A place remembered in different ways.
2 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)
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)