Though a century of storms held sway, Their loyal hearts would never stray. Though vast the seas and far the shore, Their homeland ties they’d ever more adore. In the gentle light of dawn, Dianqian Street’s ancient red-brick houses stand quietly in the sea breeze. Their mottled textures on the walls are etched with the memories of an overseas hometown that span a century. A hundred years ago, a young man from Nanyang, filled with ideals, crossed the vast ocean to join the tide of revolution. A century later, his story and spirit have “returned home” as a living legacy, taking root on and flourishing in his ancestors’ land. It has become a powerful symbol of Dianqian Street’s mission to pass on its overseas Chinese culture and celebrate patriotic devotion.
A Pure Heart That Shines in History: Chen Chunan’s Patriotic Commitment to Home and Country
Born between spring and summer of 1884, Chen Chunan (Tan Chor-Nam) came from a well-to-do timber merchant’s family in Singapore. His father, Chen Tai (Tan Tye), held high hopes for him to become a “pillar of the country,” teaching him not only the ways of business but also emphasizing the importance of inheriting China’s fine traditional culture. The family education planted the seeds for his future devotion to the homeland and the commitment to giving back to the soil of his ancestors.
As a descendant of Minnan emigrants, Chen grew up in the multicultural environment of Nanyang (a historical term for the coastal regions of Southeast Asia). While he became fluent in Malay and English, under his father’s influence, he also preserved the deep roots of his Minnan dialect and cultural traditions. In his youth, he often studied classic texts at the Chung Wen Pagoda, where the ideals of family, country, and duty found within traditional Chinese culture began to take root and blossom in his heart. Though he lived overseas, he always kept his ancestral home —Zhongpu Community of Dianqian—close to his heart, nursing the deep longing that “one day I would return to my native place.”
After coming of age, Chen took over the family timber business. With his integrity and wisdom, he quickly established himself in the commercial world. Yet his wealth did not confine him to personal pursuits; instead, it became a powerful means by which he gave back to his homeland. In Dianqian, his presence was felt everywhere, in charitable acts of repairing bridges, paving roads, funding schools, supporting education, and aiding those in distress. By putting into practice the principle of “when drinking water, remember its source,” he turned his deep affection for his homeland into concrete efforts to improve the lives of his fellow townspeople.
At the end of the 19th century, as the Chinese people faced internal turmoil and external aggression, and the country stood on precarious ground, the Reformist ideology swept across the land. Chen Chunan—troubled for his country and its people—actively joined the “Haoxue Hui” (Study Association) and lent his support to the constitutional movement of the reformists. While exploring paths to save China, he immersed himself in revolutionary publications such as the “Su Newspaper”, “The Revolutionary Army”, and “The Soul of the Yellow Emperor”. Through the intense clash of old and new ideas, he gradually recognized the limits of monarchist restoration and decisively shifted to the revolutionary camp, resolutely following Dr. Sun Yat-sen in the fight to overthrow the feudal monarchy and establish a democratic republic.
From then on, Chen became an active figure in the Nanyang overseas Chinese community under the pen name “A Youth from Siming Prefecture”. With his sharp writing and passionate rhetoric, he became a vital force in spreading revolutionary thought. He founded the “Chong Shing Yit Pao” (Zhongxing Ribao) to create a platform for public opinion, promoting revolutionary ideals to overseas Chinese. He also helped establish the Singapore branch of the Tongmenghui (Chinese Revolutionary Alliance) and was elected its president, rallying revolutionary forces within the overseas Chinese community.
“I, Chen Chunan, a member of the Alliance, swear on this day: to expel the Manchu invaders, to restore China, to establish the Republic, and to equalize land rights. I pledge my faithfulness and my loyalty from beginning to end. Should I ever betray this oath, I will submit to any punishment by my comrades.” That solemn vow seems to echo in our ears still.
During his time as president, Chen devoted himself wholeheartedly to the revolutionary cause: he frequently toured to raise funds and supply the movement with critical resources; he established housing for overseas Chinese and handled affairs on their behalf; he also launched a dedicated column in the “Guomin Xinwen” (People’s News), reporting on the overseas Chinese community, building a bridge of communication between those at home and abroad and helping people in China better appreciate the strength of their overseas community.
In his later years, though he withdrew from the clamor of politics and lived a quiet life free from fame and fortune, he always held fast to the original aspirations of a revolutionary. With composed dignity, he watched over his homeland, fulfilling the promise he had made to the country and the people throughout his entire life.
Chen Chunan’s patriotic heart and his spirit of giving back have vividly embodied the early overseas Chinese commitment to the country, a legacy that deeply moves later generations. Yang Weifeng, a cultural and historical expert and co-author of “The First Man of the Nanyang Revolution”, a Biography of Chen Chunan, observed: “What Chen Chunan represents is a personality and spirit rooted in Minnan yet ‘grown’ in Nanyang. It is rich and pluralistic. We hope that Huli District will use creative, contemporary methods to help the younger generation better understand, inherit, and carry forward his spirit of patriotic dedication.”
A Long Scroll of Overseas History: Memories and Legacy in Dianqian
Within the long scroll of Dianqian’s overseas Chinese history, of which Chen Chunan is an indispensable chapter, a rich heritage has been forged. From the enthusiastic donations of overseas Chinese during the 1911 Revolution to support the cause, to their unified efforts to face the national crisis during the War of Resistance Against Japan, and to the active investments of overseas-funded enterprises after the Reform and Opening-Up, Dianqian’s overseas Chinese culture has continuously deepened and grown richer with the passage of time.
