Kuliang: Echoes of Harmony

Today, we’ll share some stories about a place called Kuliang. It’s a summer resort in Fuzhou of Southeast China’s Fujian Province that stands as testament to a bygone era when two worlds met and connected through a shared humanity that transcended boundaries. 

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Kuliang: Echoes of Harmony

Today, we’ll share some stories about a place called Kuliang. It’s a summer resort in Fuzhou of Southeast China’s Fujian Province that stands as testament to a bygone era when two worlds met and connected through a shared humanity that transcended boundaries. 

In the spring of 1990, Elizabeth Gardner was sorting her late husband’s belongings when she came across a faded exercise sheet adorned with 11 postage stamps. Each stamp bore a postmark, with the clearest reading: “Kuliang, Fuzhou, on the first day of the sixth lunar month of the third year.”

It was at this moment that Gardner finally understood the words her husband, a physics professor, had murmured on his deathbed in 1986. A Chinese friend later told her that Kuliang was now known as Guling in Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province.

After her husband died, Elizabeth Gardner embarked on a mission to fulfill her husband’s desire to return to his childhood home. Milton Gardner arrived in Fuzhou as an infant in 1901 with his American missionary parents and lived there until their return to the US in 1911. Throughout his life, Milton Gardner harbored a deep longing to revisit the place where he spent his early years, but circumstances never allowed him to do so.

In 1992, Xi Jinping, then secretary of the Fuzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, discovered this poignant tale after a Chinese friend of Elizabeth Gardner in the US wrote about her husband’s story in an article published in the People’s Daily with the headline “Ah, Kuliang.” Moved by the Gardners’ story, Xi extended an invitation to Elizabeth Gardner to visit China. On August 21, 1992, Elizabeth Gardner, at the age of 72, finally arrived in Fuzhou. Xi welcomed her that evening. 

During their meeting, Xi presented Elizabeth Gardner with a pair of lacquer vases, a photo album showcasing Kuliang, and a traditional Chinese painting. In return, Elizabeth Gardner gifted Xi a pair of Fuzhou lacquer vases dating back to the Qing Dynasty, lasting from 1644 to 1911, which had been brought to California by her husband’s family. 

Xi said he was moved by her husband’s attachment and longing for Fuzhou and Kuliang. Since then, the Kuliang story has captivated many hearts and become widely known. In 2012, Xi, then China’s vice president, shared this story in an address at a welcome lunch in Washington. In November 2023, during his visit to San Francisco, Xi proposed an initiative to invite 50,000 US young people to China for exchanges and learning over the next five years. 

On June 24, 2024, the week-long “Bond with Kuliang: 2024 China-US Youth Festival” commenced in Fuzhou. The event was organized by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Fujian Provincial People’s Government and the All-China Youth Federation. It is a flagship project to implement Xi’s initiative.

Xi sent a congratulatory letter to the event. Noting that the century-long bond with Kuliang is a story of friendly exchanges between the Chinese and US people, Xi said he is pleased to see young people from all walks of life in China and the US gather in Fuzhou to relive the story of Kuliang and help enhance exchanges and understanding between the two peoples.

Themed “Inheriting Kuliang Friendship and Deepening Friendly Relations,” the event invited approximately 500 young people from China and the US to participate in activities including Sino-US relations, the richness and inclusiveness of Chinese culture, climate change and sports events. It also saw the reunion of Kuliang Friends, a group comprised of the descendants of American families who lived among the locals of Fuzhou a century ago or even longer.

Kuliang is north of Gushan in the suburbs of Fuzhou. In the summer of 1885, S.F. Woodin, an American doctor residing in Fuzhou, traveled from Fuzhou to Lianjiang County for medical consultations, forced by adverse weather to traverse precipitous mountain paths. 

Along the way, to his delight, Woodin discovered relief from the summer heat of Fuzhou amid the green mountains and trees in Kuliang. He decided to rent a house there. 

The name Kuliang first appeared in 1895 in A Sketch of Ku-Liang Mountain and Environments which was published by Philip Wilson Pitcher. Local administrative bodies such as Kuliang Union and the Public Improvement Committee helped make it a comfortable community for international residents. 

At its peak, there were 119 villas built by foreigners. They also constructed schools, hospitals, tennis courts, swimming pools, post offices and the Kuliang Club, which was built between 1914 and 1915 as the activity and information center of the Kuliang community. By the time of the Republic of China from 1912 to 1949, Kuliang, alongside Jiangxi’s Lushan, Zhejiang’s Moganshan, and Henan’s Jigongshan, was renowned as one of the four major hilltop summer resorts in China.

