XIAMEN, China, Oct. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 21, a commemoration meeting was grandly held in Xiamen to mark the 100th anniversary of Jimei School Village, an educational complex which was originally founded by Tan Kah-Kee.
Chairman of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese Lin Jun, Chairman of the Fujian Provincial CPPCC Zhang Changping, Standing Committee Member of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Party Secretary of the CPC Xiamen Municipal Committee Wang Menghui, Vice Governor of Fujian Province Li Hong, many of Tan Kah-Kee's descendants as well as more than 2,500 alumni from both within China and abroad attended the meeting. Nearly 20 of Tan Kah-Kee's descendants returned to Xiamen for the first time in their lives to pay respects to their renowned forebear.
"Tan Kah-Kee left a great deal of valuable spiritual wealth to the Chinese nation and to the overseas Chinese community - a spiritual wealth that is a direct result of his impressive actions to revitalize the country through education. Today, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Jimei School Village in recognition of the great contributions made by Tan Kah-Kee and to advocate his tireless dedication to education," Lin Jun said.
"We hope Jimei School Village can promote talent cultivation and school development through the Tan Kah-Kee spirit and the school's motto of 'being genuine and courageous' in mind, transforming it into a more competitive and influential brand. The Fujian Provincial Government will, as it always has, provide the utmost support to the development of Jimei School Village," Li Hong added.
Overseas representatives, including Tan Kah-Kee's eldest grandson Tan Dib Jin, said that the event has received enthusiastic response worldwide in deep recognition of the charitable funding that Tan Kah-Kee provided for the establishment of the schools as well as the love that he felt for his home country and for his hometown, and that they are delighted and excited to see the ever-changing development of their hometown and the growing reputation of Jimei School Village across the globe.
In 1913, Tan Kah-Kee returned to his hometown and founded a dozen schools, which later became known as Jimei School Village, providing not only primary and secondary education but also teacher training and higher level instruction in maritime navigation, aquatic farming, business, agriculture and forestry, as well as Chinese studies.
