Supervisor Connie Chan and Chinatown community remember the ancestors on Chung Yeung Festival

(SAN FRANCISCO) On October 14, Chung Yeung Festival which is also known as the Double Ninth Festival in Chinese Lunar calendar, Supervisor Connie Chan and members of the Chinatown community gathered at the Kong Chow Cemetery Monument in Lincoln Park Golf Course to remember the Chinese American ancestors who came to San Francisco over a century ago.

Chan who represents Richmond District has introduced legislation in the Board of Supervisors to designate Kong Chow Cemetery Monument as a landmark to preserve the history of the Chinese Americans. The monument still stands in Lincoln Park Golf Course which was named as City Cemetery from 1870 until the early 1900s.

The City Cemetery was used as a burial ground for Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Jewish and other ethnic groups from Europe in the old days. It was transformed into a park and golf course in the early 20th century, an estimated over 10,000 bodies still rest beneath the turf.

According to Chan, the City Cemetery was reclassified as a municipal park in 1909. Users of the cemetery were given six months to disinter the remains of their buried dead. It remains unclear how many dead were removed because of no registers and records.

“As a City elected leader, this is a deeply personal moment for me to have the privilege of honoring the history and sacrifice of generations of Chinese immigrants before my own arrival as a first-generation immigrant,” said Chan. “And as we walk on the ground of Lincoln Park, it is my hope that this landmark designation will help us remember the blood and tears our Chinese immigrants shed as part of the power that has built San Francisco into the great city it is today.”

Assemblymember Phil Ting and District Attorney Chesa Boudin joined Chan in the ceremony to show support to the legislation and commemorate the contribution of the Chinese ancestors who came to the United States to build railroads 150 years ago.

“I am honored to be here today to remember the legend of the community who built the City. We can’t never forget the obstacles, exclusion, racism, and discrimination that Chinese Americans face. We must to do more. We are stronger if a city when we unite,” said Boudin.

Henry Chen, owner of the AA Bakery and Cafe in Chinatown, has worked together with Chan to preserve the Kong Chow Cemetery Monument and its history. “It is a very significant legislation for all Chinese Americans. We have to support Supervisor Chan and her effort,” said Chen.

Chen is also interested in organizing similar ceremonies at the Kong Chow Cemetery Monument on Chung Yeung Festival each year.