Original title: Love the hometown, Guangdong overseas Chinese lead the charity style
The amount donated by overseas Chinese, Hong Kong and Macao compatriots in Guangdong accounts for about 70% of the total overseas Chinese donations.
editorial comment/note
Guangdong is the largest hometown of overseas Chinese in China. Overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao, whose ancestral homes are in Guangdong, account for more than two-thirds of the total in China. In 1978, the horn of China’s reform and opening-up sounded, and overseas relations gradually picked up in this strong spring breeze. At the beginning of 1979, Guangdong Province proposed to the central government to establish a special economic zone, which was based on Guangdong’s unique provincial advantages of "being adjacent to Hong Kong, Macao and many overseas Chinese". Since then, in Guangdong, the country’s largest hometown of overseas Chinese, millions of overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao have joined hands with their parents, brothers and sisters in their hometown and devoted themselves to realizing the dream of becoming a strong country, becoming witnesses, participants and promoters of these 40 years of changes.
General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out that the vast number of overseas Chinese have sincere patriotic feelings, strong economic strength, rich intellectual resources and extensive business contacts, which are important forces for realizing the Chinese dream. At the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the reform and opening up held on December 18th, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader also pointed out that since the reform and opening up, the sense of national identity and cultural identity of all Chinese people at home and abroad has been greatly enhanced, and the will to build the Chinese dream with one heart and one mind has become stronger. On the same day, the CPC Central Committee commended a number of outstanding contributors to the reform and opening up, including Hong Kong and Macao patriots Henry Fok, Ma Wanqi and Ceng Xianzi. They are outstanding figures who have made great contributions to the development of Guangdong.
For months, Nanfang Daily has sent an interview team to the United States, Thailand, Malaysia, Spain, Panama, Dominica and other countries and Hong Kong and Macao. From now on, it will launch a series of reports on "Guangdong overseas Chinese as a bridge connecting the four seas" to show the great contributions made by overseas Chinese and compatriots in Hong Kong and Macao to China’s reform and opening up. Please pay attention.
Not long ago, Mr. Huo Zongjie, the leader of overseas Chinese in Canada, donated an ambulance to the town health center in Xinyi City, our province. The 87-year-old man walked in underdeveloped areas of China, especially Guangdong, donating schools and hospitals, which led to charitable donations of 240 million yuan. He is one of the representatives of thousands of overseas Chinese and compatriots in Hong Kong and Macao who love their country and their hometown and are enthusiastic about public welfare.
As early as October 1977, Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of reform and opening up, pointed out that overseas relations "are a good thing." The "overseas relations" mentioned here refer to tens of millions of overseas Chinese and compatriots in Hong Kong and Macao, and the energy they release is enormous.
Since the reform and opening up, overseas Chinese, Hong Kong and Macao folks have worked with the people of our province with one heart and one mind to realize the dream of strengthening the country. In our province alone, donations from overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao account for about 70% of the total donations from overseas Chinese.
Policy spring breeze warms the hearts of overseas Chinese
Before the reform and opening up, some overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao had their houses and ancestral halls confiscated. With the adjustment of overseas Chinese policy, the negative effects were gradually eliminated, and the cold hearts of overseas villagers gradually recovered and set foot on their hometown land again.
There are many overseas folks in Xiaolan Town, Zhongshan, but not many returned home in the early days of reform and opening up. To this end, the town restarted the 800-year-old Chrysanthemum Festival, using flowers as a medium to contact the nostalgia, so that overseas folks can see the new atmosphere in their hometown. In November, 1979, the fragrance of flowers and the nostalgia returned, and 150,000 people flooded into the town. The Hong Kong Zhongshan Xiaolan Association, which has been alienated from its hometown for more than 30 years, has joined the ranks of relatives and friends in the sound of gongs and drums. Since then, the Hometown Association has become the best "hometown propagandist", driving the donation of hospitals, schools and tap water projects.
侨房是侨情畅通的重要渠门。广东省侨办原主任杨山说:侨房的一草一木一砖一木,都维系着港澳同胞对家乡的爱。当时,广东亟待清退的侨房数目巨大,要解决的话涉及各种复杂问题,还包括天文数字的安置费。然而,侨房一日不退,侨心一日难归。在党中央的关心和拨款支持下,我省各地行动了起来。
位于广州的永安堂,是东南亚著名侨领胡文虎的物业。1992年7月,广东省决定向其后人发还这座珠江边的大厦。胡文虎长女胡仙深受鼓舞,同年以香港星岛日报掌门人的身份率团访京,受到时任中共中央总书记江泽民的接见。感念于此,她后来放弃了可观的商业发展价值,将收回的永安堂捐赠给广州市政府,改建为少年儿童图书馆。
数据显示,我省用于落实侨房政策的专款达8亿多元,清退处理的城乡侨房近3000万平方米,全面解决侨房历史遗留问题。这大大鼓舞了海外和港澳的广东人,带来了捐赠和投资剧增的效应。
Donations from "Charcoal givers" keep coming.
