by Yen Chun for China
Today
I was born in Beijing, China, to American citizens Chee Kwon
Chun and Sau Chun Wong Chun. My father's sister Chen Shuying
married Dr. Sun Fo, son of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. It was my uncle Dr. Sun
Fo who took my father to China from Hawaii in 1934, to be Sun Fo's
English Secretary. Sun Fo was the President of Legislative Yuan,
the highest law-making body in Nanjing government. Since my
father was born and raised in U.S.A., he did not speak very good
Chinese. Sun Fo asked his Chinese teacher Yang Yaokun to teach my
father Chinese. After observing my father for a while, Yang told my
father that he was not in the right place with the KMT government
because my father had high ideals but the KMT government was
corrupt and not wanting to fight the Japanese. Yang felt he should
meet Soong Ching Ling. Through Sun Fo's arrangement, my father met
Soong Ching Ling the first time in Shanghai. The Sun family used to
call Soong Ching Ling "Shanghai Grandma" as opposed to "Macao
Grandma", Dr. Sun's first wife Lu Muzhen. My father called Soong
Ching Ling "Aunty". He described her as soft-spoken, kind, yet had
conviction and principles. "She was a role model for our family and
a great lady", my father told me. "She followed Dr. Sun's
principles and wanted to relieve China from poverty".
In l937 when the Sino-Japanese war broke out, Dr. Sun Fo asked
my father to take his 2 sons T.P. Sun and T.K. Sun to study at
University of California at Berkeley. At the same time, my father
attended Graduate School at Berkeley. It was there my father read
the book "Red Star Over China" by Edgar Snow and was inspired to
meet with Mao Zedong and communist leaders and fight the war. With
Zhou En-lai's introduction, he went to Yanan, which was the
Communist headquarters. My father spent 9 months in Yanan. He met
with top leaders including Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Generals Zhu De
and Wang Zhen. Chairman Mao wrote this calligraphy for my father
after dinner at Mao's cave.
My father was most impressed by the spirit of the young people in
Yanan. They were all so selfless and dedicated to work on one
common cause – to fight the Japanese and save China. My father
asked the leaders to send him to the front and fight the war.
Premier Zhou Enlai said, "We don't need soldiers, we have plenty of
them. We need some one with your background and connection to go
back to Chung Qing to tell the people there what you saw in Yanan
and educate them."
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Chee Kwon Chun, left and General Wang Zhen
in Yanan in 1939.
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My father followed their instruction. He started telling people at
the KMT government how inspired he was with what he saw in Yanan.
After a while, Dr. Sun Fo summoned him to his office and told him
to stop talking about Yanan. "Chee Kwon, Chiang Kai-shek
will suspect I sent you to Yanan."
From 1940-1946, my father served as Director of Chinese
Industrial Cooperative (INDUSCO) at seven southeast provinces and
four war zones. INDUSCO was a crucial industrial movement in
support of the anti-Japanese war. They collected resources
for the war effort by creating small cooperative industries in the
countryside. Dr. H. H. Kung, then Premier and brother-in-law
of Soong Ching Ling was Chairman of INDUSCO. My father met with
Soong Ching Ling frequently during this period and discussed his
work with her. My father considers this period the most rewarding
and exciting time of his life because he was actively engaged in
fighting the Japanese and providing employment for young
people.
In 1947, when China's civil war broke out, my father returned to
Honolulu and worked as a real estate broker. His good friends
introduced my father to my mother Sau Chun Wong. They courted
for a few years and were married in 1950. By this time, the
People's Republic of China was already established. My father said,
"I have seen how corrupt the KMT regime was when I was working with
them. I want to see the New China now". Eight days after
their marriage, my parents moved to Beijing China. From 1950 to
1961 my parents lived in China. My brother Chen Ping and I
were born in Beijing.
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| Chun family in Beijing, Yangshi Da Jie in
1955 left to right. |
My father worked in the Foreign Press Publishing House and helped
distribute Chinese publications worldwide. We visited Soong
Ching Ling at her old home but I was too young to remember. In 1957
my father assisted China in setting up the first Guangzhou Trade
Fair. My parents lived frugally and went through some
difficult times but spiritually, my mother felt it was the
highlight of her life.
Our visits with Soong Ching Ling
In 1961, our family moved to Hong Kong where my father became a
banker. He was the only American citizen working as a high-ranking
officer in a People's Republic of China bank. He helped to
cultivate relationships between US and Chinese banks before
normalization between US and China. He also assisted Bank of
America in issuing its first travelers' checks in Hong Kong.
In 1972, President Nixon made his historical visit to China and
soon after that US and China established diplomatic
relationship. Because my father is one of the unique
individuals who had contacts with top leaders of both the
Nationalist and the Communist governments and at the same time,
knew American culture and practices, he started his US-China
consulting business. He and my mother represented numerous Fortune
500 Corporations in China from 1972 to 1987 when they retired. They
were regarded pioneers of US-China business consultants and were
very successful.
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| Deng Xiaoping at Hughes Tool Company in
1979. |
My parents befriended former President George Bush when Bush was
the Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in Beijing in the 70s.
Through George Bush's introduction, my father met the Chairman of
Hughes Tool Company, founded by Howard Hughes' father. Hughes
Tool subsequently appointed my father as their corporate advisor.
China's great leader Mr. Deng Xiao Ping toured Hughes Tool Company,
one of ONLY two companies he visited during his historical visit to
USA in 1979.
The following year, my parents and I negotiated the transfer of
Hughes Tool drill bit technology to the Ministry of Petroleum,
which constructed a drill bit plant in Wuhan Jianghan Oil Field– a
US200 million-dollar project.
It was during the 70s, my parents started visiting Soong Ching
Ling on a regular basis. When I joined my parents in their
business in 1978, I also visited Soong Ching Ling, my grand Aunty,
with my parents almost every time we were in Beijing. It would be
my favorite place to visit. She was always very warm and
affectionate towards us. We would hug and kiss each other when we
met.
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| SCL and Yen kissing in 1980. |
She always asked Mom or me to sit right next to her and would be
holding Mom's hand while we were talking. I enjoyed every visit we
had. She impressed me very much. As a great leader of
China and so accomplished in her life, she was very humble and
kind. She loved her country. She loved the children and women and
she contributed her entire life for their welfare. Grandaunt
also loved her family. She always asked my parents about her
brothers Zi An and Zi Liang, and my cousins (Sun Fo's children),
TP, TK, Pearl and Rose, and their families. She had amazing memory.
When I told her I was engaged and I brought my then fiancé to
visit her. Grandaunt was so thrilled. She gave me an alarm clock
wrapped in read paper and told me that was to wish me all the
happiness in my new life. I will treasure this gift for many years
to come.
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| From left to right, Sau Chun, SCL, Chee
Kwon, Standing: Yen and friend taken in 1980. |
Grandaunt always invited us to her home and gave us home
cooking. She would get a fresh fish from her creek and had it
prepared for us. She always remembered my father likes spring rolls
and braised prawns so those were the dishes she often served at her
home. When we did not have a chance to visit her due to busy
meeting schedules, she would have the spring rolls and braised
prawns cooked and delivered to Peking Hotel where we usually
stayed.
We also exchanged letters frequently. To protect Soong Ching
Ling's identity, we would use her other name Lin Tai when we wrote
to her from Hong Kong.
SCL's letter to Yen in
1980.
Story of Soong Ching Ling
One evening when we were visiting with Grandaunt in her living
room, her secretary Mr. Du came in and said there was an important
phone call for her. She excused herself to take the phone
call. A few minutes later, she returned and told us that there was
a Mr. Richard Chen from California who needed her help. Grandaunt
said Mr. Chen was an owner of the Holiday Inn Hotel in Palo Alto
and wanted to build a hotel in China. He asked Grandaunt to
find him a location for this joint venture hotel. A couple
years later, the hotel was completed. It was China's first
joint venture hotel with service of international standard.
It is called the Jianguo Hotel. The joint venture was extremely
successful. The hotel recovered its investment in one year
and became a gold mine because it was so popular. For the
foreign expatriates living in Beijing, it meant they had American
standard of service, good quality coffee and great
hamburgers. The American expatriates used to joke about the
significance of Jianguo Hotel. They called Beijing the "Pre Jianguo
period" and the "Post Jianguo period". Grandaunt was instrumental
in helping to build this first class hotel in China with
international standard.
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| SCL sitting in the middle, front row, Yen
in front of SCL on left, and Sau Chun and Chee Kwon standing
immediately behind SCL, Rewi Ally 2nd on Right, Ma Haide 1st on
Right. |
One of the happiest times we had with Grandaunt, was the
celebration of Rewi Ally's 80th birthday. Soong Ching Ling invited
all her international friends for dinner and we all sang happy
birthday to Rewi Ally when he blew out the candles on the birthday
cake. This is a group photo of us at the party.
In 1981, Grandaunt was diagnosed with leukemia, which eventually
caused her life. Before she passed away, most of the
relatives and good friends were at her bedside. My parents
and I rushed to Beijing when we heard she was seriously ill.
As soon as we arrived in Beijing, Liao Gong (Liao Cheng Zhi
received us and gave us a briefing of her medical status and sent
us her home to visit her. We were joined by family members Pearl
Sun Lin, Rose and her husband Paul Tchang, Paul and Eileen Lin, Dai
Cheng Gong and Grandaunt's closest friends Ernest Tang and Shen
Shuizhen.
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| With Sun relatives and Liao Gong.
Sitting Left to Right, Sau Chun, Shen
Shuizhen, Mrs. Liao Chengzhi, Pearl Sun Lin , Rose Sun Tchang
sitting behind Pearl. Standing left to
right, Secretary Du, Paul Lin, Chee Kwon, Yen, Liao Chengzhi,
Eileen Lin, Paul Tchang, Wang Zhimin, Secretary General of State
Council). |
We called her name when we arrived at her bedside. She was too weak
to respond but tears rolled down her cheeks and she tried to speak
to us. Soon after that, she went into a coma.
The Chinese leaders were very concerned about her. They sent a
12-member medical team with prominent doctors giving her round the
clock care and the best possible medical treatment. One of the lead
doctors was Dr. Zhou Shang Jueh, Premier Zhou Enlai's doctor whom
we befriended years ago. Liao Goong and other leaders respected the
family's opinion and consulted with us every step including her
treatment, her funeral plan and burial plan.
At the early stage of Soong Ching Ling's illness, we decided to
tell Soong Mei Ling about Soong Ching Ling's serious condition
hoping Mei Ling would return to China to see her sister one more
time before Soong Ching Ling passed away. The family sent a
telegram to New York to inform Mei Ling. A couple days later,
there was a return cable saying, "Send sister to New York for
treatment. Signed: Family." We were quite shocked about the
response. Mei Ling did not even sign her own name on the
cable. The content was very cold and indifferent. After
this cable, we never heard from Mei Ling again.
Grandaunt passed away on May 29, 1981. I went to the cable
office late that night with a heavy heart to inform all the
relatives around the world about the sad news.
The Chinese government gave Grandaunt the highest possible
farewell. Her body lay in state for 3 full days at the Great
Hall of the people where thousands and thousands of people lined up
to pay respect to her. There was a state funeral at the Great Hall
of People attended by all the top leaders and common people
representing all walks of life. After the funeral service, she was
sent to Ba Bao Shan for cremation. We, the relatives boarded one
bus and followed the hearse lead by police escort. All the Chinese
leaders followed the procession. We saw thousands and thousands of
people standing on both sides of Chang An Jie sending her off all
the way to Ba Bao Shan. People crowded the streets so tightly that
our funeral procession could hardly get through. Many people
cried bitterly. Some of them saluted her when her hearse was
passing through. We were touched by the degree all the people
showed in their love for her. We realized how much she had
contributed herself to improve the welfare of Chinese children and
women and how much she had done to promote world peace. It is
interesting that she never bragged about herself and all the
incredible work she has done for the country and people. She
is quite a role model for all of the entire country and us.
According to her will, which we later read about, she wanted to
be buried next to her parents in Shanghai. On the other side of her
grave, she had buried her close companion and servant who followed
her many years. She was so humble that she did not demand to be
buried with Dr. Sun Yat-sen at the Nanjing Mausoleum.
