A record of having six generations under one roof
Sin Chew/ANN
Thursday, Oct 13, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR - The Chinese society believes that having many children is a kind of blessing. It is rare to see five generations under one roof and recently, a family has set a record in the Chinese society by having six generations at a funeral to mourn the death of a 105-year-old woman in Kuala Lumpur.
About 600 of mourners dressed according to their positions in the family tree gathered at the funeral to mourn the death of Bai Bi Yun, who died of heart failure.
One of Bai's great-grandson, Hong Shun Da, 36, said that his great-grandmother fell ill on 4 October and was admitted to a hospital. The doctor told them that she had signs of a slight stroke. Unexpectedly, she passed away the next day due to heart failure.
Her descendants staying in the US and Singapore had rush home for the funeral after receiving the bad news. Usually, family members of a "blessed funeral", a funeral for those above 80 years old with a natural death, would wear red at the funeral. However, they chose different colours for different generations instead to distinguish their positions in the family tree.
Hong said that those who dressed in black trousers and white shirts were Bai's sons and daughters with the eldest 90 years old. Meanwhile, the youngest among the youngest generation was three years old.
"The eldest generation wears black, followed by blue, green, red and yellow," he said.
About 800 had attended the funeral.
The secret of Bai's longevity
When being asked about Bai's secret of longevity, Hong said that she lived a very simple life. She did not take soft drinks, alcohol and health care products, and she was not a picky eater. She was optimistic and she insisted on having a little chat with her family members and exercising everyday.
Hong said that Bai lived with 15 others, including a private nurse recruited five years ago when she started to feel weak on her legs.
When she was still strong, Bai woke up at six in the morning for a walk before drinking a cup of Milo or coffee and eating a few pieces of biscuits. She would then eat a bowl of noodles and take a nap until noon. After lunch, she would sit on the sofa and chat with her family members.
Hong said that Bai did not have the problem of poor memory and she could actually remember all the names of her descendants. She seldom watched television since she could only speak Hokkien.
He pointed out that Bai was good-tempered and healthy before she died, except for her weak legs.
Rare to have six generations under one roof
It is indeed rare to have six generations in a family.
In 2009, 98-year-old British man Charlie had been greatly reported by world media when his family received a baby boy that spanned the family a six generation.
Sin Chew/ANN
Thursday, Oct 13, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR - The Chinese society believes that having many children is a kind of blessing. It is rare to see five generations under one roof and recently, a family has set a record in the Chinese society by having six generations at a funeral to mourn the death of a 105-year-old woman in Kuala Lumpur.
About 600 of mourners dressed according to their positions in the family tree gathered at the funeral to mourn the death of Bai Bi Yun, who died of heart failure.
One of Bai's great-grandson, Hong Shun Da, 36, said that his great-grandmother fell ill on 4 October and was admitted to a hospital. The doctor told them that she had signs of a slight stroke. Unexpectedly, she passed away the next day due to heart failure.
Her descendants staying in the US and Singapore had rush home for the funeral after receiving the bad news. Usually, family members of a "blessed funeral", a funeral for those above 80 years old with a natural death, would wear red at the funeral. However, they chose different colours for different generations instead to distinguish their positions in the family tree.
Hong said that those who dressed in black trousers and white shirts were Bai's sons and daughters with the eldest 90 years old. Meanwhile, the youngest among the youngest generation was three years old.
"The eldest generation wears black, followed by blue, green, red and yellow," he said.
About 800 had attended the funeral.
The secret of Bai's longevity
When being asked about Bai's secret of longevity, Hong said that she lived a very simple life. She did not take soft drinks, alcohol and health care products, and she was not a picky eater. She was optimistic and she insisted on having a little chat with her family members and exercising everyday.
Hong said that Bai lived with 15 others, including a private nurse recruited five years ago when she started to feel weak on her legs.
When she was still strong, Bai woke up at six in the morning for a walk before drinking a cup of Milo or coffee and eating a few pieces of biscuits. She would then eat a bowl of noodles and take a nap until noon. After lunch, she would sit on the sofa and chat with her family members.
Hong said that Bai did not have the problem of poor memory and she could actually remember all the names of her descendants. She seldom watched television since she could only speak Hokkien.
He pointed out that Bai was good-tempered and healthy before she died, except for her weak legs.
Rare to have six generations under one roof
It is indeed rare to have six generations in a family.
In 2009, 98-year-old British man Charlie had been greatly reported by world media when his family received a baby boy that spanned the family a six generation.
