Fujian-The Home Land of My Grandparent 福建-我爷爷的家乡

I was having a cup of Latte in a Cafe. The place I was sitting on was belonged to Consulates of Great Britain. The building at my back was the Consulates of France..... All these was the historical facts of WHAT the WEST was at their peak and had done in 19th century towards China and his people....

Today is a windy Sunday (6 March 2011) with about 12 degree celcius. I enjoyed my Latte in a cafe in Gulangyu island, Fujian province of China. After a hectic feng shui audits and feng shui tours in various cities in China, I am able to treat myself a peaceful place to rest and look into the painful history of China in 19th century. The picture above showed that I was having Latte for my afternoon break. I engaged a professional tour guide to lecture me briefly about the island from the past to modern era…. Listening to the story on how British won the Battle of Opium which ultimately destroyed the nation of China in 19th century…. listening to how the THEN various great SUPER POWERS like Great Britain, France, Germany and Japan. Gulangyu, was the first military entry for all these great super power opened up China in 19th century…… Listening to the “One Hundered Year of China Humiliation” 中国百年屈辱.

Gulangyu “Drum Wave Islet” 鼓浪屿 is a car free island off the coast of Xiamen, Fujian 福建province in southern China, about 2 square kilometres (0.77 sq mi) in area. It is home to about 20,000 people and is a very popular tourist destination. Visitors can reach it by ferry from Xiamen Island in about 5 minutes. Gulangyu Island is renowned for its beaches and winding lanes and its varied architecture. The island is on China’s list of National Scenic Spots and also ranks at the top of the list of the ten most-scenic areas in Fujian Province.

My grandparents were from Fujian province in southern China. When Japanese Army attacked, invaded and marched into China in 1930-s, my grand father and his brothers decided to venture to South East Asia. One of them went to Taiwan, one of them went to Singapore. And, my grand parents sailed to Penang of Malaysia (it was known as Malaya then). My grandfather and grand mother were just one of many Fujianese couples arrived in Penang while Japanese Army ………

Today, I am back to Fujian province……. the root of my ancestors…. Fujian, the home to many many oversea Chinese throughout the world…… I arrived in Xiamen of Fujian province couple days ago due to business. I am able to spend some time in Gulangyu 鼓浪屿 …. to walk the paths which had been walked by my grandparents…..

Xiamen (formerly known as Amoy) became a treaty port resulting from China’s loss in the First Opium War 第一次鸦片战争 and the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, hence the predominantly Victorian-era style architecture throughout Gulangyu Island, where 13 countries including Great Britain, France and Japan established consulates, churches, and hospitals. Gulangyu was officially designated an International Settlement in 1903. In 1942, Japan occupied the island until the end of the War of Resistance against Japan.

However, the people of China are very positive. They know how to enrich themselves with many foreign cultures. Today, the prosperity of China is also due to western ideas and western modernization to certain extend…. China should remember that the rise of China is also contributed by the WEST…… without the western ideas, China cannot be what they are today……

A Church in Gulangyu... In Remembrance of West Domination Since 19th century .....

Western Style Arch. Nurturing the arts of Modern China.

Master Soon

Email: master@mastersoon.com