The early beginnings of China town in PNG
THE relationship
between China and Papua New Guinea can be traced back into the early colonial
days even before any bilateral trade agreements were signed between the heads
of the two countries.
The relationship began informally perhaps in the early 1900’s at Matupit Island in East New Britain province which was then under German administration.
Here on a strip of land between Matupit village and the then Rabaul yacht club rose the first China town in Rabaul, recalls long time Chinese business man and naturalised PNG citizen Sir Ling James Seeto.
Back then the name was not China town but German village because everyone who lived there worked for the Germans.
The Chinese were first recruited into the country by the Germans to do carpentry work, build boats, plumbing and other menial work.
Sir Ling said at that time the Chinese were being recruited because they were the cheapest and reliable form of labour around.
There was such a big influx of Chinese that everything was in disorder.
In fact at that time there were about three to four thousand Chinese living in Rabaul, recalls Sir Ling.
Mr Lee Tam one of the Chinese recruits approached the German administration if he could set up a business at Malaguna and the land was granted to him.
Eventually, other Chinese began to settle near him and also set up their businesses and in this way having all Chinese together in one location gave way to the concept of China town.
A whole range of businesses activities sprouted from catering, kai bars and trade stores to other businesses.
Sir Ling who is one of the third generations in PNG was born in 1930 and grew up with the other children in China town.
The first China town was a shanty town with the houses built out of corrugated iron, cardboard boxes and timbers.
Now having their new homes and businesses in the country, the Chinese became a part of PNG and were not exempted from experiencing invasions and the rule of colonial powers like the rest of the country.
The Chinese survived German administration before WWI, and then Australian administration after WWI.
Then when WWII came around, the Chinese had to endure the Japanese who had invaded Rabaul and secured it as their strong hold.
After WWII they once again came under the rule of Australians.
Prior to WWI the Chinese worked for the Germans. The Germans did not interfere with the Chinese and how they lived and set up their homes and businesses in China town.
Then WWI came and Australia and Great Britain with their allies went to war against the Germans. The Germans were defeated and as part of the Versailles treaty, they had to hand over all their colonies.
Rabaul came under Australian administration and while the Chinese continued to live there, the Germans were now displaced.
The Australians saw how disorganised the place was (China town) and approached Mr Lee or Atam as he was popularly called by the people if they could give the place some sense of order.
In return they gave Atam a plantation in New Ireland called ‘Lakakot.’
The Australians then surveyed the area, subdivided it and gave out leases to the people who then built their houses and business in an orderly fashion.
Then WWII struck. The Chinese people were left to face the Japanese soldiers. Meanwhile the Australians were getting on ships and leaving Rabaul.
The Japanese invaded Rabaul in 1943 and took the Chinese as prisoners of war.
"For one week they retained us in their camp and later released us. They relocated us to Ratongnor which is about seven km on the north coast and here we built shanty towns and lived there for the duration of the war,” recalled Sir Ling.
The Japanese soldiers were friendly and invited the little children to their camps to watch movies, gave them drinks and treated them like their own children.
“They were okay as long as we obeyed them and bowed down when they approached us,” said Sir Ling.
After WWII and the Japanese defeated, the Australians resumed control over Rabaul.
A second China town arose. The Australian administration took over a plantation near Matupit. They graded the road and built huts. The Chinese resettled there and it became known as the Matupit farm.
The farm was subdivided into a proper town in the 1950’s.
This is where the China town remained until the volcanic eruption in1993 which wiped out the whole township of Rabaul.
Sir Ling said they never realised that they were different until they returned to China.
“In 1974, I returned to Hong Kong and found it really difficult to understand their Cantonese and likewise they did not understand my Cantonese.
“So we became very different to our Chinese culture and the accent. For all our lives growing up in PNG meant that we were placed between the white man and yellow man.
“We are different and after 100 years of living in PNG we don’t know much about our own culture and traditions,” said Sir Ling.
The Chinese like the Papua New Guineans were also segregated from the Australians and British. They were not allowed to mix around with the white people or go to their shops and their schools.
Since they were not allowed to mix around with others, the Chinese courted and married those who lived in China town. “So everyone was more or less related to each other,” said Sir Ling.
The Chinese were also not allowed to go to Port Moresby and needed visas if they were to travel there.
In 1956 they were then allowed to move into Port Moresby. Sir Ling came to Port Moresby in 1965 and now owns renowned businesses such as Lings Freezers and the Kwila Insurance office.
