Cheekungtong Collection

The Cheekungtong (also known as Chinese Freemasons)
of Victoria, British Columbia, was founded in 1876
and functioned as an unofficial organization to
maintain order in the Chinese communities.

This digitized collection consists of records that
reflect the functions of the Chinese Freemasons of
Canada, especially in Victoria and Vancouver; their
activities supporting the Chinese communities in
Canada; the lives and concerns of their members in
British Columbia; and their ties with China, spanning
approximately from 1876 to 1956. The textual records
primarily consist of old style Chinese games,
manuscript and printed Chinese medical texts,
correspondence, donation books, publications,
solicitations of donations for members in need,
receipts, and election ballots of the Dart Coon Club.

Languages of the material are approximately 90%
Chinese and 10% English.

These records provide a glimpse into the workings of
a Chinese-Canadian organization over an extended
period of time. In addition, items such as the
Chinese herbal medicine texts and Chinese games
retain significant cultural value to Chinese-
Canadians