Huang Rongyuan Mansion 黄荣远堂 Gulangyu

Many Chinese & foreigners query about ancestors in old Amoy (former name of Xiamen). Today, a lady from WLRN Public Radio & Television, Miami, Florida, inquired about the house at #32 Fujian Rd. (she actually wrote #3 Lujiao Rd., but the photo was of Huang Rongyuan Mansion at #32 Fujian Rd). Since others have also inquired about this estate, which is right beside the Spanish Gothic Catholic Church and former Japanese consulate, police station and jail, I am posting my reply online. This description is from my book Discover Gulangyu!    魅力鼓浪屿, Xiamen University Press (I have 10 books now on Xiamen and Fujian Province, and hope to get them converted soon to e-Book format).  Enjoy Amoy!  Dr. Bill


#32 Fujian Rd   Huang Rongyuan Mansion (黄荣远堂), circa 1920, is  directly opposite Sea and Sky Palace.  The villa reminds me of antebellum mansions in the Deep South—though no Southerner ever had a garden like this, with its towering palms, shimmering pool, and Chinese pavilion and rockery to the left, from which you can snap a photo of the Spanish Gothic Catholic Church on the other side of the wall.

Huang Rongyuan Villa was designed by a Filipino architect and built in 1920 by Shi Guangchong, a Philippine overseas Chinese whose ancestral home was Jinjiang, and who was related to one of Gulangyu’s most famous residents. His nephew’s wife was the first daughter of Lin Erjia (林尔嘉), creator of Shuzhuang Garden (菽庄花园).

While Gulangyu was a heavenly place to visit, by the 1930s the Japanese were making it a hell of a place to live in, and in 1937 Mr. Shi hightailed it back to the relatively safety of the Philippines.  The villa was taken over by Mr. Huang Zhongxun, who then gave it to his younger brother, Huang Zhongping.  He renamed the place Huang Rongyuan Villa, after the real estate company founded by Huang Wenhua (a Nan’an native who made a fortune in developing wilderness in Vietnam), and his son (the same fellow who walled in Sunlight Rock and made it his private garden; read more in the Yongchun Rd. chapter).

Huang Rongyuan Villa is pretty much a Western-style dwelling, with its “Southern mansion” two-story curved front porch and Ionic columns.  But few Western homes boast as many styles of windows on one front, and the upper floor, with its dozen or more columns, looks like it was added as an afterthought.  Still, I appreciate the imagination that went into its design and construction, and find it astonishing that such a magnificent building was later used as the Deer Reef Kindergarten.
The Spanish Catholic Church (#34 Lujiao Rd.) is on the other side of the garden wall, just across from the former Japanese consulate.

福建路32号：黄荣远堂 大约建于1920年，就在海天堂构的正对面。这座别墅让我想起美国南北战争前南方的住宅——尽管那些南方人都没有这样的花园，园子里是参天的棕榈树，波光粼粼的池面，左边是中式的亭子和假山，在假山上还能抓拍到围墙另一侧的西班牙哥特式天主教堂。

Gulangyu Catholic Church

黄荣远堂由菲律宾建筑师设计，菲律宾华侨施光从于1920年建造，施祖籍晋江，他和鼓浪屿的名人菽庄花园的主人林尔嘉还有一些渊源（林的长女为施的侄媳）。

鼓浪屿曾经是个天堂般的旅游胜地，但是在上世纪30年代日本人却把这里变成了人间地狱。1937年，施先生匆忙逃离了鼓浪屿回到相对安全的菲律宾。这座别墅转入黄仲训名下，后来又转给其弟黄仲评。黄仲评将别墅改名为“黄荣远堂”，黄荣远堂是黄文华（南安人，在越南开发荒地致富）和其子（就是那个将日光岩圈为私家花园的家伙，在永春路章节你可以知道更多）创办的房地产公司。

Inside Gulangyu Catholic Church

黄荣远堂是一幢以西洋风格为主的建筑，有“南方大宅”的两层拱券和爱奥尼克式的柱子，但很少西式房子在前壁会有这么多各式各样的窗棂，二楼有十几根廊柱，看上去像是后来才添加上去的。不过我仍然颇为欣赏这座房子富有想像力的设计和结构，让我颇为惊讶的是，这座壮观的楼房后来成了鹿礁幼儿园。

西班牙天主教堂（鹿礁路34号）就位于黄荣远堂院子围墙的另一侧，在日本领事馆的正对面。

Bill Brown
  Xiamen University

www.amoymagic.com

Search for White Jade & World Vision--the True Story

My wife, Susan Marie, worked for World Vision International (WVI) when I met her in 1981, so WVI has always had a special place in my heart. But imagine my surprise to learn in 2008 that World Vision was founded because of an incident in Xiamen in 1947 involving American missionary Tena Holkeboer, Robert Pierce (World Vision's founder) and an orphaned Amoy girl named White Jade. The subsequent Search for White Jade captured the imagination of Xiamen's people, government and media.

