My sis-in-law in Kuching sent me some paos (steamed buns) from Kuching, and boy, were they huge?
Each of them could easily fill up a saucer to the rim and this was what it looked like inside…
As you can see, the skin was extremely thick and there was very little meat. It reminded me of the buns we had during my younger days. People used to snigger at the food of the Foochows in Sibu as being very substantial but considerably bland or lacking in taste. Well, there was a reason for that.
Led by Wong Nai Siong, the Foochow immigrants came and settled in the Rejang Basin in three batches. The first batch consisted of 72 people, the second batch 535, and the third batch 511, totalling 1118 people. Of the total, 130 brought their spouses and families, while the others were bachelors. After working in Sibu, nearly all the immigrants chose to settle down and made Sibu their new home. Some bachelors asked their parents back in China to find wives for them and send them to Sibu. Although many of those new brides who came to Sibu had never seen their partners before, they were happy to settle down here. They raised families and toiled with their husbands for a brighter future in Sibu…
Making rubber sheets
From “Sibu – a city in the making”
Needless to say, life was hard and they ate more for the energy and to fill their stomachs than for pleasure or the taste so that they were able to withstand hunger and labour throughout the whole day.
Pulau Babi wharf
From “Sibu – a city in the making”
Today, other than the Rejang Basin, the Foochows have ventured everywhere as long as there is money to be made. If you have stayed at the Promenade in KK, that belongs to a Foochow, and so is the Tang Dynasty Hotel and the Shangri La Hotel, while in Kuching, the Harbour View Hotel is one of them. If you go anywhere in Kuching these days, you will hear people conversing in Foochow which was quite uncommon back in the 70s and the Foochow-owned Ta Kiong has invaded the city by storm.
Say what you want about the Foochows, there can be no denying that today, they have prospered and many have successfully built their own business empires with vested interests worldwide. A lecturer-friend of mine from KL dropped by on a visit and she was amazed by the huge mansions in this little town. “Are they very cheap?” she asked. Well, I would not think so and one thing’s for sure, the owners are very rich and more likely than not, they are Foochows. Just imagine that they came with nothing more than the clothes on their backs!
Growing pepper
From “Sibu – a city in the making”
People also say that Foochows are very stingy. Somebody said to me once that if you are not stingy, you will never become rich. I guess there is some truth in that. After all, the English also have a proverb that goes, “A fool and his money are soon parted.” In the past, they scrimped and saved, some for the money to send back to their poor next-of-kin in China and they hoped to make the journey back to their homeland one day, alive or otherwise. If you read “Son of Singapore” – one of the three books in Tan Kok Seng’s “The Malaysian Trilogy”, he gave a vivid description of how his father was like that and being a child, he was not able to understand why when he returned, he was very sad and depressed. Was it because the members of his family were having a hard time in their life of poverty back home or was it because he did not die there?
Anyway, it was through this prudent characteristic of the Foochows that they were able to accumulate their money and property to become so rich today. They may not look impressive to you but believe you me, they are loaded amd many have been able to send their children overseas through their sheer blood, sweat and tears and now, all of them are professionals in their own right.
Making mee sua (thread noodles)
From “Sibu – a city in the making”
No, the Foochows do not possess any special skills, they do not enjoy any special privileges or receive any aid. For what they are today, all the credit must go to them themselves for they are reaping the harvest of their years of toil and labour driven by their sheer determination to make something out of their lives in this strange land.
A parting thought – do their present-day descendents, the so-called 3rd/4th generation, possess that same true grit that had made the Foochows what they are today?
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
so why name change? blame it on the hokkien registrar, eh?
“What’s in a name? A rose by any other name will smell as sweet.” Btw, my mother’s surname is also Wong…and that brings to mind a joke I heard somewhere that “Two Wongs don’t make a Wright!” LOL!!!
New generation foochows are not as hardy. They reaped the benefits so no survivial of the fittest strain in them. I heard of a rich tycoon from Sibu who would stay in the cheaper hotels while his son stayed in the star hotels. When asked the reason he commented, “He has a rich father, I don’t!”
