Memories of the neighbourhood
3 selected excerptsThese are excerpts from edited written oral histories. Time expressions follow the accounts; memories are not automatically verified historical facts.
007Personal recollection1958
Arriving on Aiguo Road
In 1958, my mother, another elder sister and my nephew, then only eight and a half, travelled back with us by ship. After roughly ten days we entered through the Luohu crossing in Shenzhen and reached Guangzhou, where we rented a home on Aiguo Road.
Read the Chinese original English translation: draft
1958年，母亲、另一位姐姐和年仅八岁半的小外甥随我们一起坐船归国，历经大约十日，自深圳罗湖口岸入境广州，暂时在爱国路租赁房屋居住。
English translation is a draft awaiting human review.
New Village Memories: Oral Histories of Guangzhou’s Huaqiao Xincun · Lai Yunyun · p. 111 (PDF page 123)
008Personal recollectionPrimary and secondary school years
Like their own children
Most pupils at Huaqiao Primary School were children of returned overseas Chinese; many teachers were themselves returnees and cared for the pupils as if they were their own. At No. 21 Middle School, our classmates included both children of returnees and children from local working families. We got along well and remained in touch.
Read the Chinese original English translation: draft
华侨小学学生大多为归侨子女，老师亦多为归侨，对学生视如己出，关怀备至。升入二十一中后，同学中既有归侨子女，亦有本地工薪家庭子弟，大家关系融洽，至今仍有联系。
English translation is a draft awaiting human review.
New Village Memories: Oral Histories of Guangzhou’s Huaqiao Xincun · Lai Yunyun · p. 111 (PDF page 123)
009Personal recollectionEarly years after returning; exact year unspecified
A street where trains passed
At that time, farmland surrounded much of Huaqiao Xincun. The Youai Road area was open, trains sometimes passed by, and buildings such as the Garden Hotel and Baiyun Hotel had not yet been built. The main community road was paved with concrete; the other roads were simpler.
Read the Chinese original English translation: draft
彼时华侨新村周边多为农田，友爱路一带空旷，时有火车经过，花园酒店、白云宾馆等建筑尚未兴建。社区主干道为水泥路面，其余道路稍显简陋。
English translation is a draft awaiting human review.
New Village Memories: Oral Histories of Guangzhou’s Huaqiao Xincun · Lai Yunyun · p. 113 (PDF page 125)
