Join Us! Rebuilding of Wo Hing is a Community Effort
As all of historic Lahaina Town struggles to rebuild, how does the Wo Hing Society Hall & Cookhouse fit into that picture?
Before it burned down, Wo Hing was the only Chinese museum on Maui, the only physical representation of the integral historical role of Chinese workers and families. Looking into our past, we cannot imagine Maui without the sandalwood trade; without the Chinese laborers in the sugarcane plantations and sugar mills; without the Chinese workers constructing the irrigations systems and tunnels through the mountains; without the Chinese merchants and shopkeepers on Front Street; without the culture, festivals and cuisine of China weaving through the fabric of Maui. Without the Chinese history, we do not have a complete, accurate picture of Maui today.
The many cultures who came to the islands—Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Portugese, and more—they are all part of Maui’s vibrancy today. We simply cannot understand the present and go forward into the future without preserving the past.
Wo Hing Society, through its deep involvement and appreciation of Chinese culture and history, must stand again as a symbol of Chinese unity.
Our goal is to resurrect the society hall and cookhouse on Front Street once more, and to do our best, with the help of digital records and our community partnerships, to recreate the artifacts and records that reflect the Chinese legacy here on Maui.
Before the fire, Dr. Busaba Yip was deeply involved in coordinating the Wo Hing Research project, working with a team of Chinese translators and scholars from around the world to understand the history and traditions embedded in the Wo Hing records.
Thankfully, much research was completed before the fire, including a 52-page catalog and detailed digital records of everything in the Wo Hing Society Hall and Cookhouse.
“What does all this information mean for the Chinese community today?” Dr. Yip says. “Each record and artifact speaks from an older time and in a very special way. These experiences open us to a deeper level of coming to know the real and living story and history of our Chinese ancestors.”
The hope is that future research and translation work will provide more answers as to how and why these values and traditions were so important for the Chinese at that time. “What are the lessons for us to learn from the past? What does it mean for us to live our lives in today’s world? Looking to the past to understand the present and looking forward to the future remains our challenge.”
This rebuilding is a community effort. You can help! Join us today by becoming a member or friend of the Wo Hing Society. All donations are tax-deductible.
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On August 8, 2023 the Wo Hing Society Hall & Cookhouse burned down during the wildfires that swept through Lahaina Town. If you would like to donate, follow the link below.