Find Chen Fang's introduction

Chen Fang: A name remembered by Hawaii.

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Chen Fang, a name unfamiliar to China people, is recited and admired across the ocean. He is the first millionaire among overseas Chinese in America. Jack London and Mark Twain wrote biographies for him respectively. This musical based on him has been staged on Broadway for 30 years. What made the villagers of a small fishing village in Zhuhai enjoy such a high reputation in foreign cultures more than 100 years ago? As a successful businessman, what can he learn from China people in the era of peaceful construction? Are cultural resources such as his former residence developing and protecting in an orderly and healthy way? To this end, we walked into Meixi Village, Zhuhai.

Meixi archway built by Emperor Guangxu in memory of Chen Fang has become one of the "Ten Scenes of Zhuhai". Ye Xiao Su

Space-time perspective

Pioneer in the era of globalization

Behind Chen Fang, a legendary figure, is the nearly 200-year struggle history of modern China people who started their businesses overseas with sweat and wisdom and integrated into the global society.

The legend of Chen Fang was originally written by foreigners. 1909 Jack London, a famous American writer, told the story of Chen Fang, a wealthy businessman in China, Hawaii, in his Hawaii Story. Several years later, Mark Twain, another writer with a high position in the history of American literature, recorded Chen Fang in almost the same respectful tone in his seven reports, and later published A Letter from Hawaii. 1964, a musical called 13 daughters was staged on Broadway in the United States, telling the story of how my father found a suitable husband for his mixed-race 13 daughters in a huge family of wealthy businessmen in China. Because of its unique and vivid plot, the play has been staged on Broadway until 1993. The protagonist of this musical is Chen Fang. 1976, the United States commemorated the 200th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and selected 100 foreigners who had the greatest influence on the United States. Chen Fang, Wang An and Kissinger are among them.

Chen Fang's appeal overseas can still be found in circumstantial evidence: if a Zhuhai person claims to be a compatriot of Chen Fang when eating at THEHUNGRY LION Hotel in Hawaii, he is likely to get a menu printed with "A Brief History of Millionaire Chen Fang's Entrepreneurship" and be treated by enthusiastic bosses for free, because this hotel is built on the original site of Nuanu Villa, a luxury residence where Chen Fang has lived for 20 years.

Chen Fang's personal achievements can be divided into three main aspects: business, politics and charity. In Huonu Lu Lu, 1870, R.J. Barker listed Chen Fang's dry goods company as one of the eight largest companies together with ordinary commercial companies. In that era when Chinese were generally regarded as "pigs", Chen Fang was the first China person to enter the Hawaiian aristocratic society. King Kawakanu of Hawaii is his brother-in-law. With the support of Chen Fang, the king visited China and called on Li Hongzhang. Chen Fang eventually became the first commercial director and second-class consul in China. 1890, Chen Fang returned to her hometown of Zhuhai after 20 years' absence. She was kind and generous, and was awarded by Emperor Guangxu, giving the imperial archway-Meixi archway.

Chen Fang's former residence was once lost in the dust of history. Even when 1986 was listed as a cultural relic protection unit, it was still occupied by the vegetable market and shoe factory, while Meixi archway looked lonely. 1988, Liu Yunde, an architectural sociologist, passed by here occasionally on a worn-out bicycle and found several large dilapidated houses uninhabited. However, the architectural style is unique and the scale is amazing. After the villagers asked, he realized that it was the house of overseas Chinese Chen Fang. This name was unfamiliar to Liu Yunde at that time. He ran many times in Zhuhai Overseas Chinese Federation and Cultural Bureau, looking for the most original information-the legend of Chen Fang has come back to life!

15 years later, as the Meixi archway tourist area, it has become one of the top ten scenic spots in Zhuhai and the most concerned cultural industry. The scenic spot has expanded from the original 2,400 square meters to the current126,000 square meters; Cultural relics and scenic spots have spent 600,000 yuan every year from dilapidated to today to maintain them carefully. The 40 TV series with the theme of Chen Fang is in full swing, and the second phase planning of the tourist area is also advancing.

The symbolic value and modern significance of Chen Fang, a legendary figure, are also being actively considered and explored. There are two ways for Cantonese to enter modern history independently, one is radical revolutionary spirit, and the other is developed commercial civilization. In the current period of peace building, the latter plays a special role in enhancing comprehensive national strength and promoting stability and unity.

In addition, in the process of globalization, how does China integrate into the global society? As a pioneer in the process of modern globalization in China, Chen Fang seems to be telling us the principles and spirit of answering this question with his legendary life.

The reporter witnessed

Hometown Dazhaimen is a scenic spot today.

The house built by Chen Fang in his hometown combines the styles of China and the West. This is a ballroom. Ye Xiao Su

Chen Fang's former residence has taken root, and his pride is hard to dissipate.