SOME are very stuck-up and pretend they do not know you. Their parent/grandparent would not be like that. When the old ones see me, they would ask (in Foochow! Duh!), “Are you so and so’s son/grandson?” But some are ok…
Oh, I think that is the foochow pau i mentioned earlier
Well, it certainly looks like one…
thanks for sharing the history of foochows with us…
are you a foochow? 😛
Yes…but unfortunately, a poor one! Sob!!! LOL!!!
I think the same about the Foochows too. They are the really hardworking one and have a very high vision for their future especially for their next generation. That’s why they are prospering and doing so well.
Thomas Edison said, “Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration!” It all boils down to hard work!
Am i reading this correctly ? You praising Foochow ? ( not that i have anything to complain about it ) Wow… it will be snowing soon in Malaysia. Haha. Nah, some foochow kids nowadays are too over pampered by their parents they lost their once-renowned-for traits.
Must have been drinking…! Hahahahaha!!! Well, if I’m not mistaken, the Chinese have this belief or saying that the wealth in a family will be gone by the 3rd generation. What you said could be the cause, I guess.
My mom’s side of the family is pure Foochow so I somehow can relate to what you were writing. Some of her potato chin are Datuks and live in mansions. Sons and daughters all sent overseas, some of them wife also ang moh wan (I think you might be able to guess who am I talking about) 😛
I dunno ur mum’s side of the family. Yunno me lah…a recluse living a simple, secluded life! No money mah! Hahahahahaha!!!!
Splendid history of the Foochows in Sibu. Nice change from the food stories (always hungry looking at the photos).Which batch did Grandpa come from?
Dunno…don’t know if he came from China and if he did not, he would be 2nd and his children would be the 3rd generation!!!
Lots of well-heeled foochows over here too! I think whether the 3rd/4th generation foochow will continue the line of their ancestors or not I supposed is yet to be seen. Truth be told, if one teach their children to be ‘cuci gucci’all the way, then….! Unless it is all fake guccis!LOL!I knew a filthy rich but wise mom who once told me that when the children are young,brainwashed them with Kmart’s & Target’s then fingers crossed, maybe they will be on the right track! N also go to Springvale for haircuts! Like they say don’t be penny wise n pound foolish!So hey! it will be Target for me all the way!LOL!
When you are rich, use pasar malam Gucci also people will say it’s genuine. If I use, sure they say buy from Jalan Petaling! Hahahahaha!!! Btw, here if you go to Sg Merah for haircuts (gents), only RM3! LOL!!
I miss the poas from Kuching. Especially “MEAT” paos.
Try the tua-pao (big buns) at Lok Ming Yuen. Like Kuching pao! Very nice, lots of meat and maybe a bit of egg…but getting expensive. Now RM2.70 each, I think!!!
Its different for the foochows nowadays cos they have it easy. Bapak all kaya raya. But i suppose given the same scenario, these modern day foochows might possess the same grit. Its hard to compare… the situation is completely different.
Too bad though. For one thing, maybe the parents spoilt them rotten. Dunno how true but I heard of a rich man’s son pulling a gun at the father, threatening to kill him if he did not bail him out…the last time the stock market crashed. Many stories…but so far, this one’s the worst!
pure breeds suck! mixed blood ftw!!! HAHAHA.. just kidding :p..i hope no one puts a price on my head when i get back..anyway, couldnt agree more with what u said…foochows no.1 in making money..just making them..not really spending them 😀
If they spend all their money, then they would not be rich anymore, would they?….Personally, I would spend to live comfortably and at times go on holiday but save enough for a rainy day. If you leave behind a lot of money, the children will only end up fighting tooth and claw for the lion’s share of your fortune!
Hmm…. now we have a coloured President for the USA. Soon we might have foochow PM. hahaha
Who else is Foochow? Ling Leong Sik already retired…
There is a very famous Foochow Big (Huge) Pao shop is Padungan. I used to patronize that place, it was RM 2.20 back then and boy, was it huge. I still crave for it.
I would prefer something meaty…would love a lot more meat, infact! LOL!!!!
