Imagine spending your entire adult life longing for a place you haven't seen since childhood, only for that place to become a mystery even to your own spouse. This is the incredible, true story of Milton Gardner and a hidden gem on the Chinese mainland called Kuliang. 🌿
What exactly is Kuliang? Known as "Guling" in Mandarin, Kuliang is a stunning hillside on the outskirts of Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province. Sitting at an altitude of 998 meters, it became a favorite getaway starting in the 1880s. Back then, foreign expatriates built summer villas, tennis courts, swimming pools, and hospitals, creating a unique cross-cultural community and forging deep friendships with local residents. 🎾🏊♂️
Enter Milton Gardner, an American physics professor. As a young boy in 1901, Milton was brought to Fuzhou by his parents. For ten years, Kuliang was his playground and his home. Even after the Gardner family returned to the United States in 1911, the magic of those hills never left him. Milton spent the rest of his life yearning to return to the place where he spent his childhood.
But life has a way of keeping secrets. Milton never made it back to Fuzhou during his lifetime. In a poignant final moment, as he lay on his deathbed, he whispered the word "Kuliang."
For years, his wife, Elizabeth Gardner, was left puzzled. What was this "Kuliang" that her husband loved so much? The mystery remained unsolved until 1990, when Elizabeth discovered 11 old stamps tucked away. Each one bore a clear postmark: "Fuzhou · Kuliang." ✉️
With the help of a Chinese student in the US, Elizabeth finally solved the mystery, uncovering the location of the place that had captured Milton's heart a century prior. It's a beautiful reminder that the bonds of friendship and the memories of a place can transcend borders and time. ✨🌍
Reference(s):
Century-old Kuliang story reflects enduring China-US friendship
cgtn.com
