In the winter of 1889, 26-year-old American woman Lydia A. Trimble crossed the ocean to China, embarking on a half-century-long career of establishing schools in Fujian. From the Yu Zhen Girls' School in Fuqing to the private Hwa Nan College, the educational seeds she personally sowed have weathered a century of storms and continue to shine brightly across the land of Fujian.

Why did an American woman become a pioneer in modern women's education in Fujian a century ago? How have her descendants continued this cross-continental bond? Gordon Trimble, a professor at Fujian Hwa Nan College and a member of the "Friends of Guling," recently shared the deeply moving "Guling Story" spanning four generations in an interview.

"Women should also receive an education" was the conviction held by Lydia A. Trimble. In 1889, the 26-year-old arrived in Fujian. Over the next 50-plus years, she founded several schools, including the Yu Zhen Girls' School in Fuqing, the Nei Girls' School in Xinghua, the Yu Xian Girls' School in Pingtan, and the private Hwa Nan College.

In 1908, Lydia A. Trimble established the preparatory department for Hwa Nan College (Hwa Ying Girls' School) in Fuzhou and served as its first principal. The early days of the school were fraught with difficulties, even facing a campus construction crisis in 1914. It was only after her brother and sister-in-law in the United States mortgaged their farm and sent money that the project could continue.

In 1916, the school was upgraded to Hwa Nan College, and a four-year undergraduate program was introduced the following year. Among the first undergraduate students, individuals like Wang Shijing and He Zhenni pursued further studies in the United States and later returned to become pioneers in Fujian's educational sector. The school continued to develop, and by 1934, it was renamed the private Hwa Nan College.

Lydia A. Trimble emphasized the holistic development of students and stressed that education bears the responsibility of serving society. She encouraged students to participate in activities such as drama, music, and rural teaching support. Most graduates went on to dedicate themselves to fields like education and healthcare. She resigned as principal in 1925 but remained working at the school until her passing in 1941.

Lydia A. Trimble ignited and passed on the torch for equal education for women in Fujian. Her educational philosophy had a profound impact, and she was included in the "Fujian Women of Renown" compiled by the Fujian Women's Federation in 1997.

My family's connection to Fujian all began with Lydia A. Trimble. Ethel Wallace, Lydia's niece, was the second member of the Trimble family to come to Fujian, arriving in Fuzhou to teach in 1906. Two of Lydia's nephews also came: one was my grandfather, Garnet Trimble, a doctor; the other was Frederick H. Trimble, an architect. He oversaw the construction of the teaching building for the private Hwa Nan College and the International Community Center in Guling.

My father, Robert A. Trimble, was born in Gutian, Ningde, Fujian. Although he left Fuzhou at the age of 12, his love for Chinese culture lasted his entire life. For many years, he worked to foster educational cooperation between Fuzhou, Fujian, China, and Tacoma, Washington, USA.

In 1989, I embarked on a journey to trace my ancestors' footsteps, visiting Fujian for the first time with my wife and finding the Fujian Hwa Nan College that my great-great-aunt had founded. In 2005, my wife and I came to Fujian Hwa Nan College, where I became a teacher, instructing courses in spoken English, business English reading and writing, and the art of public speaking. Since then, I have spent several months each year in Fuzhou fulfilling my teaching duties.

From 2005 to the present, the Trimble family has cumulatively donated 4 million RMB, facilitating long-term exchange and cooperation between the University of Puget Sound and both Fujian Hwa Nan College and Fujian Normal University. Twenty graduates from the University of Puget Sound have come to China to serve as spoken English teachers, and eight Chinese teachers and students have gone to the United States for academic visits or exchanges.

This bond forged through education has never been broken across four generations.

Currently, Chinese people's understanding of the United States far exceeds Americans' understanding of China. This disparity in awareness can easily foster stereotypes.

Therefore, I have repeatedly organized study trips for American teachers and students to China at my own expense, taking them to visit Guling, enter campuses, and experience Chinese culture, allowing young people to see the real China with their own eyes. Practice has shown that many American students have consequently developed a love for the Chinese language and changed their views of China.

I believe these incremental efforts to promote direct dialogue between young people, "hand in hand," can gradually move the "mountains" that hinder understanding. Because personal contact and genuine experience are far more effective in breaking down ingrained prejudices and building authentic understanding based on mutual knowledge than indirect discussion or one-sided information.

Guling is a famous summer resort north of Gushan Mountain in Fuzhou and was once a summer retreat for a large number of foreign residents in China.

Over the past century, the international community in Guling has left behind many precious "Guling Stories" of friendly exchanges between China and other countries. The group of doctors represented by individuals like Edward Bliss, Paul T. Houghton, and others saved lives and aided the injured, promoting the development of modern medicine in Fujian. The group of teachers represented by Lydia A. Trimble, along with others, founded institutions like Fujian Hwa Nan College, working alongside their Chinese colleagues to contribute to Fujian's educational endeavors.

What brings me great comfort is that the "Guling Stories" have never become sealed away tales of the past. Today, descendants of American families who once lived in Guling have formed the "Friends of Guling." They are actively searching for their ancestors' footprints, organizing historical archives, and promoting youth exchanges. This vitality spanning time and geography makes everyone a bearer of the "Guling Story."

History is the best bridge. Looking back at the "Guling Stories" from a century ago, we see not only the choices of individual destinies but also a microcosm of different civilizations respecting and achieving together. Cherishing these memories is cherishing humanity's shared pursuit of beauty and goodwill. Passing on these stories is infusing the deepest and most enduring strength into current friendly exchanges between China and other countries.

Interviewee Profile: Gordon Trimble, an American, descendant of the Lydia A. Trimble family, professor at Fujian Hwa Nan College, council member of the Fuzhou People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award and the Fujian Friendship Award, honorary citizen of Fuzhou, selected as one of the "Ten Figures Touching Fujian" in 2025.