The community aims to revive traditional Chinese funerary customs
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a wave of Chinese immigrants arrived in Baja California Sur, drawn by economic opportunities. Some eventually settled in El Triunfo, working in the local mining industry.
As a result, they built one of Mexico’s few cemeteries exclusively for the Chinese community, making it a significant historical and cultural landmark.
The Chinese-descended community of Baja California Sur is launching a project to restore the Chinese Cemetery of El Triunfo, which holds the remains of early Asian migrants. The effort aims to reverse decades of neglect.
Víctor Yuen Lau, founding president of this community and project leader, stated they are currently engaging with 33 Chinese-descended families in the region, along with residents of El Triunfo.
“We seek to restore this part of the cemetery while honoring its anthropological and historical significance.”
Beyond structural repairs, the initiative seeks to revive cultural traditions, including Qingming, China’s “tomb-sweeping festival,” akin to Mexico’s Day of the Dead.
“We want to reclaim the original symbolism of Chinese cemeteries and reintroduce the Qingming ceremony to honor our ancestors.”
Years of neglect have left the cemetery in a deteriorated state. Walls are cracked and eroded by landslides, while the chapel shows severe damage. The 15 funerary structures within the complex, including gabled masonry tombs, have partially or entirely collapsed. Many tombstones’ Chinese inscriptions have faded beyond recognition.
Once the community outreach phase is complete, the restoration proposal will be submitted to the La Paz City Council for approval.
The community stresses that preserving this cemetery should be a shared responsibility between government institutions and the descendants of the migrants who shaped Baja California Sur’s economic and cultural history.