Loong Kong Tin Yee Association History
The Four Families in China:
The Four Families came together during the period of the Three Kingdoms (220-280 A.D.) when the management of the land under Emperor Sien of the eastern Han Dynasty was in chaos and near anarchy. Lew Pei, an uncle of the emperor, Quan Yu, and Chang Fei met in the peach garden of the latter's estate. There they vowed to join their families as brothers, not on the basis of blood relationship, but for the common good of their people.
Their choice of location was appropriate, for the peach blossom symbolizes longevity, and the vows taken in Chang's peach garden have remained unbroken for over 1,700 years.
Chew Yuen joined the "confraternity" later at Kucheng, the Old City, completing the four-cornered association which has become legendary in Chinese history.
The Four Families acquired the association's well known name 20 years after the beginning of the Ching Dynasty (1641-1911). The Lew Family owned a hill shaped like the head of a dragon facing toward heaven, which was called Lung Kong, or Dragon Hill.
The land was coveted by powerful neighbors of the Lews, so to avoid the possibility of a dispute, the Lews built a temple atop the hill with the help of the members of the Four Families. The temple held statues of the four patriarchs and of Kung Ming, and it became a place of worship.
The Move to America:
Chinese began to come to America in 1848, arriving first in San Francisco. The Gold Rush and other signs of prosperity swelled the Chinese population in San Francisco to 12,000 by 1851, and the need for an association here began to make itself felt.
In 1876, during the reign of Emperor Kwong Shui, the elders of the Four Families erected a Lung Kong Temple on Brooklyn Alley off Sacramento Street in San Francisco, and there too statues of the four ancestors were erected.
With the enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and discrimination against Chinese running rampant throughout the United States, the Lung Kong Association took responsibility for the social welfare of its members, and also served as a fraternal organization. Like the other family and district associations that came into being here during that period, Lung Kong cared for its sick, gave food and housing for the less fortunate, and provided burial rites for its members.
The 1906 earthquake and resulting fire in San Francisco destroyed the temple on Brooklyn Alley, and new zoning laws prevented erection of a new one at that location. The new Lung Kong Kung Shaw was dedicated at 1034 Stockton St. four years later in 1910. As the size and scope of the association expanded, the need for a larger facility became apparent. The Ming Yee Low building was completed at 924 Grant Avenue in 1925.
The first Lung Kong conference in America was held in Los Angeles in 1928. It was there that the Lung Kong Kung Shaw and the Tien Yee Kung Shaw were merged into the Lung Kong Tien Yee Association.
Spreading throughout North America to the Western Hemisphere and Overseas:
The Chinese in North America had spread out to all parts of the continent from San Francisco after the peak periods of immigration from 1880 to 1900. They concentrated for the most part in urban centers.
An association headquarters was established for New York in 1888, followed by Portland and Seattle in 1890. The Mok Tien Kung Shaw settled in Victoria, Canada in 1900 and reorganized under the name Lung Kong Tien Yee Kung Shaw in 1902. Toronto founded its chapter in 1912, Honolulu in 1919, Oakland in 1920, Vancouver and memphis in 1923.
Mexico got its first chapter in 1924. Cuba and Peru had already become homes for association chapters in 1900. A chapter opened in Montreal in 1927. By 1948 the association had spread far and wide throughout the Western Hemisphere, so that delegates met in New York that year to form the North and South America Continental Lung Kong Tien Yee Kung Shaw.
The World Lung Kong Tien Yee Association was established in 1960, and eight years later its headquarters were moved to Taiwan.
In 1978, the Lung Kong Tien Yee Association of Europe was established.
By 1981, the association had 146 chapters on five continents, representing an active membership of more than 3 million. (Today, it has grown even more.)
The Rule of Conduct:
Worldwide, the association's members adhere to the rule of conduct established by emperor Lew Pei over 1,700 years ago:
Be endeavoring, be endeavoring
Do not consider the evil so small
and thus to commit it.
Do not consider the goodness
so small and thus to disdain it.
Only virtue, only high conduct
can win the people.