Tian Jiabing, a 99-year-old Hong Kong philanthropist, passed away on July 10th this year. The person who donated the most schools in mainland China once said in an interview with Nanfang Daily: "I like to be a’ charcoal giver’ most, and giving charcoal in the snow for education is the greatest satisfaction in life." He sold the building and factory building where he lived, and donated many schools, kindergartens and rural school libraries in the mainland …
In Guangdong, overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao from more than 100 countries and regions donated more than 45,000 public welfare and transportation projects. Among them, the construction and expansion of schools account for more than half of the total in the province, which not only improves the educational conditions in our province, but also creates a social atmosphere of respecting education. Especially in the early days of reform and opening up, when Guangdong’s education, medical care, culture, transportation and other facilities were backward, these donations were just a timely help. Henry Fok, Li Ka-shing, Huang Qiu, Ceng Xianzi, Fang Runhua, Huo Zongjie … are all such "gifts".
These benevolent people include billionaires, white-collar workers and wage earners: Tang Furong, an old man from Macao, lives in a humble room of 60 square meters, but contributes to hundreds of public welfare projects in Guangdong and other places. Mr. Wu Guixian, an overseas Chinese in Japan who is committed to subsidizing education, actually sold his own house when he encountered financial difficulties in donating money. He donated more than 50 million Hong Kong dollars to support primary and secondary schools in his hometown of Zhongshan, as well as Sun Yat-sen University, Jinan University and "Hope Primary School" inside and outside the province. Wu Guixian’s wife said: "He knew I wouldn’t object and donated all the money for selling the house, leaving no money."
Leading the new atmosphere of respecting morality and education
The project to unite the hearts of overseas Chinese has brought new fashion to Guangdong, with the continuous development of charity culture and the formation of a good social atmosphere of respecting morality and education. Overseas Chinese, compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and even the people of the whole province, all with one heart and one mind, benefit and support their hometown development, and enhance the cohesion of villagers at home and abroad.
Wuyi University, located in Jiangmen, the hometown of overseas Chinese, was jointly initiated by Lv Zhihe, Sir Quo wei Lee, Huang Qiu and other overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao in the 1980s, and was built with a donation of HK$ 230 million from thousands of good-natured benevolent Weng. It was the education project with the largest number of people participating in the construction at that time in our province.
Shantou University donated more than HK$ 6.6 billion by the Li Ka-shing Foundation, making it the only public university in China funded by private foundations. In June this year, 90-year-old Mr. Li Ka-shing attended the graduation ceremony of Shantou University and handed over the honorary chairmanship of the school board to his son. In an interview with Nanfang Daily reporter, he said: "I have persistently donated to build Shantou University, and I firmly believe that’ knowledge changes fate’ and I want to help the younger generation in China develop."
Many donations are far more meaningful than the project itself. The Luoxi Bridge donated by Mr. Fok Ying-tung has brought prosperity to the southern part of Guangzhou and promoted the great development of Guangdong’s transportation network. Dr. Huang Zhaoqiang from Australia led a Chinese medical team, bringing equipment, medicines and intraocular lenses with him, to remove the biggest obstacle to poverty alleviation for countless poor cataract patients; Xu Xiangling, a retired social worker from Hong Kong, went to Dongguan to set up the first service center for migrant workers in our province, raised funds to support more than 1,300 children of migrant workers to return to the classroom, and also organized six cultural tutorial schools for children of Xinwan people. Lenian Liao, a retired Malaysian teacher, has been raising funds everywhere for more than ten years, and has volunteered to teach English in Tai Po, which has broadened the life path for children in mountainous areas and inspired volunteers from Guangdong and Hong Kong to participate in teaching …
In the 40 years of reform and opening up, Guangdong’s economy and society have developed rapidly, and the people’s lives are getting better and better, thanks to the strengths of overseas Chinese in our province, who are all over the world. Overseas Chinese, Hong Kong and Macao compatriots’ feelings of home and country and their charitable effects shine brightly on the land of Guangdong.
-Interview
All roads lead to the same goal, Aiguo Road
On October 19th this year, a groundbreaking ceremony was held in Chen Weinan Cultural Center, Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province. Chen Weinan, a 99-year-old Hong Kong industrialist, attended the groundbreaking ceremony with his family. This is one of the countless public welfare projects he has donated for decades.
Chen Weinan and Chen Younan, the father and son, one is devoted to donating money to public welfare projects in their hometown, and the other is devoted to promoting the development of science and education in the whole province, especially in eastern Guangdong. They are doing different things. Similarly, they are all contributing to enhancing the international influence of Chinese culture and Chaozhou culture and accelerating economic and social development. A few days ago, Nanfang Daily reporter interviewed the father and son in Hong Kong and listened to them talk about the patriotic road that leads to the same goal.
Chen Weinan: The country should strengthen education first.
Chen Weinan was born in Chao ‘an County, Guangdong Province in 1919. He experienced domestic troubles and foreign invasion, and was invaded by the Japanese army. Even his ancestral home was occupied by the Japanese army. In 1937, Chen Weinan, then 18 years old, went to Hong Kong to make a living and worked hard to build a solid enterprise foundation. But he always has a strong feeling of home and country: the country is not strong, and the people can hardly say happiness and dignity.
