Elyn MacInnis, the only foreign recipient of the "Touching China Person of the Year 2023" award and a winner of the second "Orchid Award" Friendly Envoy Award, serves as the convener of "Friends of Kuliang" in the United States. A descendant of Lieutenant Donald MacInnis of the American Flying Tigers, she is now in her seventies and has long dedicated herself to fostering friendship between the Chinese and American peoples. She also holds a unique role as the wife of Peter MacInnis, the first general manager of Nanjing Amity Printing Company. There, a connection between an American family and China's "Amity" has lasted for nearly four decades.
The Olive Branch Within the Name 'Amity'
According to an article by the Amity Foundation titled "Amity Story Collection No. 91 | An American Family's Amity Bond," the foundation's showroom displayed a faded photograph, on which Elyn MacInnis reflected, "Bishop K. H. Ting always told me, 'Just let me know if you need any help.' He was such a wonderful man."
The story traces back to World War II, when a young Donald MacInnis joined the Flying Tigers in support of China. Amid the flames of war, he witnessed the suffering and resilience of the Chinese people, "an experience that sowed in him a deep affection for the country."
During his time in China, Donald MacInnis developed a friendship with Bishop K. H. Ting, then president of China Christian Council, vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and a co-founder of the Amity Foundation. In the summer of 1985, Ting phoned Donald from China, informing him that a group of Chinese friends hoped to name their new charitable organization "Amity" (Chinese: 爱德). Donald, along with his son Peter and daughter-in-law Elyn, found the name fitting. "To us, 'Amity' feels like a piece of warm jade, carrying a sense of peace and depth," they remarked.
Three years later, Peter MacInnis, then a United Bible Societies employee, became the first general manager of Amity Printing Company—a joint venture between the Amity Foundation and the United Bible Societies. Over his 25-year tenure, Peter oversaw the introduction of advanced printing technology and the development of skilled technical personnel.
Peter and Elyn's daughters, Charlotte and Mika, took on the Chinese names "Ai Zhong" and "Ai Hua," meaning "love China." Growing up in Nanjing, they attended local elementary schools and fully immersed themselves in Chinese culture, as no international school existed in the city at the time.
Warmth in Puppets and Woodcraft
In the archive room of the Amity Foundation's old building, a roll of faded wool scarves remains preserved. These scarves were knitted in 1988 by Peter MacInnