Reported by Chen Guan-Lin / County Government
Jinjiang Pudie Society and Kinmen County Clan Culture Research Association have long cooperated in the study of genealogies and clan cultures and shared their results with each other. Since the two organizations formed a friendship alliance five years ago, their cooperation has tightened due to better mutual understanding. To celebrate the 5th anniversary of the alliance, the Jinjiang-Kinmen Ancestral Hall Culture Joint Exhibition was held at Chen Jing-Lan’s Western-Style House yesterday. The exhibition consisted of three themes: the ancestral hall culture exhibition, the photo gallery regarding the previous exchange events organized by the association, and the panel discussion. Cai Si-Hu, Mayor of Jinhu Township, Cai Nai-Jing, Chairman of the Township Council, and others were invited to this event.
According to Kinmen County Clan Culture Research Association, one of its main missions is to promote the research and development of the ancestral hall culture. Chen Jing-Lan’s Western-Style House was built by Chen Jing-Lan, a Kinmen citizen living abroad, in 1921. Chen used to tell his descendants not to forget the difficulties of starting a business, and his descendants, with his words in mind, provided the house for public benefit purposes, so as to maximize its use and meet whatever needs the public may have. The house used to serve as a hospital, school, and resort, which are the contributions specifically made according to various needs in different times.
For tourism purposes, Chen Jing-Lan’s Western-Style House has been developed into a major scenic spot in Kinmen, and it attracts a considerable number of visitors every day. To improve the function of the Western-Style House, Jinhu Township Office commissioned Kinmen County Clan Culture Research Association to develop the house, along with Juemin Hall, into an exhibition center. In addition to the constant exhibition based on two main themes, “Ancestral Roots and Return to Our Roots,” Kinmen County Clan Culture Research Association launched different events on an irregular basis during the exhibition period to add variety to the exhibition. A root tracking station was set up, which has helped a number of people find their roots and relatives. Moreover, the Kinmen Station for Zhangzhou Cultural and Creative Products greatly boosted the sales of cultural and creative products from Zhangzhou, such as ukulele, Babao Ink Paste, and Xu Zhu-Chu’s wood puppets.
Cai Si-Hu, Mayor of Jinhu Township, stated that talents played the most important role in the exhibition. He asked every staff member to serve as a guide and receive intensive training this April. Kinmen residents who are interested were also recruited to fill the vacancies. After the training, all the thirty-something trainees were able to provide guided tours for visitors in the exhibition center.
Kinmen County Clan Culture Research Association pointed out that the success of the Visitor Center at Chen Jing-Lan’s Western-Style House and the “Origins of Family Names in Kinmen” exhibition at Juemin Hall is attributed to the assistance of Jinhu Township Office and the support of Kinmen County Magistrate Chen Fu-Hai. The research focus of Jinjiang Pudie Society, which is the ancestral hall culture of Jinjiang, was exhibited in one of the events, and the ancestral hall culture of Kinmen was also included as part of the theme. It is believed that the exhibition of the ancestral hall and clan culture of Kinmen and Jinjiang would attract more people to come back to Kinmen to track their ancestral roots.