Wong Family Crest Approved by Canadian Government

The Wong or Huang family crest approved and recognized by the Canadian Government

In yet another display of cross cultural friendliness the Canadian Government has officially approved the coat of arms for the surname “Wong” in Cantonese, or “Huang” in Mandarin. These are cultural displays of affection that bring Canada and China together. I wholeheartedly approve.

Wong or Huang is the seventh most common Chinese surname according to the 2006 census. There are a lot of Huangs in the world, and not they have a legitimate Canadian coat of arms or family crest.

The Canadian Heraldic Authority is part of the office of the Governor General which has the power to grant armourial bearings in Canada. source

The Governor General of Canada (French [masculine]: Gouverneur général du Canada, or [feminine]: Gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. As the sovereign is shared equally with 15 other independent countries in a form of personal union, as well as with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada, and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom, she, on the advice of her Canadian prime minister only,[1] appoints the governor general to carry out most of her constitutional and ceremonial duties for an unfixed period of time—known as serving at Her Majesty’s pleasure—though five years is the normal convention. Also traditional is a rotation between anglophone and francophone incumbents. Once in office, the governor general maintains direct contact with the Queen, wherever she may be at the time. source

I think the crest is quite lovely looking, taking queues from both Canadian and Chinese tradition. Kudos to the Wong Association of Ontario for their hard work. The Panda, Dragon and Phoenix represents China and the Polar Bear, Rocky Mountains and red maple leaves represents Canada. The phoenix is holding a mace. There is a predominance of red and yellow.

The Chinese phoenix is a symbol of peace and prosperity. The mace held by the phoenix honours members who served in the Canadian Armed forces or elected office. The panda’s pickaxe represents those who worked in BC’s gold mines. The bear’s hammer honours those who worked on the Canadian National Railway. Waves at the bottom represent water and migration.

Addendum: Canadian Wongs get their own crest I could not find a web site when I posted this article and I cannot find one now. They do have an address and a phone number: Wong Kung Har Wun Sun Association, 303 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2E6, Canada, 416) 977-3426. Gordon Wong is the chairman. Just make sure you have the right Chinese character. There are two common surnames for “Wong”: Yellow (now with the above crest), and King. Make sure you are the right Wong and not the wrong Wong.