Overseas Chinese spotlighted
By Shen Yang
Photos by Yao Fan

经过近两年的筹备, 华侨博物院新版"华人华侨展"于元旦和市民见面. 展览以大量的实物, 图片, 并结合高科技手段, 令观众身临其境, 得以领略海外华人华侨的发展历史.

The Overseas Chinese Museum is open to the public between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday (RMB 10 per person). Other exhibitions on cultural relics and the natural specimen will be opened to the public soon before the Spring Festival.

On January 1, 2005, the Overseas Chinese Museum was reopened to the public after being closed for two years. Under the title of Ethnic Chinese Abroad, the new show is made up of three sections named, Going abroad, Overseas Chinese and citizens and Glorious history, respectively.



Entering the exhibition hall, the audience will see two huge photos on each side of the wall. One, taken in 1902, shows a group of ethnic Chinese emigrants who were leaving Xiamen port; the other, taken in 1950, shows overseas Chinese experts who went back to their homeland. Next to the photo is a poem with the title of Sail, written by Russian poet Laimengtoufu. It goes, "The sail so white appear alone/ in the height blueness of the sea/ what does he seek in the faraway alien land/ what does he lose in the remote hometown…" Which is a perfect reflection of the feeling of the early Chinese emigrants.



Then comes the first section of the exhibition "Going abroad". It mainly introduces the causes of emigration and the hard work of the early Chinese emigrants. There is a cabin model set up in this section, which may inspire the audience with vivid perception of Chinese emigrants on their way to the dreamed land.



The second section of the exhibition is about overseas Chinese and their transition from alien emigrants to local citizens. Organizations, schools and newspapers are regarded as three treasures and important pillars of the ethnic Chinese Community. In the early days, most of the overseas Chinese had to take low-paid jobs to make a living. After arduous struggle, they worked their way up to higher positions. When World War II broke out, many overseas Chinese joined with local citizens to combat the Fascists bravely. Due to their great contribution in the war, most of the overseas Chinese were naturalized as the citizens of the residing countries.



The third section of the exhibition is about the great achievements of overseas Chinese for the residing countries and motherland. Among the achievements, one thing that will never be ignored is the role Chinese laborers played in the construction of the Central Pacific railway in the United States from 1863 to 1870. Chinese workers took the most difficult and dangerous section of the construction and a large proportion of them laid down their lives. In 1964 the Nevada government set up the No. 28 Nevada Centennial Marker to honor the Chinese. It says "Their (Chinese) contribution to the progress of the state in its first century will be forever remembered by all Nevadans. "



Overseas Chinese with perseverance, wisdom and hardworking spirits have made enduring achievements for the development, progress and prosperity to their countries of residence. At the same time, the overseas Chinese earnestly wish their motherland strong and prosperous. Despite numerous difficulties and obstacles and being far away from their motherland, they spared no efforts in promoting social development of their homeland. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, a good many overseas Chinese experts and scientists gave up superior living and working conditions to take part in the construction of their motherland.

 

 

嗓音象小妹妹的老奶奶
By 厦门音乐广播 高翔



我要介绍的这个人叫Lorreta Lynn,她是第47届格来美奖最佳乡村女歌手获提名者之一. 她获提名的作品是最新专辑《Van Lear Rose》,乡村布鲁思风格. 她的嗓音甜美柔和, 听起来象邻家小妹, 她今年70岁整, 奶奶级的人物了. 我不想说"她虽然已经70岁了, 可是她的歌听起来很年轻", 我想说"她很年轻. "

Lorreta Lynn 1934年4月14日出生于美国肯塔基州的Butcher Hollow, 原名Lorreta Webb,是一个矿工的女儿, 家里8个孩子中的第二个. 她们家的孩子有着四分之一的印地安血统, 她的名字来自于她的妈妈非常喜欢的一位女影星:Lorreta Young.

Lorreta Lynn后来嫁给了一个叫做Oliver Venetta Lynn的修护工人, 于是有了Lynn的姓名. 难以置信, 她结婚那年只有13岁, 18岁以前已经有了4个孩子, 29岁就做了祖母. 我不知道她的歌曲风格和她的婚姻生育经历有没有什么联系, 哈哈.

1960年, 也就是Lorreta Lynn 26岁那年, 她开始了她的歌唱生涯, Kitty Wells和Pasty Cline是对她影响最大的两位歌手. Lorreta Lynn先是到了洛杉矶, 后来到了乡村音乐之都--田那西州首府Nashville发展她的乡村音乐事业, 她的歌唱和创作才能被广泛推崇. 1972年她入选了Nashville歌曲作者国际名人堂, 也在当年成为美国乡村音乐协会CMA年度最佳艺人的第一位女歌手. 在Lorreta Lynn的歌唱生涯中, 有16首单曲获得了排行榜的第一名, 15张唱片成为销量第一的唱片. 96年, 她获得了国际乡村音乐协会的"传奇成就奖", 也就是在这一年, 与她相濡以沫的丈夫去世. 2004年她发行了前面提到的那张专辑《Van Lear Rose》.

你或许认识另外一位著名的乡村女歌手"长发姑娘"Crystal Gayle,这位曾经数次荣膺格来美奖的女歌手, 不是别人, 正是小Lorreta Lynn17岁的妹妹.

 

 

Meeting friends through songs
Photo by Yao Fan



On the evening of Dec.28, 2004, the multifunctional hall in the Overseas Education College of Xiamen University was lit up. Four choruses from the U.S.A., Taiwan, Fuzhou University and Xiamen University gathered together to take part in the 2004' sodality of "Meeting Friends Through Songs".

This sodality was initiated by Land Chorus, a folk chorus made up of American Chinese and was warmly responded to by many senior choruses across the Taiwan Strait. The four choruses came to Xiamen at the end of last year and expressed their love for their motherland, their nostalgia for their hometown and their care about their relatives. Thanks to the presence of the famous conductor Ms. Liu Zheyuan, an American Chinese, Qiu Xiaoxu, a first-class conductor at the national level from Fujian Province and Sun Yue, a well-known host from Taiwan, the sodality saw climaxes one after another. At the end of the sodality, many people were reluctant to leave and took photos together for commemoration.

 

 

New Year concert
钢琴博物馆新年音乐会
Sponsor: Xiamen Piano Museum
主办方:厦门钢琴博物馆
Time: 7:30 pm, Jan. 6, 2005
时间:元月6日晚7:30
Venue: Music Hall on Gulangyu
地点:鼓浪屿音乐厅

"Night of Pyongyang"
《平壤之夜》文艺晚会
Performer: National Art Troupe from DPRK
演出单位:朝鲜国立艺术团
Time: 7:30 pm, Jan. 5-6, 2005
时间:元月5日、6日晚7:30
Venue: Xiamen Arts Theatre
地点:厦门艺术剧院

Chinese zither concert
古筝新年音乐会
Time: 7:30 pm, Jan. 7, 2005
时间:元月7日晚7:30
Venue: Xiamen People's Convention Hall
地点:厦门人民会堂
Ticket Line: 2219133