Although it has experienced the wind and rain erosion of 1 16 years, people who have been here will still feel that this old house of Chen Fang, like himself, is a combination of Chinese and Western, unconventional but natural.

One wall and two towers, this is all the safety measures that the owner of this house needs in troubled times. The reporter struggled to climb one of the towers that is said to have a view of the sea, but there was no sign of the sea. On the left, you can see Meixi archway and the second generation cemetery of Chen family. The former residence, memorial archway and cemetery are roughly semicircular. Some people speculate that this layout embodies the planner's concept of family unity. Phoenix Mountain and Wugui Mountain, the highest mountains in the south of the Pearl River Delta, stand on the right. Villagers led by Chen Fang dug a canal nearly 1.2 km under their feet, and there was a slate clearing outside the door, which was said to be the place where an Australian governor used a carriage to eat roast suckling pigs.

In the past, we had no way to guess the reward of a feast. Fortunately, despite the Japanese ravages, Chen Fang's building did not collapse. When he left home, he came back with white hair. Chen Fang specially built this house as his retirement home. At the same time, I built one for each of my three sons, lined up their own houses, and each household has its own independent courtyard, which can be decorated at will according to personal hobbies. The courtyard is connected by small doors, and messages are exchanged with the most advanced telephone exchange at that time. Maintaining the pattern of big family and respecting independence are the important characteristics of Chen Fang's family residence. There are many legends about the size of the Chen family's house at that time. It is said that Chen Fang hired a man to open and close the window for them. The servant began to open the window at dawn and was able to drive to the other side of the house at noon. After lunch, he had to close the door again until sunset, which really made people feel that the courtyard was so deep.

The layout of Chen Fang's former residence is almost arranged according to the living habits of Cantonese people: the living room with carved beams and painted buildings, the master's bedroom, the window cabinets with flowers and birds, heavy old-fashioned shutters, exquisite embossed glass, lush magnolia and jackfruit in the courtyard ...... people want to see the situation in those days.

Once forgotten by history. Decades later, when I looked up from the smoke and weeds again, Zhu Yan really changed. The Japanese army used to use this place as their rear hospital, tearing down all the furniture here as stretchers, or carrying the wounded or burning people. The original furniture is gone. I don't know when, someone used yellow mud and ink to seal up the carvings and glass at home. The managers here tell us that now they can only slowly erase and wash away these yellow mud and yellow ink, and restore the true colors of history.

Uncover the dust, everything here is telling the lingering story of the integration of Chinese and western.

The ceiling of the living room is impressively carved with Guangdong ash. After careful inspection, it was found that the original carved hook edges were all Hawaiian-style.

Every brick in the yard was shipped from Hawaii and fired by volcanic ash. It was produced by the best local manufacturer at that time, and it was noble to engrave the manufacturer's address and factory date with fine flowers. This kind of brick is used to build Chinese walls.

The arch of China is carved with five-petalled carambola, which is abundant in Hawaii, to pray for peace and happiness. Advanced small household fire truck, but the drain is covered with hollow copper brick, which is said to gather water and wealth.

The back garden is a place for western communication, and the small dance floor with Roman doorways around it is said that Chen Fang misses his Hawaiian princess. China copper-patterned floor tiles are the bottom, which means "every step is gold".

The sewer pipes of this house are all made of bamboo joints, and people who have never been here probably wouldn't have thought that there is such an interesting annotation as "learning from the middle school as the body and learning from the west for use". The most surprising thing is that some of these bamboo-like sewer pipes are carved with doves of peace, which is so complicated in China and the West.

The word "charity" is engraved on Meixi archway. Ye Xiao Su

The villagers in Meixi archway protect them with their bodies.

1886, after learning that her homeland was flooded, Chen Fang generously donated 3,000 taels of silver. When Guangxu and Cixi learned of this, they ordered the construction of a stone archway as a reward and gave them the word "charity". Since Chen Fang actively engaged in charity after returning to her hometown to settle down, she has built three more. Folk call these memorial archways "Meixi Memorial Archway".

The reporter only saw three archways at the scene. According to reports, one of them was damaged during the period of "breaking the capitalism". After a memorial archway was destroyed, local villagers rushed to hear the news. Dozens of people sat around the rest of the memorial archway, claiming that they had to cross them to move it, in order to discourage those who tried to destroy it. After getting rich, Chen Fang's family was also very kind to the villagers, and the villagers spontaneously protected the archway to show that their love was still there.

The archway is all granite mortise and tenon structure, without a nail. The top is flame-shaped, which is rare in traditional archways in China. It is said that this is designed by Chen Fang herself. The memorial archway is carved everywhere, with China traditional auspicious animals as the main content and exquisite carving. Standing under the archway, you can see a dragon carved impressively on the ceiling set up by the archway beam. This was illegal in feudal times. Now we are trying to find out Chu Chenfang's motivation for carving dragons, but it is not difficult to understand the arrogance and ambition of this wealthy businessman.

