April - Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii

April 2006
PEARL HARBOR BOAT TOUR
Courtesy of Navy Region Hawaii and the U.S. Navy, Chamber
members have an opportunity to take a FREE boat tour of Pearl
Harbor naval base. The tour will be on Thursday, May 25, from
4:00-5:30 p.m. The boat departs from the pier at the USS
Arizona Museum and will sail under the Ford Island bridge; pass
Waipio and Pearl City Peninsula, the USS Utah Memorial, and
West, Middle, and East Lochs where a number of navy ships are
mothballed; go out to the Pearl Harbor channel entrance; and
return to pass the naval shipyard, the USS Missouri and USS
Arizona Memorial, and the submarine base. During the cruise,
historic sites involved in the Pearl Harbor attack will be pointed out as well as current and future plans around Pearl Harbor,
including Ford Island development. There may also be an
opportunity to make a private visit to the Arizona Memorial.
Please note that this tour is by invitation only and is not open
to the general public, so take this opportunity to take the tour.
Your host will be Stanford Yuen, Executive Assistant to the
Admiral, Navy Region Hawaii, RADM Michael Vitale.
Since Pearl Harbor naval base is a military installation,
there are special instructions for those going on the tour: No
large carry-on purses or bags; all carry-on items are subject to
inspection; no loose objects, but cameras are OK. Please use the
Museum restroom before boarding. Names are required in
advance, and in order to board the boat, a photo ID is required
and persons whose names are not on the list will not be permitted to board. Due to limited seating, you should call the
Chamber at 533-3181 right away for reservations, and the deadline is Thursday, May 18.
General
Membership
Meeting
The general membership meeting
scheduled for Tuesday, June 6, has
been rescheduled for Thursday,
June 29. Due to his medical condition, the guest of honor, former
Flying Tiger pilot Long Qiming is
unable to make the long trip from
his home in Chongqing to
Hawaii. Now in his eighties, Mr.
Long is one of the few surviving
Flying Tigers. For his services to
the motherland during the War of
Resistance Against Japan (193745), he has been decorated by the
Chinese government. Mr. Long
may be recognized by long-distance instead at the installation
banquet at the end of May.
At the rescheduled date, the
meeting will be held at the Hong
Kong Harbor View Restaurant
from 11:30 a.m. to around 1:15
p.m. The speaker will be GEN
INSTALLATION BANQUET
The annual dinner and installation of officers will be on
Wednesday, May 31, at Waikiki Lau Yee Chai Restaurant. This
being an election year, there will be a lot of dignitaries. One can
only hope that if there are various governmental proclamations,
that each and every presenter will do simply that and shake
hands, and NOT read them verbatim as occurred several times
last year. It is after all, incoming President Alvin Wong’s night
(and not the politicians’ fund-raisers). No-host cocktails begin at
5:30 p.m., and dinner, followed by the program, will begin at 6:30
p.m. (The menu for the seven-course dinner was printed in last
month’s Lantern). The cost of the dinner is $35.00 per person or
$350.00 per table of ten. If you plan to attend, please make your
reservation and call the Chamber by Monday, May 22.
Paul Hester, commander of U.S.
Pacific Air Forces (USPACAF).
More information will be provided in next month’s issue of The
Lantern.
P R E S I D E N T S ’
President
Ming Chen
This past month, I have represented
you at many Chinese societies’ spring
installation banquets. I found out that
these banquets are important to our
Chinese societies because this is the
time to enjoy a feast after the last year’s
hard work, and also, this is the time to
greet each other with the aloha spirit.
What a great way to tie the societies
together and to work on different projects to promote Chinese culture and
business. Believe it or not, most of the
M E S S A G E
societies have held banquets for over
one hundred years. I appreciated their
hospitality and respect to me as the
president of the Chinese Chamber.
It was my honor to be the judge
of the 54th annual Cherry Blossom
Pageant. I learned a lot from their
pageant and appreciated the detailed
planning of the Japanese Junior
Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii. The
young chair and co-chair of the festival
were so emotional as to break into tears
during their opening speeches. They
worked and tried very hard, facing all
kinds of crazy, difficult situations. Since I
was the chair of the 2005 Narcissus
Festival, I could share their feelings and
would cry also if I were as young as them.
Another great event that I attended
was the Qing Ming ceremony on
Thursday, April 6. You will find that the
early Chinese had vision and were united 155 years ago to form the Lin Yee
Chung Association to purchase the 27acre Manoa Chinese Cemetery. Lum
Ching found this extraordinary spot and
C H A M B E R
N E W S
&
believed that it was the pulse of the
watchful dragon of the valley. He himself is buried at the Grand Ancestor’s
Tomb under the shade of a huge banyan
tree where he knew he would be honored every Qing Ming. Since this cemetery has all the good elements of feng
shui, future generations would enjoy
prosperity, happiness, and longevity.
