BEIJING, Dec. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- "Kuliang, Kuliang!" American resident Milton Gardner repeatedly whispered the word on his deathbed. As a place where Gardner spent the most joyful 10 years in his life, Kuliang was Gardner's childhood home in China that he failed to return to until his final hours.

At that time, Gardner's families still did not know what the word Kuliang meant, neither to mention the deep bond between Gardner and Kuliang. It was not until 1992 that a Chinese student in the US unveiled the story between Gardner with Kuliang, uncovering a century-long friendship between the people in China and the US to the world.

Since then, 32 years have passed. The small village of Kuliang in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province, has become a representative of the friendship between Chinese and American people.

Nowadays, the bond with Kuliang has inspired generations after generations of youngsters from both countries to carry forward the traditional friendship and bring the hearts of the two peoples closer.

To serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas between the China-US youth, the 2024 Kuliang Forum was officially held on Friday by the People's Daily Digital Communication and Global Times.

The forum, with theme of "Bridging Cultural Differences, Inheriting Friendship and Trust," brought together more than 150 political, academic, media, business, and youth representatives from both China and the US, as well as members of "Kuliang Friends" to engage in candid and in-depth discussions on how the peoples of China and the US can transcend differences in systems, cultures and languages to forge deep friendships, and find the correct path for these two great powers to coexist peacefully.

A century-long friendship

The heartwarming tale and its connections begin with a few special stamps that unveil a nostalgia spanning an entire century.

In April 1992, the People's Daily, a prominent Chinese newspaper, featured an article titled "Ah! Kuliang," which tells the poignant story of Milton Gardner, an American who spent his childhood in the southern Chinese town of Kuliang before returning to the US in 1911.

For decades, Gardner yearned to revisit his beloved hometown, but sadly, he never had the chance. In his last moments, he repeatedly whispered "Kuliang." His wife, Elizabeth Gardner, made several attempts to honor his wish by traveling to China, but she struggled to find Kuliang.

Eventually, while sorting through her husband's belongings, she found old stamps with postmarks indicating "Foochow, Kuliang." With assistance from a Chinese student, she learned that Kuliang is located in Fuzhou.

The touching narrative resonated with many people, including Xi Jinping, then secretary of the Fuzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, who immediately had officials contact Gardner and invite her to Kuliang.

On August 21, 1992, she arrived in Fuzhou, and the next day, she finally visited the cherished place her husband had longed for.

On September 26, 1992, the People's Daily published Bond with Kuliang, documenting Mrs. Gardner's trip to China. In the story, she said: "Thanks to [the] People's Daily for its attention and support, thanks to the people of Fuzhou for their warm hospitality, and many thanks to everyone who made this dream come true."

In September 2012, two of Gardner's grand-nephews visited Kuliang, and the People's Daily once again recorded this enduring bond with Kuliang.

In a congratulatory letter to the "Bond with Kuliang: China-US People-to-people Friendship Forum" held in Fuzhou in 2023, Xi said amity between peoples holds the key to the relationship between countries, and the people are the cornerstone of its growth. "I hope that you will continue to write the Kuliang story and carry forward the special bonds, so that the friendship between our two peoples can stay forever strong and robust like the thousand-year-old cedar trees in Kuliang," Xi said.

In the letter, Xi said that in the following 30 years and more after 1992, members of the Kuliang Friends and people from various sectors of both countries have delved deep into the history of this town, actively spread its culture, and worked tirelessly to deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.

"Their stories have shown once again that the Chinese and American peoples can transcend differences in system, culture and language, and build profound friendship," said Xi.

Amity between the people

At the 2024 Kuliang Forum, many "Kuliang Friends" shared the stories of their search for their ancestors' life in Kuliang via videos, which touched many audiences.

"My family roots are deep in China. I was born in China. My father was born in China. My grandmother and grandfather spent all their working years in China... Thirteen members of our family came back to China," Priscilla Brewster, a member of the "Kuliang Friends" group, said in a video speech to the forum.

