Different voices, a shared theme.
7 selected excerptsThese are excerpts from edited written oral histories. Time expressions follow the accounts; memories are not automatically verified historical facts.
002Personal recollectionSchool years; exact year unspecified
Badminton in the hall
Young overseas Chinese from Southeast Asia loved badminton, so the hall was not only a meeting place but also a popular spot for students to play after class. Light, white shuttlecocks traced graceful arcs overhead, accompanied by the crisp sound of rackets. Everyone was absorbed in the pleasure of the game.
Read the Chinese original English translation: draft
东南亚华侨青少年很喜欢打羽毛球，所以这个礼堂除了用作开会会场外，更是学生们课余时间打羽毛球的热门场所。一个个洁白轻盈的羽毛球在礼堂上空划出优美的弧线，伴随清脆的击球声，场面一派热闹。同学们全都沉浸在运动的乐趣中。
English translation is a draft awaiting human review.
New Village Memories: Oral Histories of Guangzhou’s Huaqiao Xincun · Li Xiangliang · p. 56 (PDF page 68)
003Personal recollectionAfter-school hours in the past
A pitch without walls
There were no walls here; the grounds connected freely with the outside, and people were not cleared out. Everyone was considerate and did not interrupt PE lessons. Most came to play after four in the afternoon, except on holidays. With no floodlights, games usually ended at dusk without disturbing the neighbours.
Read the Chinese original English translation: draft
这里没有围墙，与外界相融相通，不会清场。人们都心怀自觉，上体育课的时候不会贸然干扰，大多是下午四点以后（假日除外）才来踢球。因为球场未设灯光，踢球的活动往往在天黑时分落幕，不会扰民。
English translation is a draft awaiting human review.
New Village Memories: Oral Histories of Guangzhou’s Huaqiao Xincun · Li Xiangliang · p. 57 (PDF page 69)
010Personal recollectionSchool years
Beyond the classroom
Life in Huaqiao Xincun was concentrated within the neighbourhood. Besides daily classes, there were many extracurricular activities: dance classes, sports and school-organised factory and farm work. Each week, half a day was spent working in the school factory, for example packing crayons, or learning farming outside school, such as planting castor beans. The school emphasised all-round development.
Read the Chinese original English translation: draft
华侨新村社区生活范围集中，除日常学习外，课余活动亦丰富多彩，华侨小学不仅开设舞蹈班、开展体育活动，还有校办的工农活动。学校每周安排半天时间参加校内工厂劳动，如装蜡笔；或在校外的农场学农，如种植蓖麻等；注重学生的德智体美劳全面发展。
English translation is a draft awaiting human review.
New Village Memories: Oral Histories of Guangzhou’s Huaqiao Xincun · Chen Congyuan · p. 124 (PDF page 136)
011Personal recollectionSchool years
A gathering place at school
The school had a large Soviet-style assembly hall, an unusually large gathering place in Guangzhou. It often hosted meetings, ceremonies and social celebrations for overseas Chinese.
Read the Chinese original English translation: draft
校内有一座苏式风格大礼堂，其为广州罕见的大型集会场所，常举办会议、典礼及侨胞联欢活动。
English translation is a draft awaiting human review.
New Village Memories: Oral Histories of Guangzhou’s Huaqiao Xincun · Chen Congyuan · p. 124 (PDF page 136)
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)
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)