I also learned that in 1949, the
Chamber was requested by the U.S.
Army to properly dispose of the
remains of seven unknown Chinese soldiers who had been mistakenly repatriated to Hawaii. The Chamber enlisted
the help of the Lin Yee Chung
Association, which donated a plot for a
final resting place for the unknowns.
Each year preceding Qing Ming, the
unknowns receive full military honors.
The Chamber should continue to
support the meaningful annual cultural
event of Qing Ming and help to develop this cemetery for future generations,
together with other Chinese societies.
A C T I V I T I E S
Hawaii Chinese Karaoke
The Hawaii Chinese Association will be holding its
15th annual karaoke contest on Sunday, May 14, at
Kaimuki High School, 2705 Kaimuki Avenue. The contest begins at 6:00 p.m. The registration form can be
downloaded at the HCA Web site (www.hawaiichineseassociation.org). The entry fee is $30.00 and entry is
limited to the first 25 people. Application deadline is
Sunday, May 7.
Narcissus Goodwill Tour
This year, the tour group, led by newly installed
Chamber president Alvin Wong, departs on Thursday,
June 8. The group will visit Hong Kong, Zhongshan,
Guangzhou, Guilin, Xi’an, Beijing, Shanghai, and
Shenzhen before returning on June 24. There is an
optional stopover in Taipei, June 24-28. Time is growing
short to make reservations (and get your U.S. passport
and China visa), so call the Chamber at 533-3181 or
Skyway Express at 526-1347.
2 | Lantern, April 2006
BE A CHAMBER BENEFACTOR
Each of us can be a benefactor of the Chinese Chamber of
Commerce Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. A benefactor of
the foundation is anyone who informs the foundation in writing that
he or she has made provision in his or her will, life insurance policy,
annuity or other estate plan document naming the Chinese
Chamber of Commerce Foundation” as a beneficiary of a minimum
donation of $3,000.00 or more.
All monies contributed will be kept in an endowment fund to
support the foundation’s mission under Section 501 (c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code.. That mission is for “charitable” purposes,
including the relief of the poor, distressed or underprivileged; the
advancement of education or science; lessening the burdens of government and the promotion of social welfare; or to buy or lease buildings for the foundation.
For Information / Donations:
Contact Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii
Ph: 533-3181 • Fax: 533-6967
Email: [email protected]
Web site: www.chinesechamber.com
www.narcissusfestival.com
Splendor of China
M E E T I N G
This year, the Splendor of China event
is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday,
October 7 and 8, right after the Moon
Festival on October 6. An organizational meeting to begin planning was held
on Thursday, April 27, at the Chamber
office, led by chairperson Ted Li. A
group of around thirty enthusiastic volunteers met, and committee chairs were
appointed. The goal this year is to
mobilize more people to participate, and
to have a 30% increase in vendors and
visitors. To this end, in addition to the
Chinese societies, the ethnic Affiliated
Chambers of Commerce as well as a
variety of community organizations will
be invited to participate. It may be that
if this effort is successful, the event’s
name may have to be changed in the
future to “Splendor of Asia” or even
“Splendor of the Pacific.” For the time
being though, the name will remain
“Splendor of China.” Right now, there
are about five months before the event,
and a great deal of work and coordination must be done. If you’re interested
in working on the event or having a
booth, contact the Chamber at 5333181 right away.
Condolences
On April 4, Ronald Yun Chow Lee
passed away. He was a retired lawyer
and co-owner of Ronwill Wholesale
Distributors and Ala Moana Keiki Land
(located many years ago somewhat
Diamond Head of what is now the Ala
Moana Center Makai Market food
court). Mr. Lee also served as Chamber
President (1964-65). He is survived by
wife Wai Jen “Jennie,” son Keith,
daughter Bobbie Pang, and six grandchildren. Our deepest condolences and
sincere sympathies go out to his family.
ACUW 75th Anniversary
On Thursday, April 20, a rare outside China exhibition
opened. The exhibition features garments and ornaments used by Qing or Manchu dynasty (1644-1911)
imperial court women. “Celebrating Chinese Women:
Qing dynasty to Modern Hawaii” is a joint effort by
the Bishop Museum and the Associated Chinese
University Women (ACUW). The exhibit includes
items from the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City,
Beijing, as well as Donghua University’s Chinese
Costume Museum in Shanghai, together with gowns
loaned by former Narcissus Queens. The exhibition
will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily through Sunday, May 21, at Bishop
Museum. Admission is $14.95 for adults, $11.95 for children, and discounts are
available for kamaaina, seniors, and military personnel. Former Chamber president
Frances Goo is chair of the ACUW 75th anniversary committee. If you have questions, call the Museum at 847-3511.