Establishing the Soong Ching Ling Foundation in
USA
It was during her funeral service, the family of Soong Ching
Ling decided to form Soong Ching Ling Foundation in USA
to honor her and to continue her work. The founding members
were all relatives of Soong Ching Ling. They were Pearl Sun Lin,
Andrew Lin, Regina Lin (Pearl's daughter), Gregory Lin (Pearl's
son), Rose Sun Tchang, Paul Tchang, Genevieve Tchang (Rose's
daughter), Paul T. K. Lin (Andrew Lin's brother, Eileen Li, Chee
Kwon Chun, Sau Chun Wong Chun, Yen Chun, Ni Bing and Victoria Tai
(Dr. Sun's daughter's daughter). The Foundation headquarter was in
San Diego, California. The objectives for the Foundation were:
1. To improve children and women's welfare in China
2. To promote understanding between USA and China
3. To promote world peace
After the establishment of our Foundation, we suggested to China to
form similar Foundations so that we could work together more
effectively. Beijing and Shanghai both took our suggestion and
formed their Foundations accordingly. China's top leader Deng
Xiao Ping agreed to be the honorary chairman of the
Foundation. He sent a congratulatory letter to us.
My parents worked tirelessly on numerous projects with the
Foundation including bringing American classical films for Chinese
children. They helped bring the Shanghai Children's Palace Art
Troupe to perform in Hawaii in 1989, during the difficult time
between China and USA. They also funded many school projects in
China.
From 1983-1985, my parents assisted in the establishment of
Sister State relations between Hawaii and Guangdong and were
two-time members of Honolulu City Council delegation to Hainan,
China to establish Sister Island relation between Oahu and
Hainan.
In 1985, The Council of the Honolulu City and County issued
resolutions to my parents for their contribution to the growth of
Honolulu's role in the future development of the Asian/Pacific
region.
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| Chee Kwon Chun receiving the Camphor Tree
Award, 1994. Left to right: Feng
Lirong, Director of Soong Ching Ling Kindergarten congratulating
Chee Kwon, with Huang Hua looking on the Right). |
In 1994, my father received the Soong Ching Ling Camphor Tree Award
given to individuals with outstanding contributions to improving
maternity care and children's education and health in China.
I have been continuing my parents' work after they retired,
promoting U.S.-China friendship, cultural and educational
exchanges. I helped many schools in Hawaii on the student
exchange programs with China. I set up management training programs
for Chinese kindergarten and pre-school teachers to be trained in
Hawaii and Chinese hospital directors to be trained at top
hospitals in Hawaii. I set up summer camps for U.S. students in
China. I helped arrange for the Shanghai Children's Palace
performing art troupe to perform in Hawaii 3 times. I led a Hawaii
Hula Halau to participate in Shanghai International Children's Art
Festivals three times. I hosted many top Chinese delegations'
visiting Hawaii. I served as the mistress of ceremony at the
Mayor's banquet in honor of President Jiang Zemin during his
historical visit to Honolulu in 1997. President Jiang complimented
me to the Mayor of Honolulu, Jeremy Harris, that I was an excellent
emcee and my Chinese was very good.
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Chee Kwon (right 4) and
Israel Epstein (left 3 sitting) receiving the Camphor Tree
Awards.
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In Ambassador Huang Hua's most recent published book, "Memoirs of
Huang Hua", Huang Hua stated that "Chee Kwon Chun's daughter has
long taken over her aging parents' work in promoting friendship and
understanding between the peoples of U.S. and China." It is such a
great honor to receive Ambassador Huang's compliment.
Soong Ching Ling's influence in our lives
I admired Soong Ching Ling and considered her as a great role
model for our family and also for the world in the 20th
century.
I named my daughter Adrienne Yi Ling Chuck, remembering Soong
Ching Ling. I hope my daughter will have Soong Ching Ling's strong
principles in life, her intelligence and beauty inside and
out. Even though we live in Hawaii, I spoke Chinese to my son
Jonathan (now almost 21) and daughter Adrienne (19) ever since they
were born. I traveled to China many times with my children so that
they would get to know their roots and understand Chinese culture.
