Lived in Tushan 涂山, Zhongli prefecture 钟离郡 (Anhui province), Sui Dynasty (581–618).

Your First Ancestor in Guangdong

From Fangcheng in Fanyang 范阳方城 (today’s Beijing, Tianjin and Baoding prefecture). During Tang Dynasty Emperor Taizong’s reign (626-649), was vice-mayor of Shaozhou prefecture 韶州 (today’s Shaoguan city 韶关市, Guangdong province). Very wealthy. Died before his retirement. His descendants settled down in Qujiang 曲江 (today’s Qujiang district 曲江区, Shaoguan city), the capital of Shaozhou.

Magistrate of Yueshan county 越剡 during Tang Dynasty.

Mid-level government official (secretary-general) in Suolu County in Xinzhou prefecture 新州索芦 (today’s Xinxing County 新兴县, Yunfu 云浮, Guangdong). Honorary title of Taichang Qing 太常卿, or Director of Sacrificial Worship, thanks to the achievements of his son Jiuling 九龄.

Prominent poet, scholar, politican of the Tang Dynasty. Chancellor 宰相 during Kaiyuan Era of Emperor Xuanzong's reign 唐玄宗开元年 (713–741). Moved to Huxi Township in Qujiang County 曲江县湖西乡. Died in 740.

Supposed to be righteous and never afraid of the powerful. Counselor at prince’s mansion 太子右赞善大夫.

Served as Huangmen Shilang 黄门侍郎, i.e. officer at the royal palace. Later became Minister of Public Works 工部尚书.

He served as Dianzhong Shiyushi 殿中侍御史. His four sons all worked for the government. His eldest son Lishi 隶实 was a Zhuangyuan 状元.

Provincial governor of Jizhou 吉州刺史 (today’s Ji An City 吉安市, Jiangxi 江西). The first Zhang settling in Zhujixiang in Nanxiong 南雄珠玑巷.

Worked as Zhongshu 中书 at the Palace Secretariat.

Appointed Chaojie Qing Dafu 朝介请大夫, rank 5 of Tang Dynasty government hierarchy.

Common Ancestor of Shafu 沙富, Zhangqiao 张桥, and Shagang 沙冈 branches.

Moved to Shashuitou Village 沙水头村, Jingzong Li 敬宗里, Shixing County 始兴县, Nanxiong 南雄 (today's Zhujixiang in Nanxiong 南雄珠玑巷). He was awarded the title of Jinshi 进士 in the Imperial Examinations in 808 during the reign of Emperor Xianzong of Tang 唐宪宗. Later, he served as Palace Secretary / 中书 and Investigating Censor 监察御史 of Fanyang city 范阳府. His wife was the niece of Han Yu 韩愈, who was a famous writer, poet and government official of that time. They were buried together in Jinji Mountain 金鸡山, Wengyuan County 翁源县, Shaozhou 韶州 (in today's Shaoguan 韶关, Guangdong Province).

In 825, awarded a ring made of pearls and jade for his filial piety and personal loyalty by Emperor Jingzong of Tang 唐敬宗. In honor of this gift and the ruling emperor, he renamed their street "Zhuji Alley" - Pearl Jewel Alley - to avoid the emperor's naming taboo.

He lived to the age of 103.

Died young, orphaning his only son, Zhang Ku, who went to live with his uncle, Tingfan. Under the Tang, Tingfan served as Commissioner of the Imperial Encampment 御营使 and later worked on building grain reserves for the Stabilization Fund Bureau of Lingnan Circuit 岭南道常平司. Bringing Tingze's son Zhang Ku with him, Tingfan fled to Gugangzhou, where he died in 937.

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Tingze's other brother, Yanze, served as a ruthless general-in-chief for the Later Jin dynasty 后晋. In 946, Yanze was killed while fighting off the Jin's allies-turned-enemies, the powerful barbarian Khitan Liaos.

Orphaned at an early age and lived with his uncle Tingfan, who was a high level official of the Tang regime. Around 907, when the Tang had fallen, Zhang Ku fled with his uncle Tingfan to Gugangzhou 古冈州 (today's Xinhui county). In 923, he helped his uncle raise funds to cover the grain tax for the people of Gugangzhou, thus avoiding a potential uprising. His wife was the daughter of a magistrate. His sons founded three Zhang clan sub-branches. Zhang Ku died at the age of 85 in 961.

Regarded as the First Ancestor of the Shagang Branch.

Awarded the honorary title of Chaoqing Dafu 朝清大夫 because of his grand-uncle Yanze's military achievements fighting the Khitan Liaos. He moved from Xinhui to Yongleli 永乐里, near Liangjinshan 梁金山 (today's Shagang 沙冈 in Kaiping). He turned the area of Shagang from wild wasteland to a dynamic and fertile hub, and set up public welfare granaries in case of natural disasters or famines. Very wealthy. Died in 976.

Though he was not the one to move there, he is regarded as the common ancestor of the Yanglu 羊路 and Longgang 龙冈 branches.

First Ancestor of Longgangli

Ran a duck farm on Mount Fei'e 飞鹅山, where he later reburied his Zhang ancestors. Became very wealthy and came to the aid of an imperial envoy who had run out of provisions for his army. To thank him for his generosity, Emperor Zhengde of the Ming 明正德 bestowed upon him and his wife robes of a first ranking official. There is an ancestral temple in his name in Longgangli, where a painting of him and his wife in official robes used to hang.

First in the Family to Go to America

Went to California after 1849 during the Gold Rush to mine for gold in Central Valley.

Went to the United States with his cousin in 1865 to work on the Transcontinental Railroad. After the Day of Golden Spike (May 10, 1869) at Promontory Summit in Utah, he returned to Longgangli in 1869 and built a house in the village. He passed away in 1910.

He operated a gambling hall and opium den in Boston Chinatown. In 1926, he returned to the village very wealthy, built a house there and owned a market in Taishan. He passed away in 1939.

He went to San Francisco in 1912, returning only once, in 1921. He left again for the U.S. and would not see his wife over the next 43 years, until she joined him there in February 14, 1966 at Los Angeles International Airport. He ran the Imperial Restaurant, a Chop Suey house at Central Square in Cambridge, from 1923 to 1936. He passed away in 1976.

Went to the United States in 1932, aged 10, as the "paper-son" of Quock Hung Chong 张培舟. He received education in the United States and worked for Pan American World Airways from 1943 to 1946, while serving with United States Navy Reserve from 1943 to 1945 during World War II. As junior partner, he ran the Kubla Khan Theater Restaurant in San Francisco Chinatown, starting in 1946 and ending in 1950. From 1950 to 1978, Gim Suey worked for Lockheed-California Company, as a quality assurance inspector of military aircrafts in Burbank. From 1950 to 1974, he also worked as a waiter during weekends at the Far East Café, a landmark Chop Suey house, in Little Tokyo of Los Angeles. He passed away in 1979.

Dr. Raymond Douglas Chong is president of Generations, LLC, his creative enterprise in Sugar Land, Texas, USA. He is a writer of stories, composer of poems, lyricist of songs, and maker of films. He has cheerfully shared stories in program presentations, television and radio interviews, and documentary films.

Raymond is a sixth generation American Born Chinese (ABC) from California - The Golden State. He was born in the heart of Chinatown in Los Angeles - The City of Angels in California. His growing years were in the remote barrio of Elysian Valley - “Frogtown”, between Elysian Park and the Los Angeles River, near Downtown. He attended Dorris Place Elementary School, Irving Junior High School, and Marshall High School. His realm revolved around the bustling and pulsating streets of Chinatown and Little Tokyo of Downtown.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Southern California and a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from San Jose State University. He is a Specially Appointed Professor for Shandong Jiaotong University at Jinan in Shandong of China.

He is Licensed Professional Engineer in Texas, Professional Civil Engineer and Professional Traffic Engineer in California, and Professional Engineer in the Saskatchewan. He is certified as Professional Traffic Operations Engineer, Professional Transportation Planner, Road Safety Professional, Sustainable Transportation Professional and Certified Public Works Professional - Management. He has worked for various municipalities and consultancies in California, Texas and Saskatchewan.

See Raymond’s website – Chinese Love Poetry – The Collected Works of Dr. Raymond Douglas Chong at: http://www.chineselovepoetry.com/

Kenji Kaio Chong is seventh generation ABC who was born in Berkeley, California. Since 2006, he has lived in Sugar Land, Texas USA. He attended Fort Bend Christian Academy, Sartartia Middle School, and Austin High School in Sugar Land.

Kenji is a budding filmmaker who will graduate in May 2020 with degree of Bachelor of Science in Radio-Television-Film at Moody College of Communication from The University of Texas at Austin.