MAGrandMasterChinaVisits

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GRAND MASTER VISITS TO CHINA AND JAPAN

In 1863, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts granted a charter to Ancient Landmark Lodge of Shanghai, and thereby inaugurated its jurisdiction within China. There was no Grand Lodge in China (and one would not be established until the late 1940s), and Massachusetts shared concurrent jurisdiction with several other Grand Lodges.

The first visit by a Massachusetts Grand Master took place in 1922. This page summarizes and illustrates those visits.

Lodge visits are noted with a star (★) and the date of the visit.

GRAND MASTER ARTHUR D. PRINCE, 1922

GRAND MASTER'S ITINERARY

ACCOUNT OF VISITS

From New England Craftsman, Vol. XVIII, No. 3, December 1922, Page 87:

Arthur D. Prince, Grand Master of Masons of Massachusetts, who has just returned to his home in Lowell after a three months' tour of the principal cities in China and Japan, brings to Masonry in this State and to all the states, the fraternal greetings of brethren in the Orient as well as warmest expressions of admiration for the ancient organization from Li Yuang Hung, the president of the Chinese Republic.

For the first time in the history of the Far East, a Grand Master of Masons of any jurisdiction has visited the various lodges of Freemasonry in Japan and China, and the stay of the Most Worshipful Grand Master of Massachusetts was made doubly important by that fact. With Mrs. Prince, who accompanied him on all his travels, and with Frank H. Hilton of Belmont, Grand Sword Bearer of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, who acted as Grand Marshal for the Grand Master, Most Worshipful Brother Prince was accorded a round of Masonic and social receptions in the large cities he visited.

Premier is Inducted

In China the stay of the Masonic party from the United States through the initiation of the then Premier of the Republic, Wang Chaung Hui, into Masonry. The Premier of China was honored by the Grand Master of Massachusetts Masons when the latter personally presided when the Chinese official was inducted into the mysteries of the third, or Master Mason degree.

"Masonry is performing an invaluable service both to the United States and in China," said the Most Worshipful Grand Master. "The fraternity is binding together in mutual understanding through the ties of fraternity the men of the East and the men of the West.

"Masonry in China is of great value to the men who, by reason of their business, are called upon to live in China. It forms a common link between men of the same race and tends to harmonize the different ideas of other races. In Shanghai, Peking and Tientsin some leading men of China are entering Masonry. That the influence of the fraternity is bringing together in mutual understanding men of many nations and many races was made strongly apparent to us on our visit to our brethren in the East."

Visit to Chinese Lodges

The Grand Master described interestingly his visit to the lodges in China established under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. There are six lodges of Master Masons in China under Massachusetts jurisdiction, and the Most Worshipful Grand Master granted a dispensation while there for the instituting of a lodge in Nanking.

The six Massachusetts lodges in China are located at Dairen, Tientsin, Peking, and three in Shanghai. Ancient Landmark Lodge in Shanghai, the first American lodge in China, was constituted there some 60 years ago. A sketch of the long career of Ancient Landmark Lodge would make a story in itself.

In China the Grand Lodge of England had established some 18 or 20 lodges, while the Grand Lodge of Scotland has probably as many more. The Grand Lodge of Ireland has jurisdiction over a few lodges in that country. The Massachusetts Grand Master said that one thing that impressed him strongly was the fact that these four Masonic jursidictions are all working together in complete accord and harmony. In Shanghai where the British lodges erected a commodious Temple of Masonry, the Massachusetts lodges hold their meetings. The Grand Master said that the Germans had had a lodge in Shanghai, but that it had dissolve.

The Grand Master, his wife and acting Grand Marshal Hilton arrived in Yokohama, Japan, on Sept. 2. A party of Masons, headed by E. M. Frazar, a merchant of the Orient, met them at the wharf. They spent two days there in sightseeing and at Masonic functions. Visits were paid to Tokyo, the ancient Japanese city of Nikko, Kioto and Kiobe.

Shanghai Is Visited

Shanghai was the first Chinese city visited. The party landing there from their steamer were met by a lare party of resident Masons and some from the interior. Ten days were spent in Shanghai as the guests of Judge Charles Lobingier, a Mason of 33 degrees, who presides over the United States Court there. The lodges of all jurisdictions paid their visitors much attention.

Then the party left for Tientsin, where a dinner was given in their honor by the new Massachusetts lodge recently instituted there. Brilliant Masonic and state ceremonies awaited the visitors at Peking, the capital. There the then Premier Wang Chuang Hui was made a Mason by the Grand Master, and a long visit was made to the President, Li Yuan Hung who, while not a Mason himself, told the Grand Master of his admiration for the fraternity.

The United States Ambassador, J. G. Schurman, entertained the visitors, and many members of the diplomatic corps were present to meet the Masonic dignitary from the United States. A genuine Chinese dinner of 30 or more courses was one of the functions enjoyed for its novelty by Mr. and Mrs. Prince. While in Peking a side excursion to the Ming tombs of the emperors was made and a further journey to the Chinese wall.

The party returned to Peking and then went to Nanking and Canton before sailing from the British-built city of Hong Kong for Japan and home. Canton interested the United States visitors because of its thoroughly ancient Chinese customs and buildings. In Hong Kong the party was entertained by Governor Severn at his English estate.

GRAND MASTER HERBERT W. DEAN, 1930

  • District Grand Master: None
  • Lodges:

GRAND MASTER J. PHILIP BERQUIST, 1983

  • District Deputy Grand Master: XX
  • Lodges: Sinim

GRAND MASTER ROGER W. PAGEAU, 2009

  • District Deputy Grand Master: XX
  • Lodges: Sinim
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