In front of the archway, Chen Fang's son built a stone road leading directly to Gongbei Gate. It is through this 10 km long highway that villagers in Meixi Village can learn about the outside world conveniently and quickly.

The tombstone of Chen Fang's tomb faces Hawaii.

In Chen Fang's family cemetery, three generations of grandparents and grandchildren headed by him are buried. On the island of Hawaii, Chen Fang's foreign wife and their two daughters are buried. Across the vast Pacific Ocean, the family is far away.

The millionaire's grave looks simple and solemn, facing Hawaii. This is Chen Fang's exhortation to her family before she died. It is said that Chen Fang has been worried about his second hometown, Hawaii, and misses his wife and children waiting there. Every time she wrote, she said she would go back to Hawaii to visit them, but because of the delay in opening up a new career, she finally fell asleep crying "Julia".

The secretary's point of view

You Zhencheng, Secretary of Xiangzhou District Committee of Zhuhai: Relying on historical resources, build a cultural Xiangzhou.

Reporter (hereinafter referred to as Ji): What role does the culture of overseas Chinese businessmen play in the famous cultural city of our city?

You Zhencheng (hereinafter referred to as "You"): Zhuhai is the hometown of overseas Chinese, and you can't talk about overseas Chinese without mentioning Chen Fang. Chen Fang is the first millionaire among overseas Chinese. He embodies the pioneering, open and inclusive cultural spirit of Guangdong people, and has the excellent character of overseas Chinese who love their country, are enthusiastic about public welfare and are righteous and upright, all of which are valuable spiritual wealth of Zhuhai people. Chen Fang's former residence and archway are large-scale, combining Chinese and western culture, and are models of overseas Chinese culture. The newly renovated Chen Fang's former residence "Meixi Fangxun" is one of the top ten scenic spots in Zhuhai, and it is also an important place for people to understand the history of Zhuhai's century-old development and overseas Chinese entrepreneurship. It is also a cultural card of Zhuhai.

Reporter: What measures has Xiangzhou District taken to restore, protect and develop Chen Fang's former residence?

Thanks to the party's overseas Chinese policy, the attention of governments at all levels and the concern of Xiangzhou people, Chen Fang's former residence has been preserved and generally intact. Meixi archway was listed as a cultural relic protection unit and patriotic education base in Guangdong Province by Guangdong Provincial People's Government in 1989.

Xiangzhou district pays special attention to Meixi archway. In 2000, private funds were introduced for overall protective development. In addition to the 5,000-square-meter building of the former residence, we also designated 200 meters of land around the former residence as cultural protection, creating a good cultural and ecological environment for the entire ancient architectural complex. The municipal government invested tens of millions of yuan to build a tourist highway from Shangchong to Fenghuang Mountain, integrating Meixi Archway, Agricultural Science Center, Fenghuang Mountain and other scenic spots to create a new tourism industry belt in Zhuhai.

Reporter: There are many historical figures and cultural relics like Chen Fang in Xiangzhou. How will Xiangzhou District use historical and cultural resources to build a cultural Xiangzhou?

Tour: There are many celebrities in Xiangzhou history, among which Chen Fang's former residence and his spiritual and cultural heritage are the representative figures and landmark buildings.

According to the idea of marketization, Xiangzhou District will also repair and develop the Yang's Grand Ancestral Hall and Tangjiawan style tourist area in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, and connect cultural attractions such as Su's former residence and school in series to form a unique cultural tourism belt that integrates cultural tourism and eco-tourism along the east-west axis of Fenghuang Mountain.

Experts say

Liu Yunde, Professor of Tourism Department of Zhuhai College of Jilin University: The history of overseas Chinese should be cherished.

Reporter (hereinafter referred to as "Ji"): What do you think of its historical value and modern significance?

Liu Yunde (hereinafter referred to as "Liu"): First of all, he is an outstanding businessman. His charm lies not only in how much wealth he earned, but also in his personal experience, which reflects the living conditions and personality of a whole generation of overseas Chinese businessmen in modern Guangdong: smart and persistent, adventurous, China people's experience of holding their heads high in foreign cultures, and these qualities. Chen Fang's practical significance lies in that advocating and promoting business civilization and industrialist spirit is one of the important ways to realize the peaceful rise of China, and Chen Fang's success is the realistic embodiment of this civilization and spirit.

Reporter: As a protector, developer and researcher of Chen Fang's resources, what impressed you the most in recent years?

