6th Day 2007-12-14 Friday The National Museum
Finally a photo of the family, the first family photo during this trip. I bought a camera stand the previous day.
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KLCC - Kuala Lumpur City
Centre
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Finally a photo of the family, the first family photo during this trip. I bought a camera stand the previous day.
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| Children Swimming pool and fountain in KLCC Park |
Today we use the HOP ON and HOPE OFF bus again.
As KLCC is on the routine route of Hop On bus, we
hop off at KLCC for lunch before continue the sight see of KL city.
Today was our 2nd time to come to KLCC. We spend
time outdoor. The first time we came 4 days ago was at night which
we spend indoor.
With both visit, we managed to see both inside
and outside greenery of KLCC.
After lunch in KLCC, we hop on the next bus to National Musium.
After lunch in KLCC, we hop on the next bus to National Musium.
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| Kuala Lumpur National Museum |
Kuala Lumpur National Museum Located on the fringe of Taman Tasik Perdana (Kuala Lumpur Lake Gardens).
This is the principal museum in Malaysia.
In the museum there are :
1) Historical Gallery,
2) Metalwork and Musical Instruments Gallery,
3) Cultural Gallery,
4) National Sports Gallery and
5) Natural History Gallery.
Facilities include a conservation laboratory, a library with more than 6,500 titles catering to researchers, students and individuals in the field of archaeology, ethnology, natural history and other similar disciplines, and a photographic studio containing slides and negatives on various subjects of interest to the museum.
Thematic exhibitions are held from time to time. On the museum's grounds are static displays including old locomotives, vintage cars and a replica of an ancient Malay palace.
This 1898 Black & White photograph "British North Borneo Company official at a meeting 1898" caught my eyes and I stare for a long long time on this old image of 100 years ago.
Its like a time machine bringing me back to 100 years ago and found some clues to my grandfather time:
1- It was taken in 1898. Wong Shin Chiang came from China to Jesselton in 1906-1909 and soon found a permanent employment in this British North Borneo Railway.
2- Chinese staff one of them carry an umbrella. Umbrella was a Chinese status symbol at that time. Like today everyone try to carry a Smartphone to identify themselves from those who do not have a smart phone.
Photo captioned "British North Borneo Railway in 1898" is a photo taken in 1898 , just a few years before my grand father arrived Jesselton and started work with them. The year 1898 and the year Wong Shien Chiang joining them as college between 1906-1909 was only a few years apart. It is very likely these railway staff in the photo and my grand father were later became college and knew each other well.
This Museum has few more precious images I have been searching for - pictures of Jesselton during my grandfather's time 1900 to 1950.
Wong Shin Chian, my grand father, worked in this railway till the end of his day. Yet, I knew very little about him and his life as a railway worker.
About Wong Shin Chiang 黃承青
(1887-1939)
(remark : he was not in above photo of 1898)
This is the principal museum in Malaysia.
In the museum there are :
1) Historical Gallery,
2) Metalwork and Musical Instruments Gallery,
3) Cultural Gallery,
4) National Sports Gallery and
5) Natural History Gallery.
Facilities include a conservation laboratory, a library with more than 6,500 titles catering to researchers, students and individuals in the field of archaeology, ethnology, natural history and other similar disciplines, and a photographic studio containing slides and negatives on various subjects of interest to the museum.
Thematic exhibitions are held from time to time. On the museum's grounds are static displays including old locomotives, vintage cars and a replica of an ancient Malay palace.
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| "British North Borneo Company official at a meeting 1898" |
This 1898 Black & White photograph "British North Borneo Company official at a meeting 1898" caught my eyes and I stare for a long long time on this old image of 100 years ago.
Its like a time machine bringing me back to 100 years ago and found some clues to my grandfather time:
1- It was taken in 1898. Wong Shin Chiang came from China to Jesselton in 1906-1909 and soon found a permanent employment in this British North Borneo Railway.
2- Chinese staff one of them carry an umbrella. Umbrella was a Chinese status symbol at that time. Like today everyone try to carry a Smartphone to identify themselves from those who do not have a smart phone.
Photo captioned "British North Borneo Railway in 1898" is a photo taken in 1898 , just a few years before my grand father arrived Jesselton and started work with them. The year 1898 and the year Wong Shien Chiang joining them as college between 1906-1909 was only a few years apart. It is very likely these railway staff in the photo and my grand father were later became college and knew each other well.
This Museum has few more precious images I have been searching for - pictures of Jesselton during my grandfather's time 1900 to 1950.
Wong Shin Chian, my grand father, worked in this railway till the end of his day. Yet, I knew very little about him and his life as a railway worker.
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(remark : he was not in above photo of 1898)
| On landing at the wharf around 1906-1909, this young man with hardly any money left was desperate for a job and without knowing any single soul in this new world, he can only hope for the best. Without any knowledge of this new place he took the obvious choice, to follow the railway line out of the wharf to town. Following the railway line he soon saw a train station and in he stepped and asked for a job. Luck was with him and he managed to meet the “Indian” station master. With some passable English he was asked to fill an application form. Upon completion of the form and after it was handed back to the station master, the station master was very impressed with the very neat handwriting of the young man. He was offered a job right on the spot. The year was estimated to be around 1906-1909........
from Wong Family History, 2005, Perth, Australia
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100 years ago, a homeless, penniless, jobless young China man with pony tail landed at Jesselton wharf from a steamship and follow the railway line to the office of British North Borneo where he was offered a job right on the spot on the day of arrival and thus became a staff of the above photograph British North Borneo Company official.
This a beautiful piece of story. But too good to be true that as his grandson I do not take the above family record directly.
But what is true was that Wong Shin Chiang 黃承青 (1887-1939) did actualy worked for British North Borneo Railway till his passing away of sudden illness at age 52. The British company provided monthly pension to his widower, my grandmother, PANG Len Yin 彭蓮英 (1889-1979 Age 90). When North Borneo became independent in 1963, the Sabah Government carry on providing his monthly pension to the widower till her RIP in 1979.
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| Wong Shin Chiang 黃承青 (1887-1939) (photo from family archive) Who worked for British North Borneo Railway for his entire life in North Borneo |
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