Monday the 6th of October is Mid-Autumn Festival. Also known as Moon Festival, It is celebrated every year in Chinese culture. Not as well-known in Ireland but on a par with Chinese New year, it is believed that this is when the moon is at its fullest and brightest, coinciding with the time of the harvest in mid-autumn. Celebrations include lighting lanterns, family gatherings and sharing traditional Chinese mooncake.
To coincide with the festival, the first in a new six part docu-series, Coming Home, will air on RTE Radio 1 starting on the 12th of October at 7.30pm In this series, six people from Ireland’s Chinese-Irish community welcome Eva Pau into their home and share their personal story of blended identity, family and belonging.
According to the multi-award winning series Producer Susan Dennehy, ‘Chinese people have been coming to Ireland in numbers since the 1980s and even before then. Theirs is a well-established community and we can learn so much about integration from their experience.’
‘Making the series, It was fascinating to meet so many first, second and third generation Chinese people living in Ireland. Their traditions and heritage are so interesting but it became obvious recording these personal stories that that the exact same things matter most to us all as humans – our identity, our family, and our home.’ – Susan Dennehy, Series Producer and Writer.
The series was Funded by Comisiun na Meain Sound and Vision 4 ‘Voices of immigrant & new Irish communities’ scheme.
Episode 1 Mooncake
Qian Li lives beside the Phoenix Park in Dublin. On a visit to some of her favourite places in the park, Qian vividly describes her childhood in Northern China and how, at the age of 24, she came to the island of Ireland from the farthest inland city in the world! Qian speaks frankly about her shaky start in Ireland; explains what it’s like to call two places home; and introduces the people in her life both here and in China.
Episode 2 Cooking Chinese in Space
Jeremy Chan lives in Cookstown, County Tyrone. One of 9 children, Jeremy was born in Ireland in 1970 shortly after his parents made the journey from a small fishing village in the New Territories in Hong Kong. Jeremy describes his family as well as the fun and the challenges he faced growing up in Cookstown against the backdrop of The Troubles.
Episode 3 The Singing Bowl
Yentl Ho lives in Ballina County Mayo, she describes herself as a mother of three, a sound healing practitioner and a Ballina woman through and through. Born in Dublin to Chinese parents, Yentl spent the first 5 years of her life in Hong Kong with her beloved grandmother. She describes standing out, fitting in and a journey that made no sense at all!
Episode 4 How to Wash Rice
Welcome to the world of chef Man Yin Chu who lives in Cabra on Dublin’s Northside. Born in Hong Kong in 1981, Man Yin came to Ireland aged 6. Growing up in Cabra he had to learn fast but made friends for life! Man Yin invites us into the kitchen of the restaurant where he is chef and shares secrets of Chinese cooking including the right way to wash rice!
Episode 5 The Girl in the Yellow Coat
At the age of 12, Chang Qi moved from the Northeast of China to the small town of Dunmanway in County Cork. Dunmanway in 2003 couldn’t have been more different from her home in China and Chang recalls using a little electronic dictionary to translate from Mandarin to English. Now in her 30s, , Chang and her fiancé Tom Maher from Dublin reflect on how they integrate both cultures in their relationship as they make a trip to China together.
Episode 6 Asia Market
In the final episode in the series, presenter Eva Pau introduces her father Howard Pau. Howard arrived in Ireland in the early 1980s where he established the Dublin institution Asia Market with his brothers. Having made Dublin home over 40 years ago, Howard reflects on his journey from Hong Kong, how he grew a successful family business and his passion for the street food of his childhood.
