, after my great grandfather, clearly an adventurer at heart, had arrived in the Wairarapa and purchased some land near Greytown. There is a sadness that I never met my grandparents, but I heard stories about them. Many were about grandmother, with her bound feet and the impact on her life. I found pictures of bound feet, I imagined the benchmark of her pain. When I went to China, I would bicycle around Lanzhou. One day I stopped off at an isolated general store. Two women were happily chatting to the shopkeeper. As the story was told, the laughter grew. Then one woman took some beautiful fluid dance steps on her bound feet. They all laughed in delight. So did I. Maybe like childbirth, these painful happenings fade over time. I wish I had met her.

In New Zealand, my paternal grandparents had 2 children, my aunt, Eva Kan of Dunedin, and William, my father. I often sensed that these two children must have been among the first Chinese children born in New Zealand.

My maternal grandparents came to New Zealand separately. Grandmother Christina arrived as a servant girl for Matilda and Joseph LO Keong of Dunedin. Matilda was extra busy with her volunteer work for the sick and Chinese gold miners who had run out of luck. Christina cared for the children and house. For Christina to stay in New Zealand, the LO Keong family adopted her. Later, she met my Grandfather, Andrew Lowe, who had come to New Zealand at the request of the Church of England in Wellington as a lay evangelist. Christina and Andrew lived in Hamilton and had 4 children, my mother being the only female.

There is a photograph of my parents taken at a wedding, probably held in Wellington. These were the social highlight of our lives. A place to meet, greet and gossip. 

The Object Photo

There is a line of ancestors before me and a line of descendants to follow.

Artefacts are the material objects that have the most interest when the stories behind them are revealed.

The photograph of myself was taken by my mother with a new camera. I was around 3 or 4 years old. The setting was behind our fruit shop. She was so disappointed that I would not smile. Later my children were to tell me that the best photograph I had ever had of myself was this one.

Of the artefacts, I have received joy from Fu, Lu, and Shou, the Chinese Three Star Gods of happiness, prosperity, and longevity. The three lucky gods are popular symbols of good fortune in Feng Shui. They are beautifully carved from elephant tusks. 

My favourite piece in this photograph is the Chinese Moon Guitar. I have seen a photograph with a group orchestra playing for the enjoyment of the Chinese in New Zealand. I remember when my father brought it home. He had bought it from someone who was running out of luck. The crude gut strings with one broken and knotted together question its musical quality, although the scratches around the strings would indicate that it was once well used. Today it does achieve a beautiful aesthetic on my wall.

These are a few of the artefacts that tell some of my stories. It is the experiences of life that mould us, and our stories that we pass on. Life can be a long time, but generations are so much longer. This is but a little contribution of joining the past with the present and how I might influence the future.

WONG Liu Shueng

2019

WONG Liu Shueng

For years, WONG Liu Shueng has been researching the historical SS Ventnor[1]. She works with the local Iwi and council and has successfully developed some projects on the historical incidence. 

I first met her in 2012 when she invited me to photograph the ChingMing Blessings of the SS Ventnor incident along the Hokianga Coast. Since then, I often visited her at her Auckland home. However, I have never noticed a stone Buddha statue sitting at the entrance of her garden until one day. At the moment, I felt like encountering her.

I took her Portrait with the stone Buddha and the Object photograph of the Chinese Three Star Gods of happiness (Fu), prosperity (Lu), and longevity (Shou) wandering with the 3-years old Liu Shueng in between the Chinese Moon Guitar. It is my blessings to her that ‘the Buddha is always inside her heart (mind)’ [佛在心中].

[1] In 1902, the SS Ventnor that 499 Chinese gold miners’ remains, and the others who were on board, sank off the Hokianga Heads. 

