Photo / Lucy Xia / Stuff
A report from our media partner Stuff.
The kindness which formed an enduring relationship between two cultures has been hailed as a powerful example for all New Zealanders.
The joining of Māori and Chinese cultures was recognised in Northland on Saturday at the historical SS Ventnor memorial dedication ceremony.
Held at Opononi on the edge of the Hokianga Harbour, the ceremony brought together about 200 people with different backgrounds, ethnicities and languages.
The story of the SS Ventnor is one that was almost lost in time. In 1902 the ship was chartered by association Cheong Sing Tong to take the remains of Chinese gold miners back to their home villages, where their families could tend to their graves.
But the ship struck a rock off the coast of Taranaki and sunk off the Hokianga Heads, taking the lives of 13 down with it.
The Chinese community thought the remains were lost forever.
But when some washed ashore, the hapū of Hokianga, Te Roroa and Te Rarawa, showed the remains respect and gave them a burial.
The story only came to light in 2007 and, since then, the story has been recognised with a memorial, built on the grounds of the Manea Footprints of Kupe visitor attraction.
Saturday's dedication included a traditional Chinese festival, Ching Ming, also known as tomb-sweeping day, when people honour their ancestors.
Former MP Shane Jones, who courted controversy to secure funding for the memorial at Manea, said he first learnt of the burial site for some of the remains in the 1980s.
“It was quite an extraordinary revelation to me as a politician; that [this] particular part of New Zealand history was not known,” he said.
“Today is an opportunity to ... ensure that this historical incident is etched with pride and profile in the history of New Zealand.”