Lung Kong Tin Yee Association
The Lung Kong Tin Yee Association (traditional Chinese: 龍岡親義公所; simplified Chinese: 龙冈亲义公所; pinyin: Lónggāng Qīnyì Gōngsuǒ; Jyutping: Lung4gong1 Can1ji6 Gung1so2), also known as the Four Brothers (四兄弟), is a worldwide ethnic fraternity or a multi-surname clan association for overseas Chinese. It was founded to foster the moral community and unity of four families: Liu (劉), Guan (關), Zhang (張), and Zhao (趙). The solidarity of the four clans can be traced to the sworn brotherhood of the Four Brothers: Liu Bei 劉備 (161–223), Guan Yu 關羽 (160–220), Zhang Fei 張飛 (?–221), and Zhao Yun 趙雲 (?–229).[1]
Lung Kong in the United States
California
The California Gold Rush and construction of the transcontinental railroad in the mid-1800s led many men, especially from Guangdong Province, China, to immigrate to California. Due to social hostilities and discrimination, most immigrants were forced to stay in the San Francisco Chinatown area. Many different family groups started to form family associations.
In 1876, the four families of Lew (劉), Quan (關), Jung (張), and Chew (趙) built a "Lung Kong Ancient Temple" in the heart of San Francisco Chinatown, a replica of the same Temple in Shui Kou district (水口镇) of Kaiping (開平) built in 1662 as a place of worship and meetings. As years passed, more four-family members arrived in San Francisco. Around 1895, two four-family associations had organized: the San Francisco Lung Kong Association and the San Francisco Mu Tin Association (later changing its name to Ming Yee Association). The former engaged in fraternal activities such as providing a place for meetings, promoting social activities for members, and aiding newly arrived members from Guangdong Province, China. The latter was formed for the protection of its members from unfair hostilities.[2]
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 completely destroyed the Temple and all historical records. In 1910, the four-family forefathers built a new "Lung Kong Building" at 1034 Stockton Street which became the home of the San Francisco Lung Kong Association. In 1924, another building was acquired at 924 Grant Avenue, named the "Ming Yee Building", in which the San Francisco Lung Kong Association has resided ever since. As economic opportunities began to open across the country, four-family members traveled to different parts of the country to work, settle, and form additional four-family associations with names such as Lung Kong (龍岡), Mu Tin (睦親), Ming Yee (名義), and Four Brothers (四兄弟).
References
- ^ Chen, Yong (29 December 2021). "The Confucian Moral Community of the Clan Association in the Chinese Diaspora: A Case Study of the Lung Kong Tin Yee Association". mdpi.com. Empirical Studies of Contemporary Confucian Practice in Asia and Beyond: Religions 2022, 13(1), 30. doi:10.3390/rel13010030. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ Jung, James S. L. (March 2012). "A Concise History and Development of the Lung Kong Organization". palungkong.org. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
External links
Media related to Loong Kong Tien Yee Association at Wikimedia Commons- Pan American Lung Kong Tin Yee Association
