Organized by the 52^nd Township Leadership Training Program of the Party School of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee, trainees undertaking the program arrived on 12 March at the Yuanhong Investment Zone, the Chinese hub participating in China-Indonesia “Two Countries, Twin Parks” project, for a field study. Their first stop was a visit to the Liem Sioe Liong Memorial Hall.

The memorial hall, with its iconic façade shaped like a colossal white liner, reminded the trainees of the arduous history of overseas Chinese crossing oceans, their indomitable spirit of perseverance and their heartfelt commitment to returning home and contributing to their homeland. The virtuosity and care for details demonstrated by the architect left them in awe.    

Guided by docents, the trainees toured the four exhibition halls. The struggles and patriotic dedication of Fuqing-born overseas Chinese epitomized by Mr. Liem Sioe Liong, were vividly portrayed through detailed documentation, historical photographs and rare artifacts. Immersive audiovisual technologies heightened the experience, evoking strong emotional resonance. 

Through the visit, the trainees learnt that Mr. Liem donated hospitals and schools; built bridges and roads; collaborated with the government to establish the Rongqiao Economic and Technological Development Zone and the Yuanhong Investment Zone; and led overseas compatriots to support the government-initiated Minjiang River Diversion Project. They were deeply moved by his philanthropic efforts. 

At the end of visit, the trainees unanimously described the visit as an enlightening cultural and spiritual journey. They expressed profound admiration and respect for overseas Chinese embodied by Mr. Liem for their enduring devotion to homeland. They believed that the memorial hall not only serves as a window into the struggles and achievements of overseas Chinese, their patriotism and development of their ancestral hometowns, but also acts as a bond connecting at compatriots home and abroad, inspiring collective efforts toward advancing Chinese style modernization.

Text: Lan Zhenhua

Photograph: Hong Ning