King Tong HO

2019

人像照

我的外祖父Andrew LOWE[1] 在中国出生，以英国教会福音布道者的身份，经澳洲来到新西兰。母亲Estelle WONG十分重视宗教信仰，受她影响、我每星期日往教会、上主日学及圣经班，自然地，我在英国教会高中女校读书。毕业时我对圣诞唱诗、祈祷及待奉了然于心。

大约三十歳时，我开始阅读及思考佛理，寻找成为佛教徒的途径。十年前我参加了在印度举行的菩提伽耶静修活动。从此，我知道为实现作一个佛教徒是一生的努力。

[1] 我的祖父母跟随曾祖父的步伐，抱着冒险者的精神，于一八九八年来到新西兰 Wairarapa ，在Greytown买了些地。很遗憾我没见过他们，只听过一些关于他们的故事，大多是有关祖母缠足及对她日常生活的影响。每看到缠足的照片，我便联想到她经历的痛苦。有次我在中国兰州乘着自行车游逛时，在一间空置的店舖前，两名女仕与店员开怀畅谈，其中一位更用她的缠足起舞，众人愉快地欢笑着。时间仿佛在此时停下来，让我沉思或许祖母在世时，缠足的痛苦、早像与生俱来、随着时间而冲淡，我真希望曾与她见面。祖父母有两个孩子：我父亲 William 及姨母Eva KAN (在但尼丁），我经常意识到他们是最早一代新西兰出生的中国裔儿童。 

我的外祖父母各自来到新西兰，外祖母 Christina 于但尼丁在Matilda 与 Joseph LO Keong 家当女佣。Matilda 为帮助生病及贫穷的中国矿工做志愿工作，十分忙碌，便将家务及照顾孩子的工作交给了我外祖母。后来 Matilda 与Joseph 契了我外祖母为谊女，使她可以在新西兰定居。其后外祖母 Christina 认识了以英国教会福音布道者身份来到新西兰的外祖父Andrew LOWE。 婚后他们居住在Hamilton 及䜥下四名子女，我母亲是他们唯一的女儿。

有一张照片，是父母参加一个估计是在威灵顿举行的婚宴，记录了他们的日常社交和聚首时刻。

家物照

这些家物连接了我的祖先及下代的故事。

母亲用她新购的相机拍摄了我约三、四歳时这照片，背景是我家的蔬果店，她颇为失望我没有微笑；但我的儿女们却说这是我拍摄得最好的照片之一。那用象牙雕成的福、禄、寿三星是最受欢迎的风水摆设，喻意快乐丶富足及长寿。照片中我最喜爱的是那中国月琴，我看过一张照片，是一个乐团在新西兰用月琴演奏。当年父亲带这月琴回家时，说是购自一个失意的人，月琴上的刮痕和断了的弦，显示它曾被经被使用过，现在它增添了我家墙上的美感。

人一生不短，而一代接一代继往开来。这些家物叙述了我家的一些故事，它们的经历亦塑造了我们的一些人生经历，继而影响着我们的后代。

黃旅嫦

2019

黄旅嫦

多年来，黄旅嫦从事SS Ventnor 事故[1]  的历史硏究、与当地 Iwi 和市议会沟通, 促成一系列项目的实践。

二零一二年我与她相识，她邀请我去 Hokianga Coast 拍摄 SS Ventnor 事故的清明拜祭。自此我常探访她在奥克兰的家，但每次经过她家花园的步道时，都没留意有一个石佛像安坐于花园的入口处。

直至那次我看到佛像；倾刻，感觉是见到黄旅嫦本人。

我安排她与佛像合照。另一张是以福、禄、寿三星象牙雕像、与她三岁时的照片、游走于国乐中，祝福她 ‘佛常在心中’。

[1] 一九零二年载着四百九十九名中国“淘金者”遗体及其他船员的 SS Ventnor 船只在 Hokianga Heads 沉没。

何经棠

2019

人像照

我的外祖父Andrew LOWE[1] 在中國出生，以英國教會福音佈道者的身份，經澳洲來到紐西蘭。母親Estelle WONG十分重視宗教信仰，受她影響、我每星期日往教會、上主日學及聖經班，自然地，我在英國教會高中女校讀書。畢業時我對聖誕唱詩、祈禱及待奉瞭然於心。 

