Choie Sew Hoy was born in 1838 in the city of Guangdong Province in China. A company named Cheong shing tong ( the Flourishing Virtue society) formed in 1878 owned by Choie Sew Hoy down in Dunedin. The goal of the company was to return all the deceased Chinese to their families before they could turn into “hungry ghosts.” Choie Sew Hoy was a miner later becoming a merchant to provide for his family. Choie Sew Hoy felt the Chinese people were getting fines just for coming into the country. So he often talked to the Government and asked them if the Chinese could be treated fairly. He got married and soon had 4 kids. Choie Sew Hoy was an accomplished business and merchant selling rice, peanut oil and mining needs and exporting scraps of metal, and old horseshoes back to China. Choie also gave moneyto the local hospital, library and other charities.
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