Or
The primary issue with research such as this would be interpretation of the Chinese characters on the gravestones. At many points during our research, we were confronted with issues that would be solved by having the proper personnel or tools to interpret the characters on the gravestones. Since exhumation is out of the question, we are left only to create a typology of the grave stones. This leaves us with many questions, unfortunately, because the inscriptions on the gravestones could add some individuality and context to our study, and the people behind the sites creation. Examining the history behind this site could also lend clarity to our research questions, especially involving the inscriptions on gravestone 2. An extended timeline of events that occurred from the period when the graves were completed (1961) to the present would be extremely useful in determining this. Acquiring this information was an issue for us, as much of the history displayed at the site is mostly concerning issues of immigration and the important context of feng shui. Time is also a factor, because there are a large number of graves at the site, and a closer look into the morphology of these stones could give us more information about the site as a whole. With the time constraints this was not possible. All in all I believe we took steps to ensure that we did not overextend ourselves, but gained as much information as possible.
To relate all of these constraints to further research, I would suggest that contacting the Chinese Cemetery Beautification Committee to inquire about other sources of historical information would be extremely beneficial. Also, the inclusion of ethnography could lend more of a human quality to our research, as oral history most likely exists in the surrounding community. Interviews could be conducted to include not only members of the Chinese community, but surrounding residents as well. In conclusion, the intensification of this or any research project is cyclical, with ideas being submitted, tested, and evaluated for effectiveness throughout. I believe with this process in place, and the inclusion of the ideas above, we could definitely comprehensively answer our research questions.
 |
| Gravestone 5: note concrete slab with flower holders |
 |
| Gravestone 5: close-up ( poopy goodness included) |
:Grave 5: Grave five is one of the two gravestones that are set inside a 70” by 70” concrete slab. The slab has three small metal or plastic tubes set into it. Since the tubes are arranged symmetrically, I would assume they were for holding flowers or other ornaments. Chuenyan Lai’s (1987) map shows that this grave was marked as Anonymous. The stone is made of red granite, and the characters are in relief. The stone is also in very good condition, with the polished surface still intact. There is a small amount of grass growing over the top portion of the stone, but the foliage does not impede the view of the characters. Gravestone 5 follows the dimensions and the south-westerly orientation of the other graves as well.
Once More for Good Measure
View Chinese Cemetery on Harling Point in a larger map
References:
Chuenyan Lai, D 1987, 'The Chinese Cemetery in Victoria', BC Studies, no.75, pp. 24 - 42.
View Chinese Cemetery on Harling Point in a larger map
References:
Chuenyan Lai, D 1987, 'The Chinese Cemetery in Victoria', BC Studies, no.75, pp. 24 - 42.
No comments:
Post a Comment