Source: Taiwan Straits Network
■ Chen Fujin often walks the streets and alleys in his spare time.
According to the Xiamen Evening News, Chen Fujin, who was born in Jimei Guankou, is a senior lawyer. He often used his spare time to walk the streets and alleys, and together with some like-minded friends, he searched for the urban memory of old Xiamen, and wrote and published two books of history, "Walking in Search of Old Xiamen" and "Chen Jing Chen Jing". Recently, he told reporters the story behind the publication of these two books.
■ Cover of "Chen Jing Chen Jing"
"Chen Jing, Chen Jing"
Photographers are invited to photograph the village themselves, and they record their memories in writing
A few years ago, when he heard that his hometown of Chen Jing Village might be demolished, Chen Fujin had the idea of writing a book for his hometown. "I want to leave a memory of my hometown with pictures and words." On the one hand, he invited professional photographers to the village to photograph the village through flat photography and aerial photography, and on the other hand, he recorded his memories of his hometown with words.
Chen Fujin began writing in 2015 and worked until he finished in 2020. He basically returned to Chenjing Village once a week to see the elderly at home and pay attention to the changes in his hometown. He said that in the past, vegetables were grown in the traditional way, and now it is semi-automated spraying. He still clearly remembers that the vegetables grown in every household were not only purchased in bulk by the supply and marketing cooperatives, but also carried on bicycles to Jiaomei and farther away Longhai Baishuiying and other places to sell. At three or four o'clock in the morning in the winter, he was awakened by the sound of crackling in his deep sleep, which was the preparation before the eldest brother went to the Whitewater Camp to sell vegetables. It was dark outside, the indoor space was cramped, and the young Chen Fujin looked at the busy figures of his mother and eldest brother and felt the hardships of life.
Chen Fujin, published last year, presented the book to the village's association of the elderly and villagers, along with a USB stick that collected aerial pictures of the village. Today, the village has been gradually demolished, but the precious memories of the village are left behind.
"Walking in Search of Old Xiamen"
Literature and history experts explain history
More than 10,000 people visited together
In 2015, when Chen Fujin and his children were walking around the old city, they had the idea of asking experts in literature and history to explain history. After contacting teacher Gong Jie, an expert in literature and history, he felt that it was too wasteful for two people to listen to, so he issued an invitation in the circle of friends, and he did not expect that 46 people signed up in half an hour. After the event, the "Walking in Old Xiamen" group was also established, and more than 130 activities have been held so far, with more than 10,000 people participating, and the footprints have spread inside and outside the island. Among them, 2/3 are Xiamen natives and 1/3 are new Xiamen natives. In 2017, Chen Fujin's book "Walking in Search of Old Xiamen" was published, which was his love letter to Xiamen.
In January this year, Chen Fujin launched the "Walking in Search of the Lost Pearls of the Sea Silk Scattered in Maluan Bay". Jimei Maluan Village, Xibin Village, Chen Jing Village, Qianchang Village, etc. all have Western-style buildings built by overseas Chinese returning to their hometowns, and he organized a relatively professional small team to visit. They also plan to go to Zengying Village, Gaopu Village, Jinyuan Village, Dong'an Village, Houxi's Ramie, Bantou, Shidou and other places, and plan to publish a book on overseas Chinese architecture.
Chen Fujin said that the former Ramie Creek nourished Jimei; Gaopu City and the port played an important role in the development of Xiamen; and the Shenqing Ancient Station at Guankou was established in the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties. He hopes to do what he can for the excavation, collation and dissemination of Jimei's history and culture, and provide a little new inspiration and ideas for the development of Jimei.
【About the Author】
Chen Fujin, pen name "Dream Field Farmer", Jimei Guankou people, has been a university teacher, civil servants, is now a senior lawyer of Yingke Law Firm, Xiamen University Shuo director, initiated and organized the "Walking in Search of Old Xiamen" activity, is a member of the Provincial Writers Association, has written and published four books such as "Walking in Search of Old Xiamen" and "Chen Jing Chen Jing".
(Reporter Gong Xiaoguan)