Liu Zhonghan speaks at the Kuliang Forum in Beijing on December 20, 2024. Photo: Courtesy of forum organizers

It has been 32 years. The 78-year-old Liu Zhonghan still remembers every word in "Ah! Kuliang," a 1,800-word article he published on the People's Daily in 1992. 

At the first Kuliang Forum, hosted by the People's Daily Digital Communication and Global Times on Friday, he started his sharing with the article's opening sentences: "I have always felt a need in my conscience to introduce the Gardner family to China. This feeling has been urging me, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, for nearly two years."

"This article made the story of Milton Gardner - a university physics professor, as well as the place - Kuliang, known to more people. His attachment to and longing for Kuliang, his second homeland in China, still moves me to this day," Liu told the Global Times during the forum. 

Kuliang, Kuliang 

The story starts with his promise to help Elizabeth Gardner, wife of Milton Gardner, to find the place that Milton Gardner kept uttering the word in the final hours of his life in 1986, "Kuliang, Kuliang..."

In order to learn English and make new friends, Liu, an international student in the US back then, joined the local grassroots organization "International House," a nonprofit organization that matches new foreign arrivals with local elderly people. 

It was there that Liu met Elizabeth Gardner and learned about the place Kuliang. At Friday's forum, Liu shared with the attendees that he was confused by the place's name Kuliang as he guessed it was some place like Guling in Jiangxi Province or Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It turned out that they were wrong places. It was until 1991, when Liu finally found the clue from the stamps in Milton Gardner's China collection, which were stamped with "Foochow, Kuliang," and confirmed that Kuliang was located in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province. These stamps were sent from Kuliang to California from 1911 to 1916 by the childhood friend Milton spent time with in Kuliang. They were neatly pasted on a sheet of middle school notebook paper.

Milton Gardner traveled with his parents as an infant to China in 1901 and spent nearly a decade of his childhood in suburban Fuzhou's Kuliang, a hillside resort among foreign expatriates. After returning to the US with his family in 1911, Gardner's greatest wish was to return to his childhood home in China. Unfortunately, he was never able to fulfill his wish. 

Liu did more than Elizabeth expected as he had the American couple's story published by the People's Daily.  

In his eyes, Milton's love for Kuliang transcend time and space. "This feeling began in his childhood, and even as an adult, he still missed his childhood playmates, transcending the differences in region, culture, knowledge and education, showing the most brilliant and great side of human nature," he added. 

Besides, the simple local people and their hospitality for foreign expatriates living there back then are one of the reasons why the story has been passed down. 

He also mentioned that a local child in Kuliang insisted on writing 11 letters to Milton. The young child did not seem very educated, but he still hoped to share his thoughts with his friend far, far away.

American cultural expert Elyn MacInnis (left), founder of "Kuliang Friends," a group gathering about 50 descendants of American families who once lived in Kuliang, reads the book Ah! Kuliang during a visit to Kuliang, Fujian Province on June 21, 2024. Photo: VCG

Pass on love and friendship 

Many Chinese readers were touched by the story, including Xi Jinping, then Fuzhou's Party chief. Touched by the story, Xi decided to help. He asked his subordinates to contact Elizabeth and invite her to Fuzhou, particularly Kuliang.

In August 1992, Elizabeth, at the age of 72, finally arrived in Fuzhou. Xi welcomed Elizabeth on the evening of her arrival. He said he was moved by her husband's attachment and longing for Fuzhou and Kuliang, and that was the reason for inviting her there. "You can see for him the place he had missed all his life," Xi told Elizabeth, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

As Elizabeth Gardner's companion on her visit to Fuzhou, Liu still vividly remembers the warm reception they received when Elizabeth Gardner stayed at the Western-style stone villa in Kuliang and met local villagers, including her husband's childhood Chinese friends, with whom she shared joyful, tear-filled conversations.

Liu said the trip enabled more people to know about Kuliang and Fuzhou, enhancing and shining a light on the friendship between China and the US.

At that time, Milton Gardener's unfulfilled wish was finally realized. Elizabeth Gardner noted with sincerity that the beautiful, unique, kind, and great love of Kuliang let her understand why her husband was so deeply attached to this place, Liu shared with the Global Times.

With such good ending, the story of Kuliang has brought the Chinese and American people together, as they share the spirit of peace, understanding and kindness. "Especially when today's world is facing many challenges, such friendship and relationship are even more precious," Liu noted. 

Having been actively taking part in cultural exchanges, Liu hopes to continue to make full use of his remaining energy to tell the story of Kuliang and spread friendship with Chinese and American friends. 

"We must actively face the challenges in China-US exchanges and adhere to peace, friendship and cooperation. 'One world, one family, integration and coexistence' is the only way for human development. The Chinese and American people are connected to each other. Working together and moving forward should be the eternal theme," Liu said. 

In Liu's eyes, Kuliang is no longer a mysterious place to peace-loving people in China and the US, and even around the world. There are still many beautiful and lovely stories like this left to be told.