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Liverpool's "Mr Chinatown" made citizen of honor in his adopted city

Xinhua, May 11, 2016 Adjust font size:

A man who founded the first Tai Chi school of its kind in Britain has been made a citizen of honor by the mayor of his adopted city of Liverpool.

Kwong Ngan has received the accolade for representing the Chinese community in Liverpool, home of Europe's oldest Chinatown, for more than 40 years.

As well as founding the School of Tai Chi in the 1980s, Kwong also opened the See Yep Association, an organization which helps people from China arriving in the city.

With the distinction, Kwong is now a member of a small group of people to be made citizens of honor, one of the highest awards that can be given to outstanding people in Liverpool.

Kwong told Xinhua: "The history of See Yep is an interesting story. This year is our 110th anniversary and it was set up to help men arriving in the port from China. They would have no family or friends here, unable to speak the language, and they were in need of a helping hand which the association was able to provide."

"When I joined in the 1970s the See Yep didn't allow women, it was a club for Chinese men. When I became an official I slowly changed it into a family organization, welcoming women and children. It was men-only for the first 80 years until 1986," he said.

At the age of 46, he was elected as See Yep's youngest ever chairman, a position he still holds.

Kwong was born in a village close to the city of Taishan in Guangdong and later moved to Hong Kong. His grandfather travelled to Liverpool in 1910 and then in 1948, he was joined by his father. Kwong followed them to Liverpool in 1966.

A spokesman for Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson explained why the honor had been given to Kwong. "He transformed See Yep into a vibrant community center, providing a safe and warm environment for the Chinese community and, in particular, somewhere the much revered Chinese elders can socialize and pass on traditions and values to the next generations," the spokesman said.

Earlier this year, Kwong received a national British Citizen Award for his services to Liverpool's Chinese community. Endit