New Mountain (Xin Shan)

[CHUNG Yoon-Ngan <chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au>]

   New Mountain or Xin Shan

   In the past when the Hakkas decided to migrate or was forced to
move out from the place where they lived they usually brought with them
the bones of their ancestors. When they arrived at a land to resettle they
called that place New Mountain (Xin Shan in pinyin). They then reburied 
their ancestors.

   Johore Bahru (New Mountain or Xin Shan in Hakka), the capital of the
State of Johore in Malaysia, was a place where, in the beginning of the
19th century some Hakkas decided to settle down when they crossed the
straits from the island of Singhapura (Singapore). They called their new
settlement Xin Shan. Although Xin Shan was later changed to Johore Bahru,
a Malay name, the Chinese still stick to the Hakka name, even to today.   

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan.