Mr. Li Xin hosted our Chefoo School Group for dinner in the Golden Gulf Hotel on Wednesday, March 28, following a day of celebration that included the official opening of the Chefoo School exhibit in the Yantai City Museum.
We were joined at this dinner by Mr Chen Haitao (sitting next to Mr. Ian Grant), a professional historian and translator of the Chefoo School history book by Gordon Martin that was the start of so many events leading to this historic day. We were also honoured to have Li Xin’s father, Mr Li Yuechun, and his brother, Dr. Li Min, in attendance.
But in another sense, the story of this day started back in Regina, Canada about 30 years ago when Ron and Roberta Richmond often hosted Li Xin and Li Min (then students at the U of Regina) in their home. The more recent unfolding of events commenced on the May 1 national holiday weekend in 2016 when Ron made inquiries of Li Xin about visiting Yantai to meet his father for the first time. The story of that visit is recorded here.
One of Li Xin’s school classmates, Mr Chi Ruowei (sitting next to him) is now Deputy Director of the Yantai Foreign Affairs Office. Also recognized this evening was another classmate, Ms Yin Hong, who was part of this story in our 2016 visit but not able to attend.
The dinner this evening was a celebration of good personal friendships and included the granting of an honourary membership in the Chefoo Schools Association to Li Xin, followed by Li Xin insisting he had really intended to pay his dues independently (which he still chose to do). But, as a gift to Ian in appreciation for their extensive work together on this project, Li Xin presented him with an authentic bit of his own boyhood history: a bicycle license, bearing an inscription with the word Chefoo, or Zhifu, (the name of the district in which he lived and where his bicycle had been registered).
The evening concluded with music provided by Andrea Keeble, daughter of Margorie Keeble, and a presentation by Ron Richmond of a book about Saskatchewan to Mr Li Senior in recognition of the long-standing family connections.
First published: 2018/04/14
Latest revision: 2018/07/30