We Remember Auntie Tiger!  In Dec., 2010, I mentioned the White Jade story and Tena in a government meeting on Gulangyu Islet. Prof. He Bingzhong, former curator of the Koxinga Museum exclaimed, "I remember Tena! We all loved her so much--though she was so strict that we children called her 'Auntie Tiger'. When she had to leave Xiamen, my family gave her money for food and clothes; she spent nothing on herself."

5 Days Later... Not only did some people remember Tena, but a couple even remembered Bob Pierce's 1947 visit to Amoy. And only 5 days after that meeting in which I mentioned White Jade, Tena and Bob Pierce, Bob Pierce's daughter emailed to say WVI was preparing for its 60th anniversary and was checking out the White Jade Story. Was there really a White Jade, she asked, and did I think anyone might still remember Tena, or Bob's visit?

Chinese Media Seeks White Jade  Two months later, Marilee, daughter Michelle, and 4 WVI people came to Xiamen to seek out White Jade. As I and Chinese reporters wrote articles for the local papers asking for help in tracking down White Jade, "The Search for White Jade" became one of the local media's most widely covered stories. Strangers on the street stopped me, even months afterward, asking, "Did you find White Jade?" But Tena had helped many children, and at the time she could not have known that the incident with White Jade was special, or would have such far reaching consequences. Today, no one remembers which child was White Jade. In 2011, Tena's niece sent me many of Tena's letters, journals, photos, etc.--but again, there was no mention of White Jade. Still--we are certain the incident happened because both Bob and Tena remembered it, though they told various versions of the story, which roughly went as follows:

The White Jade Story  Bob Pierce, an enthusiastic young evangelist, gave several lectures in Amoy, and spoke to Tena Holkeboer's school children. Little White Jade said she wanted to be a Christian, and Bob told her to tell her family about it. She did--and was beaten and kicked out of her home. (I've known people that happened to even in the 1990s).

What are You going to do about it? The next day, he made his last visit to Tena's Gulangyu Islet school. She met him at the door with a battered, crying little girl in her arms. When Bob heard what happened, he asked, "What are you going to do with her?"

Tena, aptly called Auntie Tiger, shot back at him with, "What do you mean what am I going to do with her? I already have 10 children to feed. What are you going to do about it?"

Bob gave her all of the money in his pockets, about $5, and promised to send more each month to care for little White Jade. Three years later, while witnessing the devastation in Korea and the plight of orphaned children, he started World Vision, which over the decades has helped millions of children all over the world--thanks to the seed planted in his heart by an encounter with an abandoned and battered little girl named White Jade. Bob Pierce later started Samaritan's Purse International, which has also helped millions, and countless other ministries have since adopted Bob Pierce's idea of "adopting" a distant child through monthly support.

Related Post: Bob Pierce, World Vision, and his Jephthah Vow

Related Post: An Amoy Tribute for Lorraine Pierce--Spiritual founder of World Vision International and Samaritan's Purse


Bill Brown Xiamen University www.amoymagic.com

The Mother of Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day from Xiamen (former Amoy), China!