Interesting history about Foochows. As for the paos, I don’t like paos that look big, but have very thick skin and not much meat inside : )
I don’t mind them big…as long as the skin is thin and they have lots of meat inside. Used to enjoy the ones in KL…and once in a cab, stuck in a jam, the cab driver took out his and ate and then he said to me, “I eat hah!!! You cannot eat big pao lor…because u already so fat!!!” That’s insult to injury – never gave me to eat and said I was fat summore! Cilaka!!! Hahahahahahaha!!!!
wow! the history of sibu!!
i guess the younger generation, whether Foochows or otherwise, are not as strong or as resilient as our ancestors. Today’s environment is too comforting…
If you’re familiar with the Rocky movies, his boxing career went downhill when life became too good and he lost “the eye of the tiger”.
Unlikely ever 2 hv chinese pm in msia! Dream on! Even a qualified, xperienced chinese lady who had work 4 the company was rejected.
I don’t think any potential Chinese is interested anyway. They wouldn’t mind scratching some people’s backs though as long as they can keep their coffers filled. That’s all they want!…Is there any Chinese PM/President in any other country besides the predominantly-Chinese China, Taiwan and Singapore? I think there was a Japanese in Peru once, poor chap! LOL!!!
True, I’m also a very poor foochow too. 😦
I think it is because we do not speak the dialect so we not have that culture in us….so that is why we are poor. The Chinese culture lies in the dialects be it Foochow, Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka etc… Once the dialect dies out (e.g. in Mandarin or for that matter English-speaking homes), the culture goes too.
I think true grit is no longer a necessity these days. There’s “working hard”, and then there’s “working smart”, and both are important, although the latter seems to lend an edge these days.
We had a term for working smart in the old days. It was called “lau chua”, translation = snake. People who work smart = cronies get all the privileges and benefits. What good is it to a man if he gains the whole whole but loses his soul. I believe everyone should work hard and plan smart. Prudence is important, always think FAR ahead and save/plan for the future…and be contented and thankful – never be consumed by the culture of wanting more, more and more!
P.S. I’m sure you’ll be fuming if D.T. tells you that he doesn’t need to work hard at all as these days, people only need to work smart! Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!
I really admire these people, they came here with only clothes on their back and many actually became rich. Aiyo, STP, why lah you arrange the pau like that. Now I am thinking of different things lorr! LOL
Hahahahahaha!!! I did arrange that on purpose…like “tua liap nee!” So many people commented liao, but you’re the first one to notice! Gee!!! We’re one of a kind! LOL!!!
Work smart = lau chua? That’s an over-generalisation. If you read carefully, you would have noticed I said “both are important”. Working smart does not necessarily mean losing one’s soul, again a generalisation on your part. Everyone can work hard if they want to, and when you have everyone working equally hard, the one person that will edge ahead will be the one who has worked slightly smarter, ie if he/she wants to be ahead of the pack, soul intact or not, is his/her prerogative. That’s the uncomfortable reality of today.
Ideally, DT will eventually learn that working hard and smart will get him to where he wants to go, and what he wants to be, and still be able to sleep well at night. It’s a long journey, and he doesn’t even know yet, the term “life is tough”.
If you mean working efficiently, fair enough for indeed there are a lot of people who toil like hell but are not very productive! But when ur colleague says to you, “Aiyor! No need to work so hard lah!!! Just work smart!”, what do you reckon he/she means? That kind of working smart, I will not sanction.
Well, aren’t they all the same these days? Life’s too good to them…and I’m glad my girl went to NS and now not having a too comfortable life in Kedah! It’s an eye opener and a learning process…something that those in elite and expensive private schools will never experience!
STP,sorry to butt in, but have got to let u know that my 3 kids all also go to private schools,however they still have to get part-time jobs to earn some pocket money for themselves. Like my eldest one have to work part-time thru all her uni years,my second one for her work experience worked in a law firm n also in the local cinema. n when she goes to uni will also do part time job.I do agree that maybe some students from private schools do have the luxury of not having to work but certainly not my kids though n when my youngest is allowed to do summer job, i will let him too! Actually it is good experience for them n shows them that life is really a jungle out there.N I am also speaking not for myself but also for some parents that I know whose kids also from private elite schools n also doing part-time job. Appreciate u putting in this comment!Thks! N they have to apply for these jobs all on their own credentials,here they don’t care who or what family background u r from.
