[weihsien_camp] Weihsien news update

2015 reunion at Weihsien:

I have received the following information from Weifang:
"The specific plan for the reunion is being made, but Mr. Wang Hao, Director of Weifang Foreign Affairs, says that in general, the plan of this reunion will follow the frame of the reunion in 2005, but easier: There will be an opening ceremony; a new and big exhibition museum will be opened at the celebration, and other commemorative activities.

"Former Weihsien internees and their families from around the world will be invited to Weifang for the celebration on August 16-18, 2015, Weifang Municipal Government will be responsible for their hotel room, food and activites for two or three days during the celebration and reunion. Also many media reporters, jounalists, TV and film producers, and Weihsien study experts and writers will be invited to the occasion.

"Further information will be attached. The Leopold Pander's new Weihsien group on Yahoo address (weihsien_camp@yahoogroups.com) will be important for distributing further formal information, later."

This is only preliminary -- NOTHING MORE SPECIFIC has been sent on exactly who will be invited and whether children and grand children of Weihjsien-ers may attend even if their Weihsien-er parents and grandparents cannot be there also.

If you have not sent me your name and contact information, please send it to me now. I'll pass the list on to Wehisien authorities for information about the reunion.

Documentary about Weihsien in progress:
A Chinese communications company from Beijing hopes to complete production of an hour-long documentary about Weihsien camp around Chinese New Year (early February) with plans to release it for television broadcast throughout China. Director Gou Yige says the film is timed to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Weihsien. Early in December, this movie production team interviewed and filmed four former Weihsien-ers in the USA: Pamela Masters Flynn, author of The Mushroom Years; Joseph and Joyce Stranks Cotterill, and me. Mr. Cotterill roomed with Eric Liddell in Weihsien camp's single men's dormitory.

For another Weihsien camp documentary, a movie producer from Hong Kong, Elaine Yao, expects to be filming and interviewing Weihsien-ers in Canada, USA, and United Kingdom in the next few weeks.

British super-star journalist is now writing a book about Eric Liddell:
Prize-winning British sports journalist, Duncan Hamilton, says he expects to finish by February the first draft of his up-coming book about Olympic gold medal winner, Eric Liddell. Eric Liddell died in Weihsien. Researching for this book, Mr. Hamilton visited Weihsien this past summer and interviewed Weihsien-ers in the U.K. and the USA. He also interviewed Eric Liddell's three daughters in Canada's Toronto area. He says his book is aimed for release for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Mr. Hamilton's current contract for this book includes book tours in Canada and the USA -- possibly elsewhere. Several of Mr. Hamilton's books about sports figures have been released in other languages.

Happy New Year to all of you.

Mary Taylor Previte

To:weihsien_camp@yahoogroups.com
Sun, 28 Dec 2014 at 20:09
[Attachment(s) from laurahopegill@yahoo.com [weihsien_camp] included below]

[weihsien_camp] A few artifacts [4 Attachments]

Dear Weihsien group,

It has been a while since I have been active. I am delighted to learn of an upcoming reunion in August 2015, and I would very much love to attend, hopefully with my father who was age 3-5 in the camp.

I am attaching a few images.
A "diploma" honoring my grandfather for his work in Tun Ho in Swatow during the shelling of the hospital. My grandfather, Dr. Donald Hope-Gill, set up a make-shift clinic in the street to tend to the injured.

A translation of the text on the diploma.

A photo of my grandmother before internment, in case anyone might recognize her.

My grandmother's badge from camp.

It is my hope that these images enrich the conversation and memory.

My very best to everyone in the New Year. Thank you for all your work and conversation.

Sincerely,
Laura Hope-Gill
Grand-daughter and daughter of internees.