The Chinese who grew up in China town became naturalized PNG citizens.
The relationship began informally perhaps in the early 1900’s at Matupit Island in East New Britain province which was then under German administration.
Here on a strip of land between Matupit village and the then Rabaul yacht club rose the first China town in Rabaul, recalls long time Chinese business man and naturalised PNG citizen Sir Ling James Seeto.
Back then the name was not China town but German village because everyone who lived there worked for the Germans.
The Chinese were first recruited into the country by the Germans to do carpentry work, build boats, plumbing and other menial work.
Sir Ling said at that time the Chinese were being recruited because they were the cheapest and reliable form of labour around.
There was such a big influx of Chinese that everything was in disorder.
In fact at that time there were about three to four thousand Chinese living in Rabaul, recalls Sir Ling.
Mr Lee Tam one of the Chinese recruits approached the German administration if he could set up a business at Malaguna and the land was granted to him.
Eventually, other Chinese began to settle near him and also set up their businesses and in this way having all Chinese together in one location gave way to the concept of China town.
A whole range of businesses activities sprouted from catering, kai bars and trade stores to other businesses.
Sir Ling who is one of the third generations in PNG was born in 1930 and grew up with the other children in China town.
The first China town was a shanty town with the houses built out of corrugated iron, cardboard boxes and timbers.
Now having their new homes and businesses in the country, the Chinese became a part of PNG and were not exempted from experiencing invasions and the rule of colonial powers like the rest of the country.
The Chinese survived German administration before WWI, and then Australian administration after WWI.
Then when WWII came around, the Chinese had to endure the Japanese who had invaded Rabaul and secured it as their strong hold.
After WWII they once again came under the rule of Australians.
Prior to WWI the Chinese worked for the Germans. The Germans did not interfere with the Chinese and how they lived and set up their homes and businesses in China town.
Then WWI came and Australia and Great Britain with their allies went to war against the Germans. The Germans were defeated and as part of the Versailles treaty, they had to hand over all their colonies.
Rabaul came under Australian administration and while the Chinese continued to live there, the Germans were now displaced.
The Australians saw how disorganised the place was (China town) and approached Mr Lee or Atam as he was popularly called by the people if they could give the place some sense of order.
In return they gave Atam a plantation in New Ireland called ‘Lakakot.’
The Australians then surveyed the area, subdivided it and gave out leases to the people who then built their houses and business in an orderly fashion.
Then WWII struck. The Chinese people were left to face the Japanese soldiers. Meanwhile the Australians were getting on ships and leaving Rabaul.
The Japanese invaded Rabaul in 1943 and took the Chinese as prisoners of war.
"For one week they retained us in their camp and later released us. They relocated us to Ratongnor which is about seven km on the north coast and here we built shanty towns and lived there for the duration of the war,” recalled Sir Ling.
The Japanese soldiers were friendly and invited the little children to their camps to watch movies, gave them drinks and treated them like their own children.
“They were okay as long as we obeyed them and bowed down when they approached us,” said Sir Ling.
After WWII and the Japanese defeated, the Australians resumed control over Rabaul.
A second China town arose. The Australian administration took over a plantation near Matupit. They graded the road and built huts. The Chinese resettled there and it became known as the Matupit farm.
The farm was subdivided into a proper town in the 1950’s.
This is where the China town remained until the volcanic eruption in1993 which wiped out the whole township of Rabaul.
Sir Ling said they never realised that they were different until they returned to China.
“In 1974, I returned to Hong Kong and found it really difficult to understand their Cantonese and likewise they did not understand my Cantonese.
“So we became very different to our Chinese culture and the accent. For all our lives growing up in PNG meant that we were placed between the white man and yellow man.
“We are different and after 100 years of living in PNG we don’t know much about our own culture and traditions,” said Sir Ling.
The Chinese like the Papua New Guineans were also segregated from the Australians and British. They were not allowed to mix around with the white people or go to their shops and their schools.
Since they were not allowed to mix around with others, the Chinese courted and married those who lived in China town. “So everyone was more or less related to each other,” said Sir Ling.
The Chinese were also not allowed to go to Port Moresby and needed visas if they were to travel there.
In 1956 they were then allowed to move into Port Moresby. Sir Ling came to Port Moresby in 1965 and now owns renowned businesses such as Lings Freezers and the Kwila Insurance office.
The Chinese who grew up in China town became naturalized PNG citizens.
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