Liu: One year when I went to Hawaii, an old man claimed to be an overseas Chinese, but he couldn't tell by his appearance. He told me that although he was only 1/8 of China descent, he still insisted that he was an overseas Chinese. He rented a house at his own expense as an overseas Chinese museum, where he showed the world the glorious and bitter years that overseas Chinese had gone through in Hawaii. This made me feel the tenacity and fragility of overseas Chinese. Our protection and development of overseas Chinese resources in China is a kind of solidarity and support for overseas Chinese, and it is also an important event with great overseas appeal and local educational significance. Master planner: Yang Xingfeng and Li Zhongsheng.

Chen Fang's Family History in Hawaii

1925 was born in Meixi, Zhuhai, and received a good education when he was young. 14 years old, his family came down and began to be a student.

1849 I trafficked ceramics, brocade and dry goods to Honolulu with my uncle and learned English in a short time. The goods are sold out, even my clothes are stripped off to buy.

185 1 year, it started "Local Records" in partnership with fellow villagers, and provided door-to-door service in the form of "open-shelf sales and free purchase", which was unique in Honolulu at that time. During this period, I encountered the frustration of the shopkeeper absconding with $30,000, but I still didn't give up.

1855, he completed the identity transformation from a small shopkeeper to a big industrial entrepreneur, started to run the sugar industry, adopted the most advanced sugar squeezing machinery at that time, opened up a chain sales network, and implemented "one-stop" management for factory workers, becoming the "sucrose prince" of Honolulu.

/kloc-won the right to host the king's wedding in 0/856 and entered the upper class.

1857 married Princess Julia, a member of the royal family.

1874, he joined hands with his brother-in-law, assisted the election with abundant financial resources, and pushed King Kawakanu to the throne and became a member of the Privy Council.

1880, Hong Rong recommended him to be the first Chinese businessman in Hawaii, and the dragon flag of the Qing government was raised in Honolulu for the first time. Later, Hawaii passed many bills to protect the rights and interests of Chinese.

188 1, as Consul General of the China Consulate in Hawaii. Chinese in Hawaii can enjoy consular protection from now on. At that time, the assets had exceeded $654.38 million.

1890, he returned to his hometown with $620,000 to settle down, and then he shined again in the business circles of Hong Kong and Macao.

The legend of a millionaire

When we discuss the legendary life of Chen Fang, we can't avoid many short stories. The beauty of these stories lies in the globalization factors embodied in them. It is with this charm of combining Chinese and western cultures that these stories can be passed down from mouth to mouth and become the true legend of Chen Fang.

The Hawaiian version of "The Golden House hides the Jiao" fell under the skirt of Princess Julia of Hawaii and proposed to her guardian. The guardian said that he hoped his adopted daughter would be happy. Please give her the most practical happiness and build her a house first. So Chen Fang spent more than a year building the most luxurious villa in Hawaii at that time-Nunu Villa, the most beautiful place in northern Honolulu. Because his future bride is a mixture of English, American and summer, and Chen Fang herself is from China, the architectural style of this villa combines these four styles-two floors, western-style furniture and shutters, but adopts Chinese walls and columns.

Buying a hotel in an hour1891In the summer of 2008, Chen Fang and her son went to Macau, but they were stopped by the security guard of a hotel in No.3 Praia Grande, on the grounds that "Chinese and dogs are not allowed in". Angry Chen Fang asked to meet the hotel manager, and called the local chamber of commerce and media in Macau one by one, publicly announcing that she had bought the hotel for $5,000, and ordered the hotel formerly known as "foreign flavor" to be renamed "Hayes Fiona Fang" and open to everyone. At that time, this incident made headlines in Macao. Later, "Four Seas Fiona Fang" became the favorite place of Macao citizens. Today, this hotel no longer exists, and the government of the Macao Special Administrative Region stands on the original site.

Chen Fang's litchi tree and betel nut tree will definitely find Chen Fang's name in a conspicuous place when they open the flora in Hawaii. Because Chen Fang likes litchi, she specially transported the seeds to Hawaii for planting, but it survived but failed. Chen Fang simply pulled a boat of soil across the sea from Zhuhai, dug three feet to change the soil and replanted it, and litchi fruit was born in this tropical island country. In Zhuhai, we can also find Hawaiian plants. It is said that there are 103 betel nut trees around Chen Fang's former residence, all of which are Hawaiian varieties. Now there are two trees left, which are located on the side of Meixi archway and in the yard of Chen Fang's former residence.

Chen Fang's second son initiated Sun Yat-sen's revolution, and his legend is continued by his children, descendants and people who know his story. His second son, Chen Xiru, funded Sun Yat-sen's revolution and later became the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi appointed by Sun Yat-sen. His grandson, Chen Yong 'an, worked as a local official twice in his hometown. His great-grandson Taylor later became a famous American playwright and put his great-grandfather on the Broadway stage, that is, 13 daughters.