The Heraldry Gazette, The Official Newsletter of the Heraldry Society
New series 133 –September 2014
More Interesting Heraldic Web-sites.
From the web-site of The Chinese Armorial (www.chinese-armorial.com) we learn that it, “is a private registry of coats of arms of Chinese persons of Chineseheritage. Chinese armigers may apply to have their arms and badges registered and published on it at no charge ; it is a volunteer project. To date, it has registered coats of arms from Australia, Canada, China, Croatia, England, Malaysia, Philippines, Scotland, South Africa, and Switzerland. After many years of research its instigator Derwin Mak established this on-line Registry in 2011.
The majority of Chinese armigers are overseas Chinese,i.e., ethnic Chinese outside China. Their heraldry combines symbols of the different cultures that have infl uenced their lives. For example, the coat of arms of the late David See Chai Lam, twenty-fi fth Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, has a Chinese dragon, British Columbian pine trees and dogwood fl owers, a Christian cross, and banners quoting the Bible in Chinese. Most people think of the Chinese as the Han Chinese, butChina is a multicultural country with many ethnic groups. The Chinese Armorial registers coats of arms of the national minorities of China, e.g., Mongolians and Tibetans. In addition, there are armigers of non-Chinese ancestry who have settled in China. One such person is the Swiss businessman Cyril Eltschinger, whose coat of arms combines the arms of his father (Eltschinger) and mother (de Gottrau). His wife Maureen, a Chinese Singaporean, assumed a coat of arms full of Chinese symbols, such as a fenghuang (mythical bird), willow leaf sabres, and a lotus flower.
The site is easy to navigate and has several drop-downlists. That of personal armsto a full blason, rationale and potted life history of each one registered. If you qualify to have your coat of arms registered in The Chinese Armorial andwould like to do so please contact Derwin Mak at email : dmak chez rogers.com
