Day 283: Chinese Tong Houses, Maui, Hawai’i
📌APIA Every Day (283) - The Chinese Tong Society is a fraternal organization with ties to the 17th-century Hung Men (Hoong Moon) Society of China. When Chinese immigrants came to Hawai'i as contracted sugar plantation workers, they established over thirty society houses across the Islands (APIA Every Day 280)—including six on Maui between 1900 and 1910. By the late-20th century, only three of these six original Tong Houses remained standing: the Chee Kung Tong Society House in Wailuku, the Ket Hing Society House in Keokea, and the Wo Hing Society House in Lahaina. Functioning as mutual-aid organizations, the Chinese Tong Houses supported their members' various recreational, cultural, and financial needs.
All three Tong Houses in Maui shared the same general design despite their different locations: each were two-story wooden structures with gable roofs and wrap-around verandas. The Chee Kung Tong and Wo Hing Societies both formed in 1905 and established their clubhouses the same year. Though the Ket Hing Society was incorporated earlier in 1900, it didn’t construct and occupy a society house until 1907. The two-story design of the society houses served a distinct purpose: the ground floor housed public meeting halls where everyone—including women and children—could gather for community events and Chinese festivals. The upper floor was reserved for society members, men aged 16 to 60, who gathered for gambling, opium smoking, gardening, and reading newspapers. Activities at the Ket Hing Society were more politically inclined, with Sun Yat-Sen—the first provisional president of the Republic of China—being an established member since 1903.
The three Tong Houses were collectively added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, recognizing their significance to Chinese-Hawaiian history and community life. However, due to poor building maintenance, the Chee Kung Tong House collapsed in 1996. The Wo Hing Society House, renovated in 1983, became the Wo Hing Chinese Museum and remained the best-preserved clubhouse until it burned down in the 2023 Maui wildfires. Today, only the Ket Hing Society House—now known as the Kwock Hing Society Hall—remains as a testament to the history of Chinese immigrant organizations on the island. The building welcomes visitors and continues hosting cultural celebrations, single-handedly preserving the legacy of Maui's society halls for future generations.
Written by Avneet Dhaliwal
LEARN MORE:
Chinese Tong Houses of Maui National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form
Historic Hawaii Foundation: Chinese Tong Houses of Maui Island
Lahaina Restoration Foundation: Wo Hing Chinese Museum
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