Stressing loyalty, rightousness, benevolence and bravery, Lung Kong adheres to tradition and resists rebellion. Members consider the Four Families as one, with the inter-family love between them as the most important foundation for the association. They consider the bonds which hold them together stronger than those to their own blood relatives.
Four Families' Individual Backgrounds:
Although the Four Families have strong bonds among them, each family is separate and has its own rich history.
The Lew family established the Han Dynasty, beginning with Lew Pon as its first emperor. Twenty-five emperors in all from the Lew family ruled for 422 years, winning respect throughout the Eastern world. It adopted the name Peng Cheng Tong after the name of a county where the family lived during the Han Dynasty.
The Quan family descended from Lung Fung, a courtier of the Shah Dynasty. Quan Yu is respectfully honored as the Holy King in Chinese history. The Quan family adopted the name Lungsi Tong.
The Chang family, one of the great families of China, can trace its lineage back to King Huang. It has adopted the name Ching Ho Tong after the name of a county in Hopeh Province.
The Chew family produced Chew Kang Yun, the first emperor of the Sung Dynasty. A total of 19 emperors ruled the land during the Sung Dynasty's 319 years. The Chew family is also known as the Tien Shui Tong, so named for a county in what is now the Kansu Province.
Pride and Respect:
The Lung Kong Tien Yee Association looks back on the 5,000 year history of the Chinese civilization with pride and great respect. It considers its own primary reason for existence to be the preservation and continued advancement of that civilization, and stresses loyalty and love for the living and filial piety toward one's ancestors.
The Four Families came together during the period of the Three Kingdoms (220-280 A.D.) when the management of the land under Emperor Sien of the eastern Han Dynasty was in chaos and near anarchy. Lew Pei, an uncle of the emperor, Quan Yu, and Chang Fei met in the peach garden of the latter's estate. There they vowed to join their families as brothers, not on the basis of blood relationship, but for the common good of their people.
Their choice of location was appropriate, for the peach blossom symbolizes longevity, and the vows taken in Chang's peach garden have remained unbroken for over 1,700 years.
Chew Yuen joined the "confraternity" later at Kucheng, the Old City, completing the four-cornered association which has become legendary in Chinese history.
The Four Families acquired the association's well known name 20 years after the beginning of the Ching Dynasty (1641-1911). The Lew Family owned a hill shaped like the head of a dragon facing toward heaven, which was called Lung Kong, or Dragon Hill.
The land was coveted by powerful neighbors of the Lews, so to avoid the possibility of a dispute, the Lews built a temple atop the hill with the help of the members of the Four Families. The temple held statues of the four patriarchs and of Kung Ming, and it became a place of worship.
The Move to America:
Chinese began to come to America in 1848, arriving first in San Francisco. The Gold Rush and other signs of prosperity swelled the Chinese population in San Francisco to 12,000 by 1851, and the need for an association here began to make itself felt.
In 1876, during the reign of Emperor Kwong Shui, the elders of the Four Families erected a Lung Kong Temple on Brooklyn Alley off Sacramento Street in San Francisco, and there too statues of the four ancestors were erected.
With the enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and discrimination against Chinese running rampant throughout the United States, the Lung Kong Association took responsibility for the social welfare of its members, and also served as a fraternal organization. Like the other family and district associations that came into being here during that period, Lung Kong cared for its sick, gave food and housing for the less fortunate, and provided burial rites for its members.
The 1906 earthquake and resulting fire in San Francisco destroyed the temple on Brooklyn Alley, and new zoning laws prevented erection of a new one at that location. The new Lung Kong Kung Shaw was dedicated at 1034 Stockton St. four years later in 1910. As the size and scope of the association expanded, the need for a larger facility became apparent. The Ming Yee Low building was completed at 924 Grant Avenue in 1925.
The first Lung Kong conference in America was held in Los Angeles in 1928. It was there that the Lung Kong Kung Shaw and the Tien Yee Kung Shaw were merged into the Lung Kong Tien Yee Association.
Spreading throughout North America to the Western Hemisphere and Overseas:
The Chinese in North America had spread out to all parts of the continent from San Francisco after the peak periods of immigration from 1880 to 1900. They concentrated for the most part in urban centers.
