Among the recipients of the "Touching China Person of the Year 2023" was an international friend from afar, Elyn MacInnis, known in China by her Chinese name, Mu Yanling, whose family has a long-standing bond with China, beginning with her father-in-law, Donald MacInnis.
According to Elyn, Donald developed an interest in China from a young age. In 1940, amid the challenges of the Anti-Japanese War, he arrived in China to pursue his studies. Despite the turbulent times, he developed an affection for the country. He became an English teacher at the Anglo-English College, which was established by the church.
To escape Japanese air raids, the school relocated to Yangkou Township in Shunchang County, Nanping City. Donald spent a year there, enduring hardships with Chinese students and forming deep friendships. Chen Shiming, one of his students at the time, recalled, "Teacher MacInnis walked all the way from Xiapu to Yangkou, which I couldn't even count how many days and nights it took. Food and clothing were in short supply, and just surviving the journey to Yangkou was already a remarkable feat. He ate the same food as we did and continued to run the school despite the harsh conditions." Chen added, "Teacher MacInnis had a profound influence on me. His spirit of internationalism and devotion has continued to inspire me."
Although Donald MacInnis returned to the United States after a year, upon learning that Claire Lee Chennault had organized the "American Volunteer Group" of pilots and mechanics to assist China, he immediately returned without hesitation. He joined the "Flying Tigers" to fight with the Chinese forces. Having previously lived in Fujian, Donald was familiar with the region and carried out reconnaissance missions in Xiamen. In 1945, he and his Chinese comrades were discovered by Japanese troops. Fortunately, they managed to board a transport plane just in time, and thanks to the pilot's skill, they escaped the danger safely. Donald risked his life during the War of Resistance Against Japan and contributed to its eventual victory.
Following the end of the war, Donald returned to the United States to pursue a master's degree in international relations at Stanford University. In 1947, he returned to Fujian with his wife and taught at Fukien Christian University, founded by the church. It was during this time that their son, Peter MacInnis, who would later become the husband of Elyn MacInnis, was born.
Although Donald, like many foreign missionaries and teachers, left China in the 1950s, his affection for the country never waned. In 2004, at the age of 84, he returned to Fujian once again as a volunteer, teaching at Wuyi University and continuing to nurture Chinese students.
On December 10, 2005, Donald MacInnis passed away at home. In accordance with his wishes, Peter and Elyn brought half of his ashes back to Fuzhou in 2015 and scattered them in the Minjiang River, allowing him to rest in the land he loved deeply.
Donald MacInnis's descendants have carried on his legacy of friendship with China. His son, Peter MacInnis, developed a strong interest in Chinese culture and was admitted to Harvard University's Department of East Asian Studies, majoring in Chinese. Peter and his family later relocated to China, where his two daughters, Ai Zhong and Ai Hua, whose names mean "Love China," were raised. In the 1990s, Ai Hua even became a host on China Central Television (CCTV).
Elyn MacInnis has been promoting the continuation of this meaningful story. Together with her husband, she established the "Kuliang Friends" organization in Fuzhou, comprising descendants of missionaries and teachers who once lived in Kuliang, or "Guling" in Mandarin. The group has fostered friendship and cultural exchange between the Chinese and American peoples, with its efforts being widely reported by major outlets, including CCTV.
It is for this enduring contribution that Elyn MacInnis was honored as one of the "Touching China" figures. In her acceptance speech, she stated, "The roots of Metasequoia glyptostroboides run deep, and Kuliang Mountain stretches on endlessly. The bond spanning three generations cannot be broken by time or divided by the ocean. We embark on the same path and drink from the same well. This land holds friendship, and the feeling of home cannot be abandoned. It transcends systems, cultures, and languages, carrying with it friendship, love, and peace."
(The article was originally published by the Gospel Times, and the author is a Christian in Xiamen, Fujian.)
- Translated by Poppy Chan
