[Explanation] Recently, the winner of the "Medal of Friendship" of the People's Republic of China, Isabel Kluk, donated 10 boxes of survey data from the rear area during the War of Resistance to Chongqing free of charge.
Isabeth was born in Chengdu, China in 1915, and has experienced the historical period of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the War of Liberation and the founding of New China.
She and her husband co-founded Beijing Foreign Studies University, a pioneer of English teaching in New China. They trained a large number of foreign language talents for New China and made outstanding contributions to China's education and friendly exchanges with foreign countries.
In 1940, Isabel, who just graduated from the University of Toronto with a master's degree in anthropology, and the civilian educator Yan Yangchu and others launched a rural construction movement in Bishan, Chongqing.
Isabeth’s main task is to conduct household surveys with colleagues in Bishan, Chongqing, to understand the economic and living conditions of local farmers.
She participated in the establishment of women’s literacy classes, established salt cooperatives to help poor people, and conducted door-to-door field surveys of 1,500 local households.
Pan Jiaen, a doctoral supervisor at the Institute of Advanced Humanities and Social Sciences, Chongqing University, has had many contacts with Isabel.
According to him, the 10 boxes of historical materials that Isabeth donated to Chongqing this time are very precious. These materials are the original data from Isabeth’s investigation in Bishan, Chongqing in the 1940s. These materials are useful for studying the economic, Education, gender relations, and rural construction have important academic value.
[Concurrent] Pan Jiaen, PhD Supervisor, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Chongqing University
So our batch of files is composed of two parts. One part contains 10 boxes of various original materials and some materials from when Mr. Isabeth investigated Xinglongchang. Then we also think it is very valuable.
For us to understand (understand) (20th century) in the 1940s, Bishan was an important rear of China's Anti-Japanese War. The overall social conditions at that time, the humanities and economic aspects at that time were very valuable.
[Explanation] After Isabel retired in 1981, she returned to Bishan, Chongqing to experience life six times, collect information, continue to conduct social surveys, and forge a deep friendship with the local people.
She also donated books to the primary and secondary schools in Daxing Town, Bishan District, Chongqing, and established the "Isabeth Ke Linqing Educational Aid Fund" to support poor local students for a long time and maintain correspondence with them.
In 2013, Isabel and her collaborator Yu Xiji compiled and published the book "Xinglongchang" based on survey data written in Bishan, Chongqing that year.
"Xinglongchang" is the first household interview-style community survey completed by Western women and their Chinese collaborators in the history of social anthropology.
The book meticulously and accurately recorded a large number of daily life details in the rear area of the War of Resistance Against Japan. The content involved the history, geography, politics, economy, social customs, and rural construction experiments of local communities. It is considered to be sociology, anthropology, and rural construction. A must-read for sports history.
Simple Xiao Jiangchuan Chongqing Report
Editor in charge: [Tao Guangxiong]