Elyn MacInnis, founder of Kuliang Friends, emphasized that the essence of Kuliang embodies the values of peace, friendship and love. She stressed the importance of understanding and respect as fundamental pillars in nurturing such enduring relationships.

Her father-in-law, Donald MacInnis, arrived in Fuzhou in 1940 at 19 to serve as headmaster of the Anglo-Chinese College. Later, he joined the Flying Tigers, a renowned group of US volunteer fighter pilots who, from 1941 to 1942, played a crucial role in supporting China against the Japanese invasion under General Claire Lee Chennault’s command.

Her husband, Peter MacInnis, was born in Fuzhou in 1948 and spent his early years in Kuliang. In 2015, in accordance with their father’s wishes, Peter and Elyn MacInnis scattered some of his ashes into the Min River.

During their 30 years working in China, Elyn and her husband developed a deep appreciation for Chinese culture. This affection was reflected in their choice of names for their two daughters, Aizhong and Aihua, whose names mean “love for China.”

In the 1990s, Elyn MacInnes captivated many Chinese students with her engaging smile while teaching English on “Outlook English,” a popular show broadcasted by China Central Television. Since her first visit to Fuzhou in 2015 to delve into her family’s history, she has been deeply committed to promoting Kuliang’s vibrant cultural heritage, creating a website and organizing events. 

Collaborating with Kong Lingyi, a Chinese student from the Rhode Island School of Design, Elyn MacInnis designed a logo for Kuliang. The logo features two hands forming a heart shape, symbolizing deep friendship, with a tree inside representing the enduring bonds of Kuliang. She said the circle represents community, symbolizing the global appeal for world peace.

Thanks to these efforts, the protagonists of the Kuliang story have expanded beyond the Milton Gardner family to include figures such as Lydia A. Trimble, a pioneer of women’s higher education in Fujian, A.W. Billing, a pioneer of modern agricultural vocational education in Fuzhou, Dr. Mary E. Carleton, founder of the first Western hospital in Minqing, and Amy Oxley Wilkinson, inventor of a form of braille for spelling the Fuzhou dialect with the help of Romanized Chinese script, called Fuzhou braille.

In recent years, Elyn MacInnis has meticulously uncovered and organized more than 1,000 pieces of textual and oral history, photographs and artifacts associated with Kuliang. Collaborating with scholars from domestic universities, she has compiled these invaluable materials into digital archives. Her goal is to recreate the vibrant scenes of Chinese and foreign residents living together in Kuliang during that era.

From 1885 to the early 1950s, records show that Kuliang was a place where foreign expats and local villagers mingled every year from early summer to autumn. During this period, expats were actively involved in providing medical care and education, teaching local children reading and writing. There are also documented instances of foreigners assisting villagers in defending against wild animals. Harry Russel Caldwell, then president of Peiyuan College, for example, was a tiger hunter who shot more than 50 tigers. 

In return, local residents supported them by providing food, gathering stones from the mountains for house construction and helping care for their children.

On June 26, China Global Television Network launched its radio drama series “Echoes of Kuliang” at the Haixia Youth Center in Fuzhou. The series is inspired by the true story of Milton Gardner and his profound ties to Kuliang. The narrative centers on the intertwined lives of two families spanning two generations from China to the US. 

Lee Gardner, grandnephew of Milton Gardner said while attending the “Bond with Kuliang” events which wrapped up on June 28 that “Yes, they continue in the spirit of friendship, I hope that we can continue on a path towards peace just as China has made such striving efforts that it gives me a great home.” 

In conjunction with the radio drama release, a dialogue on China-US people-to-people exchanges was held. Elyn MacInnis, Gordon Trimble and Michael Phyllis, members of Kuliang Friends, participated in the event and shared their Kuliang stories.

Michael Phyllis said that “I think that comes through really expanding each exchange of cultures and always finding a way to collaborate together. I think having something like this to understanding how cultures have lived together and interacted together is extremely important.” 

Isaac Philip Gray, an American student at Peking University, highlighted at a group talk that both Chinese and American cultures exhibit significant diversity and inclusiveness. He noted, however, that many Americans lack awareness of this due to frequent exposure to stereotypical reports of China from American media. Gray emphasized the importance of increased cultural exchanges to foster deeper mutual understanding between the two countries.