An association headquarters was established for New York in 1888, followed by Portland and Seattle in 1890. The Mok Tien Kung Shaw settled in Victoria, Canada in 1900 and reorganized under the name Lung Kong Tien Yee Kung Shaw in 1902. Toronto founded its chapter in 1912, Honolulu in 1919, Oakland in 1920, Vancouver and memphis in 1923.
Mexico got its first chapter in 1924. Cuba and Peru had already become homes for association chapters in 1900. A chapter opened in Montreal in 1927. By 1948 the association had spread far and wide throughout the Western Hemisphere, so that delegates met in New York that year to form the North and South America Continental Lung Kong Tien Yee Kung Shaw.
The World Lung Kong Tien Yee Association was established in 1960, and eight years later its headquarters were moved to Taiwan.
In 1978, the Lung Kong Tien Yee Association of Europe was established.
By 1981, the association had 146 chapters on five continents, representing an active membership of more than 3 million. (Today, it has grown even more.)
The Rule of Conduct:
Worldwide, the association's members adhere to the rule of conduct established by emperor Lew Pei over 1,700 years ago:
Be endeavoring, be endeavoring
Do not consider the evil so small
and thus to commit it.
Do not consider the goodness
so small and thus to disdain it.
Only virtue, only high conduct
can win the people.
Stressing loyalty, rightousness, benevolence and bravery, Lung Kong adheres to tradition and resists rebellion. Members consider the Four Families as one, with the inter-family love between them as the most important foundation for the association. They consider the bonds which hold them together stronger than those to their own blood relatives.
Four Families' Individual Backgrounds:
Although the Four Families have strong bonds among them, each family is separate and has its own rich history.
The Lew family established the Han Dynasty, beginning with Lew Pon as its first emperor. Twenty-five emperors in all from the Lew family ruled for 422 years, winning respect throughout the Eastern world. It adopted the name Peng Cheng Tong after the name of a county where the family lived during the Han Dynasty.
The Quan family descended from Lung Fung, a courtier of the Shah Dynasty. Quan Yu is respectfully honored as the Holy King in Chinese history. The Quan family adopted the name Lungsi Tong.
The Chang family, one of the great families of China, can trace its lineage back to King Huang. It has adopted the name Ching Ho Tong after the name of a county in Hopeh Province.
The Chew family produced Chew Kang Yun, the first emperor of the Sung Dynasty. A total of 19 emperors ruled the land during the Sung Dynasty's 319 years. The Chew family is also known as the Tien Shui Tong, so named for a county in what is now the Kansu Province.
Pride and Respect:
The Lung Kong Tien Yee Association looks back on the 5,000 year history of the Chinese civilization with pride and great respect. It considers its own primary reason for existence to be the preservation and continued advancement of that civilization, and stresses loyalty and love for the living and filial piety toward one's ancestors.
Loong Kong Youth Group History
The youth group was formed in 1981....
The Loong Koong Youth Group (YG) is part of the Loong Kong Association and was originally formed in late November, 1981. The original intention of the YG was to introduce the sons and daughters of the senior members of the Association (Lau, Kwan, Chang, and Chew heritage, plus other variations of name spellings such as Lew, Quan, Cheung, and Chiu) to Loong Kong as a way of perpetuating the Association through their children. The goal was to provide a way for the youth of the elders to meet, participate in social activities, learn about their cultural history, help in community services, exchange information with a newsletter, among other activities. "Loong Kong" Association refers to the local San Francisco chapter of Lung Kong (LK), located at the Ming Yee building at its current address of 924 Grant Avenue in San Francisco's Chinatown. "Loong Kong" in turn is part of a worldwide network of associations collectively known as "Lung Kong" Association that also has an Oakland and Stockton chapter in the Bay Area, and also a Los Angeles location, eventually extending nationwide to New York City, and worldwide to Hong Kong.
