The words "A World Legend China Yangcheng Leofoo Inn" are particularly striking, and the background is a film-like pattern of film stills, which begins with the head of Hollywood movie star Ingrid Bergman. All of these elements form a huge billboard that towers over the roof of a small four-story building.
This belongs to the bustling area of Yangcheng County. To the east is Yangcheng No.1 Middle School, to the west is Fengcheng Town Dongguan Village, connecting the two places is the Donghe Bridge, and there is a road market along both sides of the bridge. The four floors are on the side of the road, the billboard is on the head, and in the flow of people coming and going, few people stop to think about the meaning behind the "Leofoo Inn", what is the connection between these four words and the land under their feet?
"Leofoo Inn? It's the supermarket on the first floor of that small building, right? "If you ask a passerby, that's the answer you hear the most. The footsteps are hurried, the figure is so large, no one thinks that this is the story of a great soul and the tragic fate of hundreds of orphans. Gladis Ewelld was a female missionary from England who later became a Chinese national. During China's War of Resistance Against Japan, Ai Weide led more than 100 orphans from Yangcheng, crossed the Zhongtiao Mountain on foot, and moved to the Xi'an Orphanage in the rear.
In Avaide, the light of humanitarianism, through the smoke of war, across the long river of history, still reaches the hearts of people.
Thousands of miles of migration to save the lonely road
In 1903, the Englishman Smed came to Yangcheng to preach and set up a church in the back alley of Dongguan. After 1921, the three Britishmen, abbreviated as Ho, Ba and Ai, preached in turn. In 1938, the Japanese army invaded Yangcheng, and Priest Ai left Yangcheng. This is a written record of the 1994 edition of the Yangcheng County Chronicle, in which the "Priest Ai" mentioned is Ai Weide. However, Ai Weide's feats in Yangcheng will not be drowned out by history.
In 1930, at the age of 28, Ai Weide took Tianjin to Yangcheng. Coming to a foreign country, Ai Weide followed the customs, wore a cheongsam, learned dialects, and soon integrated into the social life of Yangcheng. She gained the trust of the county magistrate and was appointed "Supervisor of Foot Binding" to help the government implement the "Foot Let Go Campaign". She was recognized by the mules who came and went, and the "Babo Inn" (renamed "Leo Fu Inn" in Hollywood movies) opened by the "Foreign Devils" was well known. With the proceeds from running an inn, Awid used to proselytize and adopt wounded soldiers, sponsor refugees, and adopt orphans.
In 1938, the Japanese army occupied Yangcheng. Avaide, who had already acquired Chinese citizenship, had adopted more than 100 orphans at this time. In order to ensure the safety of the children, Avaide decided to send the children to an orphanage in Xi'an. There are about 480 kilometers of mountain roads from Yangcheng to Xi'an, and of all the children, the oldest is 16 years old and the youngest is only 4 years old. An unusually difficult journey lay in front of him, and Avender was not afraid. She remembered the adventurous journey from England to China, starting from London, traveling east by train, crossing Eastern Europe, passing through the Trans-Siberian Railway, crossing eurasia, and finally reaching China. In Ewelld's view, these orphans were her children. One day in March 1940, this special team set off. In order to avoid the Japanese army, they did not dare to take the road, and they could only cross the mountains and mountains under the leadership of the locals, and they could eat and sleep in the wind. After more than a month of hardships, more than 100 children were sent to the Fufeng County Orphanage founded by Song Meiling without landing.
A piece of Dan's heart shines on the world
In the Hollywood movie "Leofoo Inn", Awild has such a line, "I came here to realize value." "Undoubtedly, this is a soul with a firm conviction and a heart of fraternity.
In 1941, after returning to China, Ewell wrote an autobiography of "My Heart in China". After the British writer Alan Birsch saw it, he used her deeds as a base to write and publish a biographical novel "Little Women", which not only became a bestseller, but also adapted it into a radio drama by the British BBC Radio. These have made Aveid a household name in Britain. In 1957, the Twentieth Century Fox Company in Hollywood, USA, based on her legend in Yangcheng, was adapted into the movie "Leofoo Inn", played by the famous movie star Ingrid Bergman. The film later won the 16th Golden Globe Awards for American Cinema. Again and again into the works of art, Avaide has become more famous all over the world. Her deeds have touched countless young people in Europe and the United States and become the embodiment of love.