Chinese youth representative Huang Ye, a musician, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that dialogues and exchange activities play a crucial role in strengthening understanding and mutual recognition between Chinese and American youth. 

As a significant event during the “Bond with Kuliang,” a special Kuliang story sharing session unfolded on June 23. Eight lifelong friends from Kuliang came together, reminiscing about their treasured memories and experiences with old friends, fellow students and faculty from various universities.

Chen Shiming, a former student of the Anglo-Chinese College, reminisced about his teachers Donald MacInnis, the Pilleys and P. P. Wiant, who sponsored his education. All had resided in Kuliang and profoundly influenced his life. “Even though I am 100 years old, I will always consider myself a student of ACC and of Donald MacInnis,” he said. 

“I was teacher Donald’s most beloved student,” Chen Shiming said. Chen mentioned that at home he has a cherished first issue of the handwritten school magazine TIDE, which marked the beginning of their friendship.

Upon her arrival, Gail Harris immediately sought out Li Yiying for their fifth reunion since childhood. Li Yiying shared a photo album documenting their meetings starting from 2014, illustrating their enduring bond and happiness over the years.

“I am Li Yiying, the older of the twin sisters, and this is my American sister,” Li Yiying said. She reminisced that they were born during the turbulent years of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Their family relocated to Yangkou in Nanping, Fujian with the Anglo-Chinese College, and both sisters were born on the school’s anniversary. Their parents named them “Ying” (Anglo) and “Hua” (Chinese). 

Reflecting on their enduring friendship, Li remarked, “She’s like my little sister from America.” Despite the passage of 65 years and the physical distance between them, their friendship has remained steadfast.

In the Kuliang Families Story Museum which opened on June 22, two group photos taken more than half a century apart drew attention. One was taken in 1944, a photo of Chinese and American families. In the picture, 3-year-old Gail Harris is being held by her father, and 3-year-old Li Yiying is nestled in her mother’s arms. The other photo was taken in 2023, with Harris and Li Yiying, both now 82, along with their families.

Through texts, photographs, precious exhibits and immersive scenes, the museum narrates the emotional stories of these families’ ties to Kuliang. It also captures the touching journeys of their descendants as they return to Kuliang to reconnect with their roots.

In recent years, Elyn MacInnis has been a staunch advocate for fostering mutual respect and understanding between China and the US, particularly among the youth. Her advocacy underscores the crucial role of cultural exchange and dialogue in bridging cultural differences between nations.

She explained that in China, reactions to embarrassment can be different from what one might expect. These cultural nuances, she added, can lead to misunderstandings that one must navigate and understand.

Jake Pinnick, an American kung fu coach and participant in the Kuliang event, was born in 1991 and grew up in a small town on the plains of Illinois, a fan of kung fu movies. In 2010, without a word of Chinese, he went alone to Wudang Mountain to learn martial arts, staying for five years. 

Pinnick has since integrated into this land. He speaks fluent Chinese and teaches martial arts and tai chi to people from all around the world, and he posts about his daily life on social media. 

“I have been advancing on the path of promoting traditional Chinese culture,” Jake told NewsChina. Pinnick admits that while he came to Wudang Mountain to learn martial arts, he stayed because of the culture.

During the exchange week, Pinnick heard many discussions about China-US relations. He believes there is continuous mutual goodwill and friendship between the two peoples. He said: “So many Americans are interested in Chinese culture and are willing to come to China to learn, and Chinese people feel the same about the US. What should we do in the future? I think the most important thing is to strengthen communication.”

Today in Kuliang, it is easy to discern the imprints left by the international community. 

Local efforts are promoting the protection and restoration of historic buildings. They have identified and verified 36 buildings or sites, gradually completing the restoration and enhancement of nearly 20 of them, including Yixia Villa, Kuliang Church, the Swimming Pool, the Old Kuliang Summer Post Office and Cypress King Park.

On June 24, Chinese and American youth came together to plant 186 trees in Kuliang. Pinnick was accompanied by his daughter Cao Linna. 

The 10-year-old girl wrote a message in Chinese: “Friendship between China and the US, may everything go well.” When asked by our reporter what she hoped to express with this sentence, she replied, “It represents happiness and also luck.”

Well, that’s the end of our podcast. Our theme music is by the famous film score composer Roc Chen. We want to thank our writer Du Guodong and copy editor JT. And thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, please tell a friend so they, too, can understand The Context.