
Big Island Guan Gong Temple with very imposing colors, situated on a hill with a distance from the road. In the village of Halawa, one can see the cliffs and the majestic pacific Ocean. The color combination of red and green tells me that it would be a Guan Gong Temple without seeing the characters on any plaque.

Not sure it was part of Hongmen or not. 忠義堂 was usually tradition. There are hints that it might have been. First are the words, TON 同 and HE, 和 on the front plaque, urging ethnic Chinese laborers who were primarily Hakka, Taishan and Zhong Shan to be harmonious. TON and HE are two of the five flag names in Hongmen. Second are the words Golden Orchids which carry a legend from the Hongmen's early history.

Main Hall with altar. Based on loyalty and harmony practised, the diptychs suggest the gathering of upright men to do shake up the universe. The Chinese have never experienced an oppressive government in Hawaii.

"Join as one heart to protect unity".

Clyde Wong was born in Hawaii and a had a florist business in Kona. He and his partner, a Japanese Hawaiian, come once a week here to care for the temple, changing water, rice and wine at the altar and keep the ground mowed. He refused to let the US Department of Parks and Recreation to takeover as it would eliminate the spirits because handlers would not know and care little about the philosophy, rituals and practises.

Characters on the bronze indicate that the urns and other ceremonial objects were made in Guangzhou in the 1800s.

An altar for the Commander in Chief with Sun Yetsen on a calendar.

The plaque marks the legends of the Peach Garden where Liu Bei, Guan Yue and Zhang Fei sworn in a brothers to safeguard the Han's fleeing government and emperor. The third suggestion of Hongmen is the diptych on the right that described the heroic action of the Shaolin monks, with the request of the Qing Government, defeating the invasion by tribes near the Russian Border. Later these monks became some of the founders of Hongmen as the Qing army slaughtered and burned Shaolin Temple down.

The temple is cleaned and orderly, allowing any visitors to come every Saturday, free of charge. Clyde and his partner have to drive over 3 hours from where they live. I feel they definitely carry the loyalty and the spirit in them. I am honored to have met a few people like Clyde Wong in my lifetime.

The double Deity of Fortune outside the kitchen windows.

The kitchen with a deity proper placed. Now it is only used for special function since younger generation has moved away.

We made an appointment with Clyde to return to Halawa to see the temple up close. Clyde greeted us and shared the precious tangerine from an old tree with a seed came from China by an early laborer.

My first encounter of the grave in the bordering slope.

Unmarked grave, like the ones I have seen in old mining town. Santa Rosalia and Mulegee in Baja, Mexico are two.

A Hakka man's grave.

No information other than Foo's name.

A rare woman's grave. No other information.

The man was from Enping, Taishan area, southern China.

A christian with a Chinese name.