 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Alan Hou Lim Ho was born to Ping Yin and Kwai Wah Ho in Macau. He attended schools in Hong Kong and moved with his family to Hawaii. He studied at UH, College of Business Administration and in 1985 received his Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with a major in Finance.
Alan entered The Spence Cliff Management Training Program which provided him with a solid management foundation and the opportunity to manage various restaurants such as Kelly’s Coffee Shop, South Sea Village, CoCo Coffee Shop, PoPo Mexican Restaurant, Tahitian Lanai, and Fisherman’s Wharf.
220 Years: The Chinese in Hawaii 1789-2009
220 Years the Chinese in Hawaii 1789-2009 or 220 Years at Sandalwood Mountain is a celebration of the Chinese in Hawaii. While there are records indicating that Chinese were in the Hawaiian Islands prior to 1789, historically, Hawaii has used 1789 as the start date. In 1939, the sesquicentennial celebration took place, and in 1989, the bicentennial celebration was called “The Year of the Chinese”.
The United Chinese Society of Hawaii (UCS) established in 1884 began planning for Project 220 in April 2007. At its inception, the goal of UCS was to be inclusive and to have broad input from many of the Chinese organizations and societies on how best to celebrate the 220th anniversary. All societies were invited to the first planning meeting in July 2007. Subsequent meetings were held in October 2007, and in 2008, January, April and October. At each meeting, email lists grew as more people attended.
During the planning and discussion phases, several projects emerged. Representatives from the individual organizations received their group’s sanction and support of those projects.: One group decided to plant a sandalwood tree which will be planted sometime this year. (Kung Sheong Doo). Another organization (Wong Mung Duck Tong) decided to do a project on ancestral villages. There was a consensus among most of the seniors present that educating the younger people of the Chinese culture was essential to Project 220.
In keeping with its mission of perpetuating the Chinese culture, UCS chose to undertake cultural projects that would be free and open to the public. One was the 2009 souvenir calendar of Chinese plants which are significant to the Chinese culture. The unique calendar includes Chinese Lunar dates as well as holidays that are observed in Hawaii. The cover photo was done by award-winning Star-Bulletin photojournalist, Dennis Oda. The calendar design and layout was done by award-winning designer, Clifford Cheng of Voicedesign.
Another project that UCS will undertake is a tree planting at the Chinatown Cultural Plaza at a site close to the Dr. Sun Yat Sen statue fronting Beretania Street. A tree near the Dr. Sun Yat Sen statue will symbolize the vitality of the Chinese culture in Hawaii and a growing relationship between the Chinese in Hawaii and Zhongshan China from where most of the Chinese in Hawaii emigrated.
Throughout the year, there will be a series of free lectures, demonstrations and exhibits. The City and County of Honolulu is a co-sponsor with UCS on the yearlong celebration. Other supporters and organizations are noted at each event.