Our Family's Treasures

This online catalogue serves as a guide to discover some of the treasures passed down from generation to generation.  Some are of personal value, like milestone birthday souvenirs, letters and awards.  Other treasures are of national significance, like the music box and chinaware from the Qing Court. 

Kwan Yuen-Cheong (1832-1912) married Lai A-Mui (1840-1902) in 1857.  They had five daughters and ten sons.  In 2023, descendants number above 1,510 and are found all over the globe.  Many heirlooms and artefacts are kept in the homes of 3-digit Kwan family members.  This site allows us to "see" what these are.

Please contact cousin Debbie if you have artefacts, letters and photos that you would like to share with the rest of the family.  Scan and send high resolution images to kwanfamily15@gmail.com.  Thank you!

7S2's Wedding Shoes

Source: (7-10-1) Judy Chan

 (8) Kwan Yuet Ying's Commemorative Rice Bowls

90th Birthday, 1960

This Qing Court hat accessory belonged to Dr. Kwan King-Leung (Sum-Yin) when he was a government physician.  It was a plume that would hang behind toward the back of the head, suspended from the button (knob) on top of the hat. 

Photo credit:  (7-10-1) Judy Chan

6-5 had seen it first.  As big as a cabinet and heavy, Sung-Kin Kwan, then 6 years old, had accompanied his father on a visit to Prince Chun (Zaifeng) (who lived in Tientsin).  While the adults visited, S.K. saw and played this music box.  When he came home, he couldn't stop telling his siblings and parents about it, to the point that his younger brother, S.H. begged his father to take him along on his next visit so he could see this automaton-music-playing contraption itself!

On his next visit, Kwan King-Yin (6) brought his youngest son, Sung-Hoy with him.  He was so excited to see this treasure!  Once the adults left the room to talk, S.H. found himself alone with the music box.  He was curious to hear the music and see the two dancers with puffy dresses.  Once he found the switch and started the music box, he was so delighted!  Then, the adults, who had finished visiting and came into the room where he was playing the music box -- frantically trying to figure out how to stop it.  He was mortified, fully expecting to be reprimanded for touching other people's things.  Instead, the Prince laughed and said, "So, you like this thing?"

The very next day, there was a knock on the door of the Kwan family home.  Standing in front of them was a servant colporteur, who had brought the massive music box to their house!  A gift for S.H. Kwan!  He could not believe it!  He thought he had died and gone to heaven!  

And so began the love affair with this very special imperial gift, that stayed with Dr. Kwan (S.H. became a dentist) throughout his childhood, and upon his return to Tientsin from his studies in the U.S., in 1930, he had it moved to his first home with his wife at the Gaitai Building.  When the children came along, they moved to 1 Villa Jeanne d'Arc, where he delighted in showing them how to play it.  Even neighbour kids were fascinated by this "diorama", which is what toddler, Alex Ruas, called it when he went over from their house, 19 Villa Jeanne d'Arc, to the Kwans.  Knee-high, the little glass window would have been eye-level for little Alex (who was supposed to be napping but would wander over and visit Mrs Kwan, who was bedridden with tuberculosis).  He returned home to tell his older brother, Charles, all about this "diorama"*. It remained in Dr Kwan's possession in Tientsin for two generations.  

When it came time to emigrate to the United States in 1981, the music box was one of two precious objects the S.H. could not part with, and had it dissembled, packed and crated to Hawaii, then to California.  (The other being the grandfather clock gifted to him by his Uncle 14.). 

Over time, the music box stopped playing and his son, Kenneth, tried to have a part replaced but was unsuccessful.  Eventually, he gave the music box to a friend.

UPDATE:  During a chat in July, 2021, Cousin Lorna Lin 7-5-4S mentioned that John Ling's widow might know what happened to the old music box.  Cousin Sara, her daughter, emailed Auntie Rosalind on July 19 asking about it.  She immediately received a reply that SHE STILL HAD IT (in Honolulu) and that the family was welcome to have it back!! On August 14, 2021, Sara and her husband Karl pick up Uncle Hoy's music box, and brought it home to the Kwans! 

When Auntie Vivian (6-6-2) heard about its discovery, she was overjoyed!  Uncle Kenneth, too, was very happy to hear!  The music box is now scheduled to be restored to play music once again, this time, in the home of Auntie Vivian!

*Author's note: In 2021, after Googling the childhood address of Auntie Vivian, and found someone's memoirs of growing up in Tientstin in the 1930's, I emailed the website admin to see if Charles Ruas' was still living and how I could contact him.  He indeed was and we have been corresponding since that time.  If Charles had not asked me to ask about the "diorama", I would not have learned about this music box and its incredible history!

Read about music boxes in Qing dynasty China here.

These dishes were given to 7-3 by 6 who received them as gifts from the Qing Court.  

Source: 7-3-5S Marlene Cheng

THUNDERBIRD PILOT

Man-Kit Cheng (7-3-2)
1923-1945