We joined my parents in Hong Kong in 1997 to witness the historical
return of Hong Kong to China.
To my delight, my son has decided China will be in his future
career. He worked in China last summer and planned to do the same
this summer and be at the Beijing Olympics. My daughter did Chinese
folk and minority dances for 11 years when she was growing up. She
traveled to China three times with her dance group Phoenix Dance
Chamber to very remote places for dance and culture exchanges with
the national minorities. She wants to help the less privileged
people in the world after she graduates from college. Both of my
children have close ties with China.
In memory of my brother Ping Chun
My parents lost their only son, my brother, Ping Chun,
tragically in a plane crash in Chicago in 1979. My brother was only
26 years old. He was an outstanding student working on his PhD and
was offered many jobs in the U.S. as an electrical engineer. Before
his death, he accepted a job offer with Hewlett Packard in
California and was going to move there. He was on his way to visit
me in Los Angeles when the plane crashed. I was working as a
computer programmer at that time. We were the best of friends
and our family was very close. He was a filial son to my
parents and a great big brother to me. After that tragedy, I
left my job in Los Angeles to join my parents in their business and
provide them spiritual support. I wanted to take care of my
parents, as my brother would have done. In order to obtain
compensation from American Airline and McDonald Douglas, the two
parties at fault for the plane crash, my family went through 10
years of painful lawsuits. We went from district court to
federal court and then appeal court and won all the way. Upon the
settlement of the lawsuit, after paying the lawyers' fees, my
parents donated a major portion of the compensation for my
brother's life to the following organizations:
1. Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago – the university
where my brother attended undergraduate and graduate school for 6
years. For five years, we offered scholarships to students majoring
in electrical engineering, which was my brother's major. His dream
was to help China to build her computer industry.
2. University of Hawaii – scholarship for Chinese students from
the People's Republic of China to study in Department of public
health. We wanted to train more people who could return to
China and work in the public health area. Scholarship was
offered for 5 years.
3. Funds for purchasing educational and gymnastic equipment for
the Soong Ching Ling Kindergarten in Shanghai. The Kindergarten was
founded by Soong Ching Ling and is under the leadership of China
Welfare Institute and Soong Ching Ling Foundation in Shanghai.
4. Through the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, we donated
funds to build Datan elementary school in Hebei Province Feng Ning
County. My parents visited this school with Ambassador and Mrs.
Huang Hua and the leaders of the Soong Ching Ling Foundation in
1998.
My parents live a very exemplary life and are my great role
models. Their work and accomplishment were recognized by both
Chinese and American leaders. I sincerely hope my children
will follow their footsteps in the future.
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| Chee Kwon State Councilor Liao Chengzhi
in 1982. |
Vice Premier Li Ruihuan in
1996. |
Minister Qian Qichen in 1996. |
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| President Jiang Zemin with Sun family in
1996. Standing 2nd roll 2nd from left, Sau Chun, Chee Kwon, Andrew
Lin (Pearl's husband), Pearl Sun Lin, T.K. Sun, Tina Sun (TK's
wife), Rose Sun Tchang, Paul Tchang (Rose' husband), Leland Sun
(Dr. Sun's great-grand-son). Last roll standing, Yen in the
middle. |
With Ambassador Huang Hua in 1997 during
Huang Hua's visit to Hawaii. Left to right He liliang, Chee
Kwon, Huang Hua, Sau Chun, Yen Chun. |
Vice President Hu Jintao visited Hawaii
in 2002 and received the outstanding Chinese community leaders.
Standing second roll, Left 2 is Chee Kwon, Left 3 is
Yen. |
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| Hawaii's Governor Ariyoshi received Chun
family in 1985. Left to Right, Yen Chun, Sau Chun, Governor
Ariyoshi and Chee Kwon. |
Vice Governor Waihee of Hawaii, 1985 and
Chee Kwon (left). Vice Governor Waihee later became the
Governor of Hawaii. |
Honolulu Mayor Harris in 2000. Left to
right Mrs. Harris, Mayor Harris, Chee Kwon, Yen, Sau
Chun. |
Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann in 2005 talking
to the Chee Kwon and Sau Chun at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park
dedication ceremony.
(China Today January 1, 2008)