   This is dedicated to my mom back in the U.S.     Dr. Bill. When Anna May Jarvis's mother died on the 2nd Sunday of May 1906, Anna May wished she had heeded the warning to, “Lavish your flowers on the living, not the dead.” Driven by remorse, the gentle, easy going Anna May became obsessed with the desire to see her mother and motherhood honored throughout the world.
      After a year’s planning, the first Mother's Day was celebrated on the second anniversary of her mother’s death, May 10, 1908, at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, where Anna’s mother had taught Sunday School. A year later, Philadelphia became the first city to proclaim an official Mother’s Day. Three years later, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed Public Resolution 25, establishing the second Sunday of each May as Mother's Day. And then, to everyone’s surprise, Anna May retired and spent the remaining 34 years of her life, and her fortune of over 100,000 dollars, fighting against Mother’s Day!
         The problem was that from day one, Mother’s Day had become a great commercial extravaganza to boost the incomes of card and candy makers, and a salve to soothe the consciences of those who each May made mother a “queen for the day” but neglected her the other 364 days.
       Anna May complained, “Mother’s Day has nothing to do with candy. Candy is junk. A maudlin, insincere printed card or a ready-made telegram means nothing except that you’re too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone else in the world. You ought to go home and see your mother on Mother’s Day. You ought to take her out and paint the town red...You ought to give her something useful, something permanent...Is she sleeping warm at night? Could she use an eiderdown? Maybe the stairs in her home need fixing...”
        For 30 years, Anna May fought for the integrity of Mother’s Day. She finally died in a sanitarium — old, tired, deaf, blind, penniless, and having never married nor been a mother herself!
        Sixty years later, mothers may be more neglected than ever. Statistics show one half of Americans, which of course includes one half of our mothers, live in poverty. Where are the children? More than ever, mothers deserve more than cards and candy one day a year and anonymity the other 364.

          My appreciation of motherhood only began as I watched my wife, in both sickness and health, unselfishly spend herself on her two sons--and her husband as well! (read how we met in "China--our Matchmaker!"). I also slowly came to better appreciate my own mother, and though she’s 12,000 miles away, I am now careful to not only send her the obligatory Mother’s Day card and flowers but also to regularly write and phone her.
           Fortunately, most Off the Wall Blog readers are not 12,000 miles away from home!  So as Mother's Day catches on both here in China and elsewhere on this little planet we so briefly call home, let us make sure that Mother’s Day is not a card-and-candy substitute for well-deserved love but the crown and pinnacle of a full year’s expression of love and appreciation for the one who gave us life: our mother. But while you're at it--send a card, and some flowers too--and pick up the phone and call her.
           Below, by the way, is our new family cartoon, including Matt's wife Jessica (married in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, on June 30th, 2012, and Shannon's wife Miki, married in Xiamen on January 1st, 2009).

Now all that Sue and I need is a very good excuse (strong hint!) to start promoting Grandparents Day!
Bill Brown
Xiamen University
www.amoymagic.com
 

Best Cheddar Cheese & Bacon for China!

Ahoy from Amoy!

When we came to China in 1988, what really made us homesick was the absence of simple things--like peanut butter, mayonnaise (learned to make our own), and of course, Cheese!

We were surprised, therefore, a month after our arrival to see a giant block of cheddar sold cheaply in Xiamen's "Canadian Bakery". The only thing Canadian about it was the name; it sold the same sweet Chinese breads with green and purple swirls that Chinese find attractive but reminded me of toxic mold from some bio-weapon factory. But I forgave everything when I saw the cheese!

They had no idea what it was, but after we told friends and they raced across town to buy a block, the owner got wise and doubled the price. By day two it was sold out and they never got anymore.  Still--it helped us get over our acute cheese-deprivation.
Of course, today we can get cheeses at Metro-- but its expensive. For years, though, we brought from the U.S. bags of cheese powder--like the Kraft cheddar cheese powder in Kraft macaroni and cheese, but not nearly as tasty because the number one ingredient wasn't cheese but whey.  And then last year I finally found a cheese powder that is pretty close to the cheesy taste of Kraft, and I bought several pounds. Hoosier Hill Farms Cheddar Cheese Powder is sold on Amazon and has free shipping to
U.S. addresses (for orders of $25 or more). It's packaged in a convenient, safe-plastic, screw lid container. If you bring some back, keep it in the fridge after opening.

Suggestions--sprinkle on popcorn, add to potatoes (and pasta, of course). I even sprinkle some on top of Chinese food! I do love Chinese food, but not 3 times a day for 27 years--so a little cheddar cheese powder on top brings it to life! Or...

"Bringing Home the Bacon..."   Another way to spice up up your daily Chinese fare is to sprinkle on some McCormick Bacon Bits (Bac'n pieces). They're artificial but tasty; if you want real bacon bits, try Kirkland (Costco brand) real crumbled bacon bits! They claim it is slowly smoked over hardwood chips--and I can believe it.

