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.
016Personal recollectionAfter moving in in 1956
Gardening beyond the studio
When we moved in in 1956, the surroundings were peaceful and particularly suitable for artistic work, so we stayed for decades. My father liked growing flowers and plants, and often tended them in the courtyard when he was not working.
Read the Chinese original English translation: draft
1956年我们入住时环境清幽，特别适合艺术创作，因此在此居住了数十年。父亲平时喜欢种花养草，工作之余，常在院子里打理花草。
English translation is a draft awaiting human review.
New Village Memories: Oral Histories of Guangzhou’s Huaqiao Xincun · Yu Jinsen · p. 81 (PDF page 93)
017Personal recollectionDuring life in the neighbourhood
A painter and his neighbours
My father was quiet by nature, but many well-known people lived in Huaqiao Xincun, and some friends from the cultural world visited him. The celebrated Cantonese opera performer Hung Sin-nui lived opposite and often dropped by, calling him “Uncle Yu”. He also painted her portrait.
Read the Chinese original English translation: draft
在社交方面，父亲本性喜欢安静，不过华侨新村居住着许多知名人士，仍有些文化界朋友往来。著名粤剧演员红线女因为住在对面，经常过来串门喊他“余伯”，父亲还为她画过肖像。
English translation is a draft awaiting human review.
New Village Memories: Oral Histories of Guangzhou’s Huaqiao Xincun · Yu Jinsen · p. 82 (PDF page 94)
018Personal recollectionContrast between the past and the time of the account
From bamboo fences to high walls
Today, the lively fences have been replaced by brick walls two metres high, making it harder for neighbours to chat across them. It is a striking contrast with the past: residents once leaned against bamboo fences to talk, whereas high walls now quietly reduce everyday interaction.
Editorial contextThis is the narrator’s understanding of spatial change, not an independently verified causal conclusion.
Read the Chinese original English translation: draft
如今这些富有生机的篱笆墙已被两米高的砖墙替代，邻里间再难隔墙闲谈。这与往昔景象形成鲜明对照——过去居民常倚着竹篱交流，如今高墙却无形中减少了人际互动。
English translation is a draft awaiting human review.
New Village Memories: Oral Histories of Guangzhou’s Huaqiao Xincun · Yu Jinsen · p. 83 (PDF page 95)