Talking about the spoilt brats from ultra-rich families lah! Of course it all depends on upbringing and the children’s ability to think for themselves.
There are of course some parents who work their fingers to the bone to give their children the best education…like somebody I know who sold his houses and land to let his sons study overseas. He himself looked very shabby and poor (worked hard all his life and would not spend a cent on grooming)…and when he went overseas to visit, his doctor son told his friend he was his gardener! The son thought the father (Chinese ed) could not understand. He came home, so heartbroken…
Aiyo Stella..Why you so Stingy Foochow???? No wonder sooo rich la…hahahahahah.
Must be stingy, otherwise how to be rich? Either that or become law-eya buruk! Hahahahahahaha!!!!
Eh!K.Penyu, rich in calories perhaps! Not like u so rich own Kuala Penyu!When foochow marry foochow, of course think like stingy foochow lah! Or else how to put kids in private schools, but thks to all savings from hotel soaps,shampoos, free samples cornflakes,tea,coffee…etc! Why STP no comment on mine yet?Upset I contradicted his comments, so now no chance to get the BFF Award from him.LOL!
Already replied lah! Where got people so free, online all the time? Wait lah…for the reply! Patience! Hahahahahaha!!! Awards for bloggers only lah! U start a blog too lah? I quick-quick give you…then can hope for more Scottish shortbread in December. LOL!!
whew!! Just finished dinner! Saw yr reply, Was thinking no harapan for Ruby too! LOL!
So far so good! Haven;t gone to claim my free meal yet! Hahahahahaha!
…stella..here we call it KIASU. What is private school???? Is that where the teachers molested the students kah??? I only know private parts hahahahahahah. STP..I am very sober….ok
Doesn;t sound like it!…Hey, ur son’s in a private school too, right! Ummm…must be the Foochow in ur blood! Equally KIASU, pot calling the kettle black! Hahahahahahahaha!!!!
Its the Teochew in her…nothing to do with me..me me real foochow..already send to university liao ok
Hah! Now claiming to be real Foochow…a minute ago, said Foochow stingy! Thie law-eya memang twisting and turning one!
Beautifully looks but it is not appetizing
Hello! You’re new here. Welcome, welcome. I hopped over to your blog but it is in a language that is foreign to me.
once, i asked for char siew pao at a food stall on da way to Miri..
“takde char siew pao!”
i was like what da toot?
“tapi ade pao babi merah!”
i laughed my ass out when i heard this 😀
You were speaking to a non-Chinese? Or one who can’t understand Cantonese?
Interesting story there. Read all of Tan Kok Seng’s book and enjoyed the series. So needless to say, your great great great grand father was one of the honorable 1118. Your last name is also ‘Huang’ ?
Meaning “Yellow” – same as yours? Not that long ago – my great-grandma came with them, she was still around when I was small, and my grandfather too, I think. Not sure about my great-grandfather.
Yes mine also ‘Yellow’. The Wongs are supposed to be cantonese but I’m hainanese. Ng would be the teochews. Also came across ooi(same pronounciation as wee) also Huang in mandarin.
P/S : Not easy searching for my comments on your blog to check your replies. Your search function doesn’t include comments? I think it can be done to include searching the comments. Since your blog receives quite a good amount of readership, should upgrade to a full fledged wordpress platform. There are a lot more things you can do in those. I can help you for the migration if you’re keen. It cost just $20 a year but you can put adsense and get back many folds that amount. So it’s definitely worth it. First thing first, grab your http://www.suituapui.com before some company does and park it to sell it for a tidy sum!
Oh dear! They can sell it to somebody? What happens after that? The old posts will go to the new one? Hmmm…but I don’t think anybody would want a name like suituapui. 😀
Not sure how one can look for past comments to see if I have replied…unless they bookmark the post – I will reply…almost instantly. Can delete the bookmark after that.