Quemoy is a famous overseas Chinese hometown in modern China. Since the 17th Century, Western colonial power expanded to South Asia, Southeast Asia, China and Japan, and drew these areas into the network of the global economy. The Quemoy Islands, situated outside Xinmen (Amoy)-port, were influenced by external and internal factors that shaped the region’s history of overseas migration. Emigrants from Quemoy brought radical changes back to their hometown, including social, economic, cultural and architectural impacts. These historical phenomena, usually described as expressions of “transnationalism,” are important foci of current research.
This research tries to study the modernization of one overseas Chinese native hometown by investigating “Shining,” a monthly publication of Jushan village in Quemoy. “Shining” is one of the most comprehensive overseas Chinese publications and news reports in the world, however, it has received little academic attention.
“Shining” published its first issue in September 1928, but publication was interrupted by the Second Sino-Japan War, between 1937–45. In April 1946, the publication resumed until the kmt retreated to Taiwan in 1949. The monthly publication had 21 volumes in total and recorded many historical materials, such as social life, overseas Chinese remittances, events, cultural changes and architectural activities during the 1920s–30s. It also reported political conditions and made criticisms of political issues between 1945–49. “Shining” conveyed progressive ideas and values to the people of Quemoy at that time.
This paper will use “Shining” to study social change in the native hometown, including the economic connection between Quemoy and overseas areas, the formation and characteristics of overseas Chinese families, the interaction between folk society and colonial culture, the modification of everyday life and values, the changes in landscape and architecture. I attempt to examine the use of overseas Chinese newsletters to develop a new field of social history in the study of modern overseas Chinese native hometowns.
閩粵為近代中國著名的僑鄉,海外移民及歸僑眾多。華僑的出洋主要是經濟上的因素,他們匯款返鄉支持了家鄉家眷生計、教育、剬益、實業等層面的發展,促成了僑鄉社會的近代化。在昔日交通不便捷的情況下,海外僑居地與僑鄉之間的聯繫,經常必須仰賴僑刊或鄉訊的報導。這些刊物一般由各僑鄉宗族所辦,刊行於海外,讓華僑得以了解家鄉動態與相關事聞。不過由於國共戰爭、文化大革命之故,多數僑刊沒有保存下來。
本文擬以保存完整的僑刊福建金門珠山《顯影》(Shining)為例,一方面深入分析1928至1949年間(1937–45年間因戰爭停刊)《顯影》史料,一方面也從刊物內容中理解1920s–40s年代金門社會生活、治安狀況、海外鄉僑事蹟、僑匯經濟、實業發展、政治時局、文化變遷等主題。最後,進一步探究《顯影》的史料價值及其侷限,說明其對於僑鄉研究的重要性。 (This article is in English.)