Since 2000, from time to time, foreigners have come to Yangcheng to visit the former site of The Leofoo Inn, look for the ruins of Avaid, and feel the strong warmth of human nature. In September 2000, led by the staff of the Zhengzhou Christian Church, a British couple came to Yangcheng from Zhengzhou, Henan. In October 2004, 15 foreign guests from the United States and Britain came to Yangcheng, and it turned out that they were professors lecturing and substitute classes at Zhengzhou Sias International University. In November 2011, a Swiss businessman named Daniel came to Yangcheng because he had the idea of coming here since he was a child. In 2012, some American children also came to visit the Leofoo Inn and exchanged views with the local kindergarten in Yangcheng. In May 2012, American friend Jeff retraced the path of thousands of miles that Avender had walked.
It has been 45 years since Ai Weide's death, and the Leofoo Inn has long ceased to be the same year, but it has transformed into a rainbow and built a bridge between the East and the West. Whether it's any kind of art related to Avender, or any heart that comes to visit Aveid's ruins, it alludes to the theme that only love can be eternal.
Where is the Leofoo Inn now
The street scene of Yangcheng in the movie "Leofoo Inn", as an old film, of course, it is impossible to shoot on the spot. So, what did the historical Leofoo Inn look like?
A two-story old mansion in Dongguan Village, Yangcheng, is the largest relic related to Ai Weide. On the lintel of this courtyard hangs a plaque of "Leofoo Inn", under which is the small letters "Gratis Ewelld's Former Residence" and "North City Trench No. 25" on a white background. But on the gray brick wall below, clearly written "No. 6 Xinghou Alley" and "Old Jesus Church", which should be the historical mark of this courtyard.
Yes, this old courtyard, where a family still lives, was once the "Old Jesus Church" and was also the house of Ewelld. The north room is three brick and tile rooms, and there is also an ear room on each side, and it is all two-storey. The doors and windows were mottled, the stairs were in disrepair, but all of these were filled with memories. The display board in the courtyard has a rendering of the old county's eastern district, and the house contains books, DVDs and promotional materials related to the Leofoo Inn. All that is on display is the desire to restore the ancient city including the Leofoo Inn. The real Leofoo Inn no longer exists, only a section of green brick courtyard wall remains, and two residential buildings were built in the original compound a few years ago.
Although there are some shortcomings in the remains, the cultural connotations and economic values they contain cannot be excavated and developed to a greater extent, which is the biggest regret. In 2012, Yangcheng County established the Luk Fook Inn Cultural Research Association and the Luk Fook Inn Tourism Development Co., Ltd., and registered the trademark of The Luk Fook Inn, and began to repair and rebuild the Leofoo Inn. Lin Yun of the Jincheng City Foreign Affairs Office edited the book "The Six Blessings Inn that Shook the World", which recorded in detail the life deeds of Ai Weide and the past and present lives of the Six Blessings Inn. Wang Baolu, secretary of the Dongguan Village branch, proposed a plan to combine the restoration and development of the Leofoo Inn with the transformation of a nearby Ming and Qing street, and also organized personnel to travel nearly a thousand miles five times, repeatedly examining the route of Escorting orphans in that year.
The Luk Fook Inn was originally an ordinary courtyard hidden in Yangcheng County, but it was famous for inhabiting a great soul. Whether it is the legend of saving orphans for thousands of miles, the spirit of loving all sentient beings, or the influence of being famous in the world, "Leofoo Inn" is a very competitive cultural resource. But all kinds of things, still stuck in the stage of "blossoming in the wall and incense outside the wall", how to form an international brand, and then feed back to the local area, and give play to the practical significance of Luk Fook Inn? It was another long-term journey.
Source: Sanjin Metropolis Daily reporter Li Qingwei