As an important hometown of overseas Chinese in Xiamen’s Huli District, Dianqian Street still preserves numerous precious historical buildings related to this community. Their red-brick swallowtail roofs, stone-carved gateways, and exquisite woodcarvings are not only classic examples of Minnan architecture but also carriers of the collective memory of the overseas Chinese. Having withstood the tests of time and weather, these structures have witnessed the tumultuous years when overseas Chinese fought to save China, build their hometowns, and develop businesses there. They have outlined a cultural landscape unique to Dianqian Street, serving as the tangible vessels for the inheritance of its overseas Chinese culture.
In the new era, Dianqian Street has placed great importance on excavating and revitalizing its overseas Chinese historical resources. It is deeply integrating them into community cultural initiatives and urban renewal, breathing new life into the dormant historical narrative. By allowing the memory of this ancestral home to continue in modern life, the street is infusing its development with a profound cultural foundation.
When a cultural facility is completed, it symbolizes a spiritual return to collective roots. The inauguration of the Chen Chunan Life Exhibition Hall is precisely a key initiative by Dianqian Street to pass down its overseas heritage and promote such a spirit. Through precious historical materials, photographs, books, and academic research, the exhibition hall presents Chen’s life and historical contributions in full. From his early struggles in the Nanyang commercial world to his footprints on the revolutionary front, from his charitable efforts of funding schools and aiding those in need to the composed steadfastness with which he held to his original ideals in later life, fragments of the past years have been carefully pieced together, forming a complete “puzzle” of the overseas Chinese history. This hall serves not merely as a memorial to Chen Chunan as an individual, but also as a vital educational center for passing on the spirit of the overseas Chinese community, helping more people feel the profound love that this group of people hold for China and their hometown.
During her visit to the exhibition, Shen Yanqing, an expert from the Research School for Southeast Asian Studies, Xiamen University, commented: “The value of this exhibition lies not only in commemorating an individual but, more importantly, in giving the spirit of the overseas Chinese community a visible and tangible educational base. It reminds us that overseas Chinese history is not a sealed archive of the past, but a spiritual wellspring that can still nourish us today.”
A microcosm of the overseas Chinese’s struggle in Nanyang to help strengthen the weak China then, Chen Chunan’s life is also a vivid portrait of a revolutionary who wielded the pen as his weapon and dedicated his life to the country. His spirit of safeguarding peace, holding his homeland in his heart, and embracing inclusivity, has transcended the boundaries of time and space. It has become a treasured cultural wealth that, even more, inspires a shared sense of value among the global community of overseas Chinese in this new era.
A Bridge Between China and Abroad: Xiamen’s Openness and Responsibility
A century ago, a young man of Minnan, Chen Chunan, carried the ideals and convictions of his Dianqian roots into the heart of Nanyang, where he wrote a magnificent chapter of his life. A century later, his spirit has returned home through the exhibition hall, merging into the memory of this land and its people, and becoming a living symbol of the heritage of Xiamen’s overseas Chinese culture.
Rooted in its overseas Chinese heritage, Xiamen builds bridges to the world. As a key port on the ancient Maritime Silk Road, Xiamen has long functioned as a vital gateway for exchange between China and other countries. Its overseas Chinese culture is both a distinctive cultural marker of the city and a precious civic asset. In recent years, Xiamen has been consolidating its overseas Chinese historical resources by establishing museums, erecting memorial halls, and hosting community events, creating platforms for passing on that culture. At the same time, through cultural festivals and academic exchanges, the city has strengthened its ties with overseas Chinese at home and abroad, conveying the warmth of home while bringing Xiamen’s overseas Chinese culture to a broader global stage.
The preservation of heritage in Dianqian Street has perfectly exemplified Xiamen’s broader efforts in cultural construction. In the course of its urban development, Dianqian has integrated its overseas historical resources with community governance, cultural construction, and the improvement of public welfare. This approach not only preserves the local cultural lineages but also transforms its overseas Chinese culture into a vital force driving the district’s progress, adding a striking footnote to Xiamen’s external cultural exchanges.
Across the globe, overseas Chinese have long served as vital bridges for exchange between China and the world. In the development of the “Belt and Road” initiative, they have actively participated in investment and cooperation, facilitating trade and commercial ties in the similar ways. In the sphere of cultural exchange, they have become ambassadors for China’s finest traditional culture, fostering mutual learning between civilizations. In philanthropy, they have consistently kept their homeland in their hearts, contributing their strength to local development. Their active presence is felt in every field around the world, continuously injecting fresh energy into the opening-up and development of Xiamen and, indeed, all of China.
Standing at a new historical juncture, Xiamen will continue to leverage its strengths as the overseas Chinese’s hometown, cultivate its rich cultural resources, and unite the hearts, wisdom, and strengths of its overseas Chinese community, allowing this heritage to radiate with new life and vigor in the new era. Dianqian Street, for its part, will be guided by the spirit of Chen Chunan, continuing to tell the stories of its overseas Chinese and carry forward their legacy. In doing so, it will transform a century-spanning sentiment of their homeland affection into a vital force that drives the street’s high-quality development, and serves Xiamen’s broader mission of opening up to the world, so that their patriotic devotion to homeland and community continues to shine brightly in this new era.