JIANGXI DELEGATION
A six-member delegation from the province of Jiangxi was entertained at the
Waikiki Lau Yee Chai on a rainy March 30 evening. The six member delegation was
led by Xu Yiguo, Deputy Director General, Foreign Affairs and Overseas Chinese
Affairs Office, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Government. The Chamber hosts were
presented with 46-page glossy brochures with many color photos of important sites
in Jiangxi.
According to the booklet, Jiangxi is considered one of the three cradles of the
People’s Republic of China. The Nanchang Uprising on August 1, 1927 marked the
rupture between the Nationalists and Communists, and is considered the birthday
of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). (If you look closely at photos of PLA-Air
Force planes, the red national insignia on the fuselage and wings includes the yellow characters for “8” and “1”). The Jinggang mountains in western Jiangxi were the
first revolutionary home base for the Communist party. The town of Ruijin was the
headquarters for the Chinese soviet government (1931-34). By October 1934, the
soviet was surrounded by Chiang Kai-shek’s National Revolutionary Army. The
main body of some 100,000 soldiers broke out and began the epic 370-day Long
March, which covered some 8,000 kilometers/4,960 miles and saw the emergence of
Mao Zedong. By the time the marchers
reached Shaanxi province in
October 1935, there were only
8,000 soldiers left. Jiangxi
province may be an exhibitor in
this fall’s Splendor of China. (For those
interested in learning more about the
Long March, look for Harrison
Salisbury’s book in the library).
Lantern, April 2006 | 3
M E M B E R S H I P
Linda and Larry Chan‘s new restaurant
venture, The Mandalay, was one of two
up-scale Chinese restaurants reviewed by
John Heckathorn in the April issue of
Honolulu magazine. The Chans have
renovated the old Yong Sing location
and have seating for 350 altogether on
the main floor and in the mezzanine.
According to Heckathorn, “The Mandalay is a no-compromises Chinese
restaurant.” He mentioned the appetizer
platter, shark fin soup, fresh abalone
with shintaki mushrooms, fresh scallops
with broccoli, tangerine beef, and
mango pudding for dessert. (Also mentioned in Heckathorn’s article as one of
the “[p]erhaps ... best-known Chinatown
N E W S
restaurants” was Jennifer Chan’s Little
Village Noodle House).
On Wednesday, April 19, Eddie
Flores, Jr., was honored at the 2006
Dinner of Champions, sponsored by the
Multiple Sclerosis Society and held at
the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral
Ballroom. Eddie was a recipient of the
MS Hope Award, in recognition of his
personal and professional achievements
as well as his contributions to the community. This is the highest award given
out by the Hawaii Division to individuals or businesses.
CHAMBER’S VISITORS
March 30 - April 1, 2006
- Mr. Xu Yiguo, Deputy Director General
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
May 23 • Tue
Jiangxi Provincial Office of Foreign Affairs &
Overseas Chinese Affairs and delegations of 6
Executive Board Meeting
April 3 - 5, 2006
Chamber’s Office - 12:00 noon
- Mr. Jian Taojie, Secretary General
CAIFC Shanghai and delegations of 2
May 29 • Mon Memorial Day
April 18 - 19, 2006
May 30 • Tue
Board of Directors Meeting
- Ms. Zhu Weifeng, Vice Chairman
New Empress Restaurant
Anhui Provincial People’s Congress and delega-
- 12:00 noon
tions of 6
May 31 • Wed Installation Banquet
Waikiki Lau Yee Chai Restaurant
- 5:30 p.m.
The LANTERN a monthly publication
of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii
42 North King Street • Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
(808) 533-3181
THE CHINESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HAWAII
42 North King Street • Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
42 N. King Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
NEW
MEMBERS
At its April 25 meeting, the board of
directors approved the applications for
Tim Law, President of FAT Law’s Farm
Inc. (sponsored by Ted Li); Linda
Louie, retired Vice President of
Rayfred, Inc., a convenience store operation (sponsored by Edward Pei);
Steven Wong, Senior Vice President at
Mitsunaga & Associates, Inc., an architecture/engineering firm (sponsored by
Michele Choy); and Michael Yang,
Sales Director for FinderElf.com, an
online Internet shopping portal or
concierge (sponsored by Ted Li).
For the information of the members, at a luncheon on April 21, Tim
Law (along with brother Frank and
Tim’s wife Alice, whose initials make
up the rest of the “FAT” name) was recognized by the Small Business
Administration as Hawaii’s Exporter of
the Year. And in his younger days,
Steve Wong was on the Narcissus transportation committee, driving contestants to their classes, rehearsals, and
public appearances.
Editor: Gerald Chang
Graphic Designer: Angela Wu-Ki
Staff: Wen Chung Lin, Grace Chan