The burial ground was established in 1870 by immigrants who largely came from the three prefectures of Kwong Chow (廣州府, Cantonese), Wai Chow (惠州府, Hakka) and Siew Heng (肇慶府, Cantonese) in Guangdong Province, China.
Expelled from Zhaoqing in 1589, Ricci obtained permission to relocate to Shaoguan (Shaozhou, in Ricci's account) in the north of the province, and reestablish his mission there.