I bring back a dozen plastic bottles of bacon bits or a pouch of Kirkland Signature Crumbled Bacon (each trip home.  Bacon bits or crumbled bacon are light, last a long time, and are relatively cheap, I sprinkle them into egg omelets or scrambled eggs--or with potatoes and cheese powder. Unhealthy, I know, but though I usually am a very healthy eater, sometimes I just need something familiar.

And as the famous American comedian Redd Fox once said, "One of these days, there's going to be a lot of health nuts feeling pretty stupid when they're old and in the hospital dying of nothing.

Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill
Bill Brown Xiamen University www.amoymagic.com

Amazon Subscribe and Save -- Cheapest way to go for China folks!

Greetings from Amoy, China!

Well, this is an odd topic, but maybe useful for some.  There are still many things we can't get in China, such as Swiss Miss no sugar added Cocoa, so we stock up in the summer ordering from Amazon, and bring it with us.  Sue also likes Torani Sugar-free Hazelnut syrup for her coffees (great Frappuccinos, using bananas to make them creamy). But Amazon has a great "Amazon Subscribe and Save Program"-- save 5% to 15%-- if you set regular deliveries, which can be as seldom as twice a year. Give it a try!And check our Amazon China.  Cheaper delivery, but not the same variety.

Below are some of your favorites (the dried blueberries are the best--no sugary-candy taste; one box lasts an entire year in China--with cereal, in oatbran, etc.)



Should you wish to ship theses things to China, try sea freight. They charge by volume, not weight, so in the past we've sent crates full of foods, books, furniture (couch, chairs, even a Sears oven, which I can bake six loaves of bread in at a time). It's a bit of a hassle picking it up in China (must get through customs), but certainly a lot cheaper than mail, or being charged for excess baggage.

Enjoy Amoy!
Bill
 

Bill's 2 eBooks on Amazon:

"Discover Xiamen" 

"Fujian Adventure"
Bill Brown Xiamen University www.amoymagic.com

Cheapest H&R Block for taxes in China-- on Amazon!

Greetings from Amoy! (Xiamen, China).

April 15 is looming again here in Amoy, China, but this time I did my U.S. federal and state taxes in less than 4 hours, compared to 3 days about 5 years ago--thanks to H&R Block--but though the program itself is great, the pricing is very tricky.  Here's how to avoid paying double--by getting it at Amazon.

Last year, HR Block sent me a link for a special price--$34.95.  I clicked it, did my taxes, and when I went to e-file my return, they charged me $49.95.  I wasn't about to start over (as they well knew), so I just paid it.  Then they wanted $19.95 for State filing, but I did it online for free (very easy, fast--if you live in Reedley, California and use CALFILE--see the end of the 2nd paragraph below).

This year, HR Block sent me a special price for the Home version (knowing I've always used Premium, because Home is not enough for my specific needs).  The Premium this time was $80, but I found two links for $72 and $70--and then I thought--why not download the H&R Block program at Amazon?  I get everything else there (a lifesaver for folks in China).  Sure enough, on Amazon, the program was only $34.95, and it said it gave me 5 free Federal efiles (who needs 5?) and software for 1 state--or so it said.

 The Federal went smoothly.  I was done in 3 hours--much better than 3 days!  But once I completed the one "free" State software, they demanded 19.95 to file it!  That's like giving someone a free lunch but charging to eat it--or free unlimited parking, but then charging you not for parking but for leaving the lot.  So I simply, like last year, filed the State for free California E-file online at CALFILE (https://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/efile/allsoftware.shtml)

But tricky pricing notwithstanding (which seems the norm nowadays--everyone is selling snake oil), H&R Block's programs are fast and very straightforward.

IRS Currency Exchange Rates: If you live abroad and need to know the IRS conversion rate from. a foreign currency ( Chinese Yuan, Euros), to U.S. dollars, click the IRS site for their own IRS Yearly Average Currency Exchange Rates.  I was happily surprised to learn that their rates were far more favorable than what I would have used.  Saved me quite a bit.

And if in doubt, phone the IRS.  I've spent hours on the phone from China talking to the reps, and they've always been helpful and patient--often themselves not knowing the answer to my convoluted questions, but searching until they found it.

Lastly--I complained about taxes to a Chinese colleague and his reply was, "Be thankful we earn enough to be taxed; many don't earn that much."  Good point, especially given the way the economy is today.

Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill

Bill's 2 eBooks on Amazon:

"Discover Xiamen" 

"Fujian Adventure"Bill Brown Xiamen University www.amoymagic.com