The very first President of the YG was Rick Chew, son of Herbert Chew, a former Officer of the parent LK Association and longtime supporter of the YG. The very first newsletter was sent out in December, 1981, and the YG started out with a BIG celebration by organizing a huge dance celebration as the first major activity. The dance was held at one of the senior Officer's restaurant, Joe Jung's Restaurant on Market Street in San Francisco (the restuarant no longer exists there), and a radio DJ from (now defunct) KSOL-FM radio station spun the tunes! The dance was very successful, and everyone and their guests had a great feast and boogied till the late hours of the evening!
At that time in 1981, the YG met at the older location of LK at 17 Old Chinatown Lane, located in an alleyway in Chinatown, where the YG had a small office. It wasn't until a couple years later that the main meetings and events were moved to the current much bigger and expanded building at 924 Grant Avenue on the 4th floor.
In August, 1982, the YG played a major part in the 11th Quadrennial Convention of the Lung Kong Tien Yee Association of the Americas for five days. Many Lung Kong members worldwide came to celebrate at the LK headquarters here at 924 Grant Avenue, as well as neighboring restaurants in Chinatown. There was a huge parade through Chinatown and the YG designed and rode a "dragon style" float, and also marched and held the opening banner of the parade.
Over the years, many new members have joined and helped put on diverse events. In addition, the YG continues to play a major part in events supporting Mother's and Father's Day, LK scholarship awards, the yearly Chinese New Year's and Spring Festivals celebrations, Easter egg hunts and candy for the kids, the YG Anniversary celebration held each year in November, in addition to joining others in LK for Christmas and New Years Eve celebrations, and other holiday events. The YG has arranged activities (some in cooperation with the LK Women's Auxiliary Group and the general Association) such as a cultural trip to Angel Island to learn about Chinese immigrants' entry into the USA, local trips to Great America amusement park, Halloween celebrations, trips to Disneyland in Southern California, tennis lessons at the courts at Lowell High School in San Francisco, picnics, cultural historical presentations at the Association, a computer workshop (virtually when personal comptuers were first introduced), support for the Miss Asian America pageant, and when you can't think of any other activities, just get a group together and go to the movies and have a snack!
The very first President of the YG was Rick Chew, son of Herbert Chew, a former Officer of the parent LK Association and longtime supporter of the YG. The very first newsletter was sent out in December, 1981, and the YG started out with a BIG celebration by organizing a huge dance celebration as the first major activity. The dance was held at one of the senior Officer's restaurant, Joe Jung's Restaurant on Market Street in San Francisco (the restuarant no longer exists there), and a radio DJ from (now defunct) KSOL-FM radio station spun the tunes! The dance was very successful, and everyone and their guests had a great feast and boogied till the late hours of the evening!
At that time in 1981, the YG met at the older location of LK at 17 Old Chinatown Lane, located in an alleyway in Chinatown, where the YG had a small office. It wasn't until a couple years later that the main meetings and events were moved to the current much bigger and expanded building at 924 Grant Avenue on the 4th floor.
In August, 1982, the YG played a major part in the 11th Quadrennial Convention of the Lung Kong Tien Yee Association of the Americas for five days. Many Lung Kong members worldwide came to celebrate at the LK headquarters here at 924 Grant Avenue, as well as neighboring restaurants in Chinatown. There was a huge parade through Chinatown and the YG designed and rode a "dragon style" float, and also marched and held the opening banner of the parade.
Over the years, many new members have joined and helped put on diverse events. In addition, the YG continues to play a major part in events supporting Mother's and Father's Day, LK scholarship awards, the yearly Chinese New Year's and Spring Festivals celebrations, Easter egg hunts and candy for the kids, the YG Anniversary celebration held each year in November, in addition to joining others in LK for Christmas and New Years Eve celebrations, and other holiday events. The YG has arranged activities (some in cooperation with the LK Women's Auxiliary Group and the general Association) such as a cultural trip to Angel Island to learn about Chinese immigrants' entry into the USA, local trips to Great America amusement park, Halloween celebrations, trips to Disneyland in Southern California, tennis lessons at the courts at Lowell High School in San Francisco, picnics, cultural historical presentations at the Association, a computer workshop (virtually when personal comptuers were first introduced), support for the Miss Asian America pageant, and when you can't think of any other activities, just get a group together and go to the movies and have a snack!