大約三十歳時，我開始閱讀及思考佛理，尋找成為佛教徒的途徑。十年前我參加了在印度舉行的菩提伽耶靜修活動。從此，我知道為實現作一個佛教徒是一生的努力。

[1] 我的祖父母跟随曾祖父的步伐，抱著冒險者的精神，於一八九八年來到紐蘭 Wairarapa ，在Greytown買了些地。很遺憾我沒見過他們，只聽過一些關於他們的故事，大多是有關祖母纏足及對她日常生活的影響。每看到纏足的照片，我便聯想到她經歷的痛苦。有次我在中國蘭州乘着單車遊逛時，在一間空置的店舖前，兩名女仕與店員開懷暢談，其中一位更用她的纏足起舞，眾人愉快地歡笑著。時間仿佛在此時停下來，讓我沉思或許祖母在世時，纏足的痛苦、早像與生俱來、隨著時間而沖淡，我真希望曾與她見面。祖父母有兩個孩子：我父親 William 及姨母Eva KAN (在但尼丁），我經常意識到他們是最早一代紐西蘭出生的中國裔兒童。

我的外祖父母各自來到紐西蘭，外祖母  Christina 於但尼丁在Matilda 與 Joseph LO Keong 家當女傭。Matilda 為幫助生病及貧窮的中國礦工做志願工作，十分忙碌，便將家務及照顧孩子的工作交給了我外祖母。後來 Matilda 與Joseph 契了我外祖母為誼女，使她可以在紐西蘭定居。其後外祖母 Christina 認識了以英國教會福音佈道者身份來到紐西蘭的外祖父Andrew LOWE。 婚後他們居住在Hamilton 及𧩙下四名子女，我母親是他們唯一的女兒。

有一張照片，是父母參加一個估計是在威靈頓舉行的婚宴，記錄了他們的日常社交和聚首時刻。

家物照

這些家物連接了我的祖先及下代的故事。

母親用她新購的相機拍攝了我約三、四歳時這照片，背景是我家的蔬果店，她頗為失望我沒有微笑；但我的兒女們卻說這是我拍攝得最好的照片之一。那用象牙雕成的福、祿、壽三星是最受歡迎的風水擺設，喻意快樂丶富足及長壽。照片中我最喜愛的是那中國月琴，我看過一張照片，是一個樂團在紐西蘭用月琴演奏。當年父親帶這月琴回家時，説是購自一個失意的人，月琴上的刮痕和斷了的弦，顯示它曾被經被使用過，現在它增添了我家牆上的美感。

人一生不短，而一代接一代繼往開來。這些家物敘述了我家的一些故事，它們的經歷亦塑造了我們的一些人生經歷，繼而影響着我們的後代。

黃旅嫦

2019

黃旅嫦

多年來，黃旅嫦從事SS Ventnor 事故[1] 的歷史硏究、與當地 Iwi 和市議會溝通, 促成一系列項目的實踐。 

二零一二年我與她相識，她邀請我去 Hokianga Coast 拍攝 SS Ventnor 事故的清明拜祭。自此我常探訪她在奧克蘭的家，但每次經過她家花園的步道時，都沒留意有一個石佛像安坐於花園的入口處。

直至那次我看到佛像；傾刻，感覺是見到黃旅嫦本人。

我安排她與佛像合照。另一張是以福、祿、壽三星象牙雕像、與她 三歲時的照片、游走於國樂中，祝福她 ‘佛常在心中’。

[1] 一九零二年載著四百九十九名中國「淘金者」遺體及其他船員的 SS Ventnor 船隻在 Hokianga Heads 沉沒。

何經棠

2019