"We always miss our home"

Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition

"Now our life is getting better and better for overseas Chinese, but no matter where we go, we always miss our home." Duan Luwen, who went abroad after graduating from college, has lived in Canada for more than 30 years, but China is still the home he misses the most.

Construction of bronze statues

On the streets of Chinatown in Toronto, Canada, stands a bronze statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. The completion of this bronze statue is inextricably linked to Duan Luwen's efforts. He said, "I want Mr. Sun Yat-sen to see that the waist of our overseas Chinese and Overseas Chinese is straight. ”

2016 marks the 150th anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's birth. As vice president of the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs, Duan Luwen contacted local community organizations and decided to build a bronze statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen in Toronto.

However, this is not an easy task. Contact the bronze statue designer in Sun Yat-sen's hometown, communicate with the local community organization in Toronto about the site, and find a way to transport this bronze statue that is more than 2 meters high and weighs about 2 tons, and each process cannot tolerate sloppiness. After Duan Luwen was busy, he carefully did a good job in one detail after another.

After several months of hard work, the bronze statue was finally built and crossed the ocean to Canada. Recalling the scene of the inauguration ceremony of the bronze statue, Duan Luwen still remembers it vividly. When the red cloth covering the bronze statue was lifted, Mr. Zhongshan's upright posture attracted the attention of everyone present: holding a hat in his left hand and a crutch in his right hand, with a solemn look, staring at his distant home, China.

Toronto in November is late autumn. Many white-haired old overseas Chinese compatriots, dressed in cotton clothes and braved the autumn wind, came to the scene just to participate in the inauguration ceremony of the bronze statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Looking at the photos at that time now, and seeing the smiles on the faces of the old people, Duan Luwen is still very moved: "The pride and pride of the old people cannot be hidden. ”

Today, this bronze statue has been standing in Toronto for 5 spring and autumn seasons, becoming a must-visit place for overseas Chinese in Toronto, and has also become the "home" of the hearts of overseas Chinese in Toronto. "Whenever I see our compatriots standing under the bronze statue and looking up at Dr. Sun Yat-sen, I feel extremely proud and even more powerful." Duan Luwen said.

Fight the pandemic

Thinking about my hometown, not verbally, but actually doing it. For Duan Luwen, when he joined the big family of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, he had to do practical things for his compatriots.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Duan Luwen, who was in Canada, was anxious, "At that time, I was really anxious, and I hoped that I could help." ”

Knowing that there was a shortage of epidemic prevention materials such as masks in China at that time, Duan Luwen contacted relevant manufacturers and shops in Canada for the first time to look for epidemic prevention materials. In order to maintain real-time contact with China, he is in his 50s, regardless of the time difference of more than ten hours, and stays up late every day to communicate with China.

"If you find a mask, you buy it in a whole box and pack it up for the plane." Duan Luwen said, "I imagined that the medical staff on the front line wore them to treat diseases and save people, and their hearts were much more solid. ”

What makes Duan Luwen think about it is also Chinese enterprises. The epidemic has brought a certain impact on the operation of some overseas Chinese businesses. As the vice chairman of the Suzhou Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Duan Luwen can't sit still and thinks about how to help everyone get out of the epidemic every day.

Since the second half of last year, Duan Luwen has successively led the delegation of suzhou overseas Chinese chamber of commerce to visit various parts of China, communicate with overseas Chinese businessmen from more than a dozen countries and regions, and jointly discuss the new development of enterprises after the epidemic.

"Everyone twists into a rope and works together to run the business well." Duan Luwen said. As he said, more and more overseas Chinese enterprises in Suzhou have come out of the impact of the epidemic, and their business is more prosperous.

Celebrate the birthday of the party

Duan Luwen also has a wish: "This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the party leads the people to live a good life, and I also want to celebrate the birthday of the party." "Unexpectedly, this wish was really fulfilled.

One morning in June, Duan Luwen was informed that he would be invited to attend the celebration of the centenary of the founding of the Party in Tiananmen Square on July 1 as a representative of overseas Chinese and ethnic Chinese. The moment he received the news, he was thrilled, "like a dream."

At 5:00 a.m. on July 1, Duan Luwen set off from his residence for Tiananmen Square. Beijing in the early morning was heart-warming, and he was accompanied by a number of overseas Chinese representatives. They came from all over the world and gathered in Beijing to celebrate the centenary of the party.

In fact, this is not the first time that Duan Luwen has come to Tiananmen Square to participate in the ceremony. In 2019, as a representative of overseas Chinese and ethnic Chinese, he also participated in the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China. The cheers of the crowd, the neat steps of the soldiers, the scene at that time seemed to be in front of his eyes. "It is a great honor for me to be able to stand in Tiananmen Square twice to attend the ceremony." Duan Luwen said proudly. (Rui Jia Chen Chen)

People's Daily Overseas Edition ( 2021-09-27 Edition 06)