As a witness of the tumultuous time, my memories remain fresh. I am grateful to your father (Ho Mang Hang) for documenting this moving period in history. This series of books is very successful and meaningful, and will certainly bring deeper understanding and respect for Wang Jingwei. Carrie Koo Mei
Carrie Koo Mei, well-known singer, actress, painter and author, is the daughter of Gu Danming, who headed the Propaganda Bureau in Guangdong Province during the Wang Jingwei Nanjing Government.
Ms Koo had met Wang Jingwei as a student at the Mingsong Memorial School, which was established by Wang Jingwei and his wife Chen Bijun, dedicated to the memory of Zeng Zhongming and Chen Song, who were killed for their participation in Wang Jingwei’s Peace Movement. Ms Koo recalls Wang planting a tree on Arbor Day at the school in March 1943, and the poem Wang wrote to commemorate the event. The poem is included in Wang Jingwei’s Poetry Newly Edited.
When Wang Jingwei & Modern China series executive editor Cindy Ho contacted Ms. Koo for comments, Ms Koo graciously accepted, and shared with us “Remembering Arbor Day” with the following:
I have read the recently published series Wang Jingwei & Modern China compiled by Ho Mang Hang, edited by Cindy Ho. One of the volumes Wang Jingwei: His Beliefs and Ideas brought back childhood memories for me. I came from that period of time. Since I was a primary school student in the boarding school, I had been in contact with Wang Jingwei. Later, as an adult, I became fascinated by Wang’s poetry. In my heart, he was a great intellectual, an extraordinary man.
Ten years ago, I wrote an article entitled “Remembering the Man who Planted the Tree” which recounts my impression of a person I deeply admired as a great man, with the pure sentiments of a student. Now, I am presenting this article again as my response after reading Wang Jingwei & Modern China, with the hope that historians will gain a deeper understanding of Mr. Wang. Below is the original “Remembering the Man who Planted the Tree” which was written in October, 2010. Carrie Koo Mei, 2020
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