"It seemed like a miracle to be back again. When I tell my family and friends about my seven summers in Kuliang, I tell them about the house I lived in on the side of the mountain. I tell them about the slippery rock in back of the house where we would run and jump and play and where we would leap over the stream. I tell them about the whispering pines and the signal that we were back in our beloved place, a place of peace where all people would love to be, Kuliang," Brewster said, recalling the old days emotionally.

"As an American, I long for harmony in my country. Like the great cedar tree of a thousand years on Kuliang, our two people are intertwined wherever there is goodwill and the desire to understand each other's culture. It has become clear to me that distance, hardships, warfare, years, cannot separate me from the bonds of friendship forged by my ancestors and by my own experiences growing up in China, my beloved country," she said.

William N. Brown, professor at the Xiamen University School of Management, Touching China 2019 Person of the Year, and Fujian's first foreign permanent resident, told the Global Times at the forum that there are many touching stories between the people of China and the US, among which his favorite is the Kuliang story.

Brown said that previously he did not understand China until he came to the country, where he truly learned about and fell in love with the Chinese people.

The Kuliang story told us that, over a hundred years ago, foreigners and Chinese people had already joined hands in Xiamen to establish hospitals and schools together. I met some elderly people in the US who are nearly a hundred years old. They lived in Xiamen during the 1930s and 1940s, and they still love China. Even after leaving China for 60 years, they can still speak the Minnan dialect. They fell in love with China because of its people, Brown said.

Jeffrey Greene, Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, shared the story of the Flying Tigers at the forum as another example of the enduring friendship among the peoples in China and the US.

During World War II, some young American Air Force soldiers came to China to assist the Chinese people in resisting brutal invaders. In December 1941, they successfully prevented Japanese bombers from bombing Kunming, and subsequently, the names and deeds of these American airmen spread worldwide.

The Chinese people affectionately referred to them as the "Flying Tigers." At the same time, during the Pearl Harbor incident, the Chinese people selflessly risked their lives to rescue American pilots.

The "Flying Tigers" are also a testament to the two peoples fighting side by side and jointly winning victory in World War II, highlighting the legacy of China-US friendship, Greene told the Global Times.

Greene said that, so far, his foundation has helped over 500 Flying Tiger veterans return to China.

Avery Jade Prewitt, an American student in Chinese Politics at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times at the forum that she was touched and encouraged by the bond and the friendship between Chinese and American people embodied in the Kuliang stories.

In November 2023, President Xi announced in San Francisco the plan to invite 50,000 American teenagers to come to China for exchange and study over the next five years.

Avery came to study in China under the initiative. She said that some people view China and the US as competitors and tend to be negative about the relations between the two countries, but she chooses to be optimistic after seeing the warm and frequent exchanges among Chinese and American students.

To cross the bridge together 

During her speech at the forum, Roberta Lipson, Chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China), said, "Today, I stand here as AmCham China Chair, representing over 800 American companies operating in China. Through my work in AmCham China, I have witnessed the remarkable achievements resulting from US-China cooperation, and we recognize the significance of the economic relationship between our two countries."

"Addressing climate change and solving major global issues require the US and China to work together. I sincerely hope that the next administration in Washington will prioritize cooperation and facilitate our joint efforts," Lipson noted.

Jack Pinnick, a 16th Generation San Feng Pai Disciple, discussed the importance of communication in an interview with the Global Times at the forum. He believes that many people may learn about the relationship between countries through news, but some news reports fail to fully capture the true lives and realities of the local people. Thus, enhancing mutual understanding through personal stories is an effective approach.

Pinnick said, "My biggest dream is to spread the Wudang martial arts and traditional culture that I have learned here. I hope to pass this knowledge on to the next generation."

During the forum, a launch ceremony for the Initiative for Friendly Exchanges Among Chinese and American Youth was held to encourage youngsters to carry forward the bond with Kuliang and write new stories of China-US friendly exchanges in their own ways.

"The hope and foundation of the China-US relationship lie in the people, and its future lies in the youths. The bridge [of friendship] is already built. Now it's up to us, and the Chinese people, to cross it together," Avery said.

The story of Kuliang has spanned a century. Attendees at the forum shared a common wish that the friendship between the peoples of China and the US remains forever strong and robust, like the thousand-year-old cedar trees in Kuliang.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202412/1325571.shtml

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SOURCE Global Times