Earlier evidence of Chinese presence found in Cuba

Source: Xinhua | 04-25-2009 11:53

HAVANA, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Some Chinese ideograms were found in the Cuban city of Cienfuegos, which are about 20 years earlier than the existing earliest evidence of Chinese presence in the country, local radio reported on Friday.

Experts from the Office of Conservator from Cienfuegos, 256 km east of Havana, said that these Chinese ideograms, dated in 1862, were found during the reconstruction of the Cathedral in the city.

To the moment the first evidence of Chinese people in Cuba was of 1880, according to the documents of the Department of Historic and Applied Investigations to the Architecture.

According to the experts, those ideograms could be parts of a diary or poem, or security and protection wishes. The ideograms will be preserved due to their historical value.

There are three major Chinese migration flows to Cuba in history, the first from 1847 to 1874, the second from around 1865 to 1885 and the third from 1919 to 1925.

Editor:Xiong Qu