After leaving his hometown for decades, in 1984, Chen Weinan was invited to return to Chaoshan. He is gratified by the new atmosphere of reform and opening up, but he is also heartbroken by the educational situation in his hometown. The old ancestral temple, which was blown to pieces by the Japanese army, is still used as a primary school classroom, with poor lighting and no fan. He thought it was time to give back to Mulberry, so he donated a modern primary school covering an area of 12 acres in the local area, and later invested more than 60 million yuan to donate a Baoshan Middle School covering an area of 130 acres, with 4,000 students.
Since then, Chen Weinan’s road of selfless help has gone further and further, extending from his hometown in Chaoshan to many places in Guangdong and China. He is engaged in charitable donation and sets himself the principle of "three noes": donate voluntarily without waiting for it; Do not want to leave a name, do practical things again; No demands, selfless dedication.
The venerable old man said, "I can contribute to the society as much as I can, which is the blessing of my life and the greatest value." Up to now, Chen Weinan has donated more than 150 million yuan, of which 80% is invested in education. Because he firmly believes that if the country is strong, education will be strong first.
Chen Weinan is very pleased that the motherland is becoming stronger and stronger and plays an important role in the world. He often encourages young people: "For Chinese who are struggling all over the world, the strength of the country is a strong backing for everyone’s development. Therefore, everyone should contribute wisdom and strength to the country, especially to the development of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. "
He was the founding president of the Association of Hong Kong Members of the Third CPPCC Chaoshan Committee and the founding president of the Guangzhou Chamber of Commerce for Foreign Investment, and founded the Hong Kong Association of Chaozhou Associations. In 2000, Chen Weinan was awarded the bronze bauhinia star by the Hong Kong government, which was highly praised by this philanthropist.
Chen Younan: Building an Innovation Platform for Overseas Chinese, Hong Kong and Macao Students
Chen Younan is a Ph.D. student in chemical engineering in the United States and Canada. Inspired by his father, he returned to Hong Kong to develop, and also joined the ranks of boosting the construction of the country and hometown. Although he shared the same feelings with his father, he paid more attention to uniting the younger generation of overseas Chinese and Hong Kong and Macao folks and became a force for China’s scientific and technological innovation and development.
In 1998, Chen Younan founded the International Youth Friendship Annual Meeting to unite the outstanding youth in the world. In 2012, he took over as the chairman of the Hong Kong Chaozhou Association and became the head of the largest Chaozhou Youth League organization in Hong Kong. Up to now, the association has 41 group members, with more than 150,000 members. This year, Chen Younan was awarded the silver bauhinia star by the Hong Kong government. He initiated the general meeting to hold "Chaozhou Festival", "Yulan Victory Club" and other activities, so that the younger generation can deepen their perceptual knowledge of their hometown culture, which is very popular.
In 2013, Chen Younan founded the "International Tide Doctor Association" (hereinafter referred to as "Tide Expo"), which brought together more than 2,000 experts and scholars at home and abroad with doctoral degrees or above in five years. This is not only a network for professional hipsters to contact the rural situation, but also a think tank to promote the development of Guangdong. They held a doctoral forum for four consecutive years, focusing on topics such as food and medicine, the Internet, the new economy, and the smart future, and invited the world’s top academics to give speeches and participate.
Chen Younan, who is as concerned about the development of education as his father, said: "According to the strategic layout of Guangdong Province for the development of eastern Guangdong, more high-end talents are needed here. Therefore, the Chaobo Fair has initiated the establishment of Chaoshan University since two years ago, and has received positive responses from Chaozhou people at home and abroad and hometown leaders. "
Chen Younan has actively traveled to mainland and overseas universities to contact experts, scholars and entrepreneurs, and has raised 10 million yuan as the start-up fund. He told reporters that he would first set up an advanced research institute corresponding to industrial development, and conduct research in four directions: new materials and engineering science, bioengineering and life science, intelligent engineering and control science, environmental engineering and earth science.
Number reading
● According to incomplete statistics, from 1979 to 2017
Overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao donated more than 45,000 social welfare projects such as the development of public welfare undertakings and industrial and agricultural production in Guangdong.
Equivalent to more than 53.2 billion yuan.
It accounts for about 70% of the total donations from overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao in the same period.
Donors spread over more than 100 countries and regions in the world.
● Incomplete statistics as of the end of 2017
Individual proprietorship donations are large, accounting for 30% of the total donations from overseas Chinese.
More than 40,000 overseas Chinese donation projects spread all over the province, covering education, health, culture, sports, transportation, social welfare and other undertakings. The charity of overseas Chinese plays an important role in the development of overseas Chinese hometown in Guangdong.
(Source: Provincial Overseas Chinese Museum "Special Exhibition of Overseas Chinese, Hong Kong and Macao Compatriots and Guangdong’s 40 Years of Reform and Opening-up")
All-media correspondent Lin Yaming Cao Si Bian Delong Huang Xuejia Dan Yu