Friday 23 February 2024

HAKKA MEMORIES

Little is known about the Hakka way of life, a Han Chinese group of people living in Liverpool whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhejiang, Hainan, Guizhou in China. 

Liverpool Chinese Supplementary School in Upper Pitt Street, were funded by Awards for All and Austin Smith Foundation to create the Hakka Memories intergenerational event to pass down their heritage to younger generations. They held a day of reminiscence,  dancing and sharing food.  

Tai Tai is wearing a very old traditional sun hat for a lady. This hat is 50 years old.
Photo: Moira Kenny 2023

The word Hakka is pronounced 'Kejia' in Mandarin, meaning "Guest People" Hakka authors say that Hakka are embodied by the dandelion; a flower that will thrive under the most trying conditions. 

In this sense, Hakka are those who were consistently willing to risk taking a change and strong enough to survive obstacles in their path. 


Young people wearing unisex hats to protect from the sun and rain, the hats are made from natural materials: bamboo and leaves. These hats are used by farmers. The fan is for Tai Chi or Kung Fu. The water buffalo ornament is a traditional family keepsake.
Photo: Moira Kenny 2023

Lisa demonstrating a traditional Yun Goh: a famous rice dance song. Lisa is holding Chinese  handkerchiefs, they are spun in the hands along to the music.
Photo: Moira Kenny 2023

Traditional sun hat to work in the fields in the hot sun
Photo: Moira Kenny 2023

Peggy is holding a traditional wedding candle symbolising 'Double Happiness'
Photo: Moira Kenny 2023

Paul is wearing a traditional farmers hat he is holding a fan. In Summer, the weather is very hot, the fan is used to keep cool and to keep mosquito's away. It can also be used when lighting a fire. The fan material is made of Liuistona Chinensis: a leaf split in 2. 
Photo: Moira Kenny 2023

Lan is demonstrating a Chinese calculator known as an Abacus. It is used to subtract, multiply and division. The Abacus was designed in China thousands of years ago.
Photo: Moira Kenny 2023

Judy is holding a book that belonged to her dad, he would use the book daily looking for a lucky day or looking for fortune. This method using the book to look for the best dates for weddings or farming for example started 5000 years ago.
Photo: Moira Kenny 2023

Sue wearing the traditional Summer hat for a lady
Photo: Moira Kenny 2023

Lin demonstrating different uses for a hat while working in the sun
Photo: Moira Kenny 2023

Tai Tai passing her traditions down to her grandson Daniel
Photo: Moira Kenny 2023

Tai Tai 
Photo: Moira Kenny 2023

Tai Tai
Photo: Moira Kenny 2023

Tai Tai
Photo: Moira Kenny 2023

Tai Tai holding her wedding candles
Photo: Moira Kenny 2023



 


Thursday 22 February 2024

IN MEMORY OF CHINESE SEAMEN


The Blue Plaque has arrived. Thank you to everyone who donated funds or ideas towards the wording. Simon Wong LCBA is speaking with the leaders and dignitaries of Chinatown to secure a building on which to erect the Plaque in Nelson Street.  

Tuesday 13 February 2024

LIVERPOOL CHINATOWN ORAL HISTORY: RICHARD YONG


 


Liverpool Chinatown Oral History is an archive of interviews and conversations between  Moira Kenny, John J. Campbell and  people who lived or worked in Chinatown Liverpool pre and post WWII.

The aim of PROJECT CHINATOWN is to develop an online and site specific space for people to gain access to the audio/visual material. 

This audio recording between Richard Yong and Moira Kenny is a telephone conversation from 2013 published in 2024. 

All rights reserved. Copyright The Sound Agents 2024. 

Thursday 1 February 2024

SAVING JOHN LENNON

The Life and Times of Miss Amy June Furlong

Part 2



An audio story based on verbatim recordings, accompanied by still images. June Furlong reminisces about the day John Lennon walks into the life room as a young student and tells his friends his mother has died. 

Written by Moira Kenny, Narrated by Eithne Browne and Produced by John J. Campbell. 
 

Wednesday 11 October 2023

FORCED DEPORTATION CHINESE SEAMEN


The Sound Agents are Crowd Funding to purchase a blue plaque to commemorate the Chinese seamen who were forcibly deported from Liverpool in 1946 and to remember the women and children who were left behind living in destitution, ostracised from their families and community. Please donate and share. 

CrowdFund Link