Just before the trailhead for the Okolehao Trail on Ohiki Road is the historic Hanalei Valley Chinese Cemetery, also known as Ah Goong San (Grandfathers Mountain).
The cemetery served the Chinese community that was prominent in the area’s rice industry in the late 1800s and into the 1900s. It is a fascinating homage to the people who lived and worked in the Hanalei Valley, and a place of interest for individuals seeking information about their Chinese heritage in the area.
A large stone monument in the center of the cemetery, erected in 1906, is an altar that serves as a mass tomb for single Chinese men. The name of the altar translates as the Grand Ancestor Tomb.
The altar is in the shape of the letter Omega, the last letter in the Greek alphabet. Each year during the Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) in the first week of April, the altar is cleaned and swept. Families pray to their ancestors and make ritual offerings on this day.
Access to the cemetery is via a short road on the right just before the Okolehao Trail parking area.
Hanalei Valley Chinese Cemetery Photos
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