A place remembered in different ways.
6 selected excerptsThese are excerpts from edited written oral histories. Time expressions follow the accounts; memories are not automatically verified historical facts.
001Personal recollectionChildhood
Childhood in the garden
My younger brothers and I used to chase one another across the lush lawn, sometimes playing football with abandon, sometimes swinging our badminton rackets. Back then, the garden was not enclosed by high, solid walls. Low bamboo fences separated it from its surroundings, open and simple.
Editorial contextFrom “My Home”. The location is generalised to Youai Road and the homes-and-gardens group; no house number is shown.
Read the Chinese original English translation: draft
往昔，我与弟弟们常于如茵草地上追逐嬉戏，有时酣畅淋漓地踢足球，有时身姿矫健地挥动羽毛球拍。那时，花园四周尚未筑起高大密实的围墙，仅以低矮的竹篱笆作为间隔，竹篱疏朗，尽显质朴之态。
English translation is a draft awaiting human review.
New Village Memories: Oral Histories of Guangzhou’s Huaqiao Xincun · Li Xiangliang · p. 49 (PDF page 61)
006Personal recollectionChildhood
Fruit trees on the way to school
Huaqiao Xincun was full of fruit trees and beautiful houses. On my way to school I often saw those trees, and sometimes could not resist picking fruit to taste. Many amusing things happened along the way.
Read the Chinese original English translation: draft
华侨新村里遍布着各类果树与漂亮的别墅。在去学校的途中，我时常会看到这些果树，有时还会忍不住摘些果子品尝，期间也发生过不少有趣的事。
English translation is a draft awaiting human review.
New Village Memories: Oral Histories of Guangzhou’s Huaqiao Xincun · Li Minjie · p. 44 (PDF page 56)
012Personal recollectionSummer holidays during school years
Gardens and food shared together
During the summer holidays, the school organised study groups in selected classmates’ homes. In the spirit of Lei Feng, pupils often helped neighbours weed their gardens, expressing friendship and a willingness to work. Returned overseas Chinese families also frequently exchanged food and culture, sharing snacks from the countries where they had lived, including Southeast Asia and North America.
Read the Chinese original English translation: draft
暑假期间，学校组织学生至指定同学家中成立学习小组。同学们常践行雷锋精神，协助邻里清理花园杂草，展现团结友爱、热爱劳动之风尚。此外，归侨家庭间文化交流频繁，时常会分享各自侨居国的小吃，如东南亚或北美的特色美食。
English translation is a draft awaiting human review.
New Village Memories: Oral Histories of Guangzhou’s Huaqiao Xincun · Chen Congyuan · p. 125 (PDF page 137)
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)
