From Hainan to Penang 下南洋：口述

The most number of Hainanese who emigrated to Southeast Asia hailed from Wenchang County in Hainan. There was a basis for such claim. One of the facts was there were two ports of call in Hainan that facilitated the travel by sea to Southeast Asia: one was Port Qinglan in Wenchang and the other was Port Puqian in Haikou. These two ports played a significant role during those days. The journey from Baiyan to Port Puqian is about 90 km and to Port Qinglan about 20 km. Both ports could be reached by road or by sea via Port Zhangpi, located about 6 km to the west of Baiyan.

来南洋的海南人中大部分是文昌人是有根据的，其中一个原因是海南有两个往返南洋的港口：一个是文昌的清澜港，另一个是接近海口的铺前港。直到50年代初这两个港口扮演很重要的历史角色。白延墟离铺前港约90公里；离清澜港约20公里，离长圮港约6公里，去清澜港可以陆路或海路前往。

There were two ports in Hainan which facilitated the travel by junks (ancient Chinese sailing vessels) between Hainan and Singapore and Penang: one was Port Puqian, near Haikou and the other was Port Qinglan, near Wenchang. Hong Kong served as transit port for those travelling by steam ships from the 1900s.

Map showing Wenchang (文昌市)、Huiwen Town (会文镇)、Baiyan (白延墟) and the nearby Port Zhangpi (长圮港）

"Hainanese In Southeast Asia" is now brought to you along the Wennan Street in the old township in Wenchang City. For the elderly folk it is like walking on memory lane 在文昌旧城，“海南人下南洋”这一幕已被立体化，在老街上行走，你可以亲睹那情景

文南老街位于海南文昌旧城；沿街的商店外貌於年前被“包装”成槟城街道莫样，富有南洋风格		这是槟城60年代最繁华的街道-槟榔路，可以说是南洋一个代表性骑楼风格的建筑体

Left: A street in the centre of Wenchang old town has been given a new face lift that resembles the commercial scene commonly found in Nanyang (South-east Asia). The site is called Wennan Old Street (文南老街）

Right: This is the busiest road in the 1960s - the Penang Road. This is the typical Southeast Asian Chinese business centre; the building structure consists of two storey link houses built along both sides of the road. The ground floor is for business and the top floor for the owner's family to stay.

有关林明钊先生 - 一位海南同乡下南洋的故事
在那个年代，海南人乘塔轮船或帆船到来东南亚一带，寻找更美好生活。在海南的出发地有铺前港/海口港和清澜港（接近文昌县城）。如果乘踏轮船，落脚地比较确定：是新加坡或槟城；如果是塔帆船那目的地可就要听天由命了：可能是越南的顺化或惠安，或是泰国南部，或是马来半岛的东海岸，幸运的就能在新加坡上岸！来到新加坡后有些同乡再往北移。。。最终来到槟城。今天从新加坡到槟城，一路上有很多海南会馆，见证了这个历史事实。

林明钊先生，祖籍海南省文昌包罗镇平山村，5岁乘踏轮船从海口港来到新加坡，过后乘坐火车北上槟城。随祖父林鸿祥及父亲林璧川，经营家族生意，包括酒店，面包店和餐厅。

林明钊夫人吴爱卿祖籍是海南省文昌迈号镇三明坡村，7岁从老家走了3天3夜才到清澜港登上帆船前往香港，过后转乘轮船到来新加坡，住了3天又乘坐火车来到华都加也，在那里住了几年直到结婚才北上槟城。

1941到1945年日军占领攻打马来半岛，马来亚也难逃一劫，他们渡过了3年8个月的艰辛抗战岁月。

那个年代，多盛行同籍贯人联婚。林明钊先生在怡保一场亲戚婚礼中，看中了美丽贤慧的海南姑娘，也即是当时的新娘伴吴爱卿，通过上门提亲，1949年男女双方定亲，1950年结婚。两夫妇育有两男：一个是医生，一个是地质工程师和两女：一个是会计师，一个从商。

林明钊夫妇很怀念海南的家乡，这也难怪，因为他俩都是在儿时离开海南的家乡来到槟城。夫妇俩多次回归家乡寻根探亲，拜祖，更难得的孩子和孙子也随同。

林明钊先生曾担任槟城海南会馆主席（1993-1996年）。槟城海南会馆，是早期海南籍先贤落脚后，与众同乡相聚的好地方，在这里，他们供奉了天后圣母，水尾圣娘和108兄弟公，祈求平安康泰，也创立了益华学校。“槟城海南会馆天后宫重修工作委员会”於1995年6月成立，林明钊先生任主席。工委会负责天后宫修建工作，聘请中国工匠细心打造，雕梁画栋。1997年2月一座金碧辉煌，美仑美奂，古色古香之宫宇终於落成。