Arroyo lays wreath at Rizal Shrine in Jinjiang




The national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal has roots in Shang Guo Village, Fujian Province. His paternal great — great-grandfather was Doming Lamco — Ke Yi Nan in Chinese — who was an immigrant to the Philippines. Photo shows President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signing the guest book Saturday, Oct. 28, 2006, after offering a wreath at the foot of the Rizal Monument in Jingjang City. Looking on are Party Secretary Lu Zhangong of the Fujian Province (left) and other Chinese officials.


Inquirer
Last updated 03:28am (Mla time) 10/29/2006

Published on page A8 of the October 29, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

JINJIANG, China (Via PLDT/SMART)—An exact replica of the monument of the Philippines’ national hero Jose Rizal at the Luneta Park can be found in the heart of this southern Chinese city, standing proudly in mute testimony to the morals and values Rizal had hoped to impart to his fellow Filipinos.

It also stands as a remembrance to his great, great grandfather, Domingo Lamco of Zhang-Guo province, who was once a resident and citizen of China.

On the second day of her official visit to China, President Macapagal-Arroyo led wreath-laying rites at the Rizal Shrine here to pay respect to Rizal, his grandfather Lamco and the Chinese people.

The President was accompanied by some members of her Cabinet, including Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, and Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes, along with some members of Congress and local officials.

On Jan. 23, 2003, House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. led a 60-member Philippine delegation in wreath-laying ceremonies during the inauguration of the Rizal Shrine in Siongque Village, Jinjiang City in Fujian Province.

The Philippine delegation included Consul General Corazon Bahjin, Congressman Roque Ablan, National Historical Institute Chair Ambeth Ocampo, officers of the Knights of Rizal, Tarlac-based descendants of Rizal’s sister Soledad, and Chinese-Filipino businessmen.

Chinese officials who graced the occasion included Jinjiang City Mayor and Party Secretary Gong Qingkai, and chair of the Jinjiang City People’s Congress Xue Zuliang.

The shrine was built in 2002 to commemorate Dr. Rizal’s Chinese ancestral roots. It symbolizes the strong bond of friendship between the Philippines and China. During its inauguration, De Venecia remarked that the shrine “is a great symbol of the 1,000-year-old friendship between our two nations.”

The national hero is the direct descendant of Chinese trader Cua Yi Lam, who immigrated from Siongque (“Zhang-Guo” in Mandarin) to the Philippines in the later part of the 17th century. Church records show that Cua Yi Lam was baptized Domingo Lamco in Manila in 1697 at the age of 35 and listed his birthplace as Siongque village in China.

The monument, made of the world-famous Jinjiang granite stones, stands at 18.61 meters high, which is taller than the 12-meter high Rizal Monument in Manila. It was built on a five-hectare park named in Rizal’s honor, making it the biggest Rizal Shrine outside the Philippines. The park will also be the site of a Rizal museum and library.

The success of the project can be attributed to the combined efforts of the Cua-Chua Family Association where Rizal drew his Chinese lineage, the KAISA Para sa Kaunlaran, headed by Prof. Teresita Ang-See, which provided assistance in research and substance, Philippine Airlines chair Lucio Tan who headed the project committee working group, the Tulay Foundation, the Knights of Rizal, the Philippine Consulate General in Xiamen, the Jinjiang village and the city association based in Manila that arranged funding for the project, the Fujian Provincial Overseas Chinese Affairs Office and the Quanzhou Municipal Government.

I got to see Jose Rizal family tree which have roots in Fujian province , China both mother and father of Jose Rizal have Chinese roots




President Bush during his state visit to the Philippines in 2003


U.S. President Bush, center, is accompanied by Mayor Lito Atienza, during a wreath laying ceremony at Rizal Monument in Manila, the Philippines, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2003. President Bush will address the National Congress and meet with Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo before continuing with his Asia tour. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak



Here is a link about Rizal:

Jose Rizal

Arroyo honors Jose Rizal in China


President Arroyo on Saturday offered flowers at the monument of Jose Rizal in the Siongque village of Jinjiang City, Fujian province to give honor to the Philippine national hero.

ABS-CBN Correspondent Alvin Elchico reported that the wreath-laying ceremony was witnessed by several local officials as well as the whole Philippine delegation including businessmen and politicians.

The Rizal statue is enshrined in a 5-hectare park built and named in his honor. The monument made of the world-famous Jinjiang granite stones, stands 18.61 meters high, taller than the 12-meter high Rizal statue in Luneta, Manila, according to the Web site http://www.jose-rizal.eu.

Briefers given out by Malacañan said that Rizal was of Chinese descent and his great grandfather, Ke Nan, migrated to the Philippines about 300 years ago.

Mrs. Arroyo said that the Filipino-Chinese ties have been strong ever since.

After the President paid tribute to the hero, she and the other members of the delegation went straight to a branch of SM City mall in JinJiang.

The five-story mall, which covers some 125,000 square meters, was built by business tycoon Henry Sy in 2005. Sy's ancestors were also from JinJiang.

Mrs. Arroyo did not stay long in the mall and took a chartered flight to Nanchang University in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province where she delivered a speech.

She is also scheduled to lead a summit in Nanning on October 30, marking the 15th anniversary of relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Benito Valeriano, the foreign affairs department's director for ASEAN affairs, said ASEAN and China would discuss adopting a "code of conduct" to avoid territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

The summit will also take up liberalization of services between ASEAN and China and an improved partnership in such areas as security, economics and socio-cultural affairs.

ASEAN is comprised of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam

I didn't know Rizal has a monument in China.

But this is very cool, since my grand daddy came from Fujian province too.

he also has monument in mexico, germany and spain

His monument in Fujian province is said to be 12 meters taller than the one in Rizal Park in Manila

he also has a street in france

There's Rizal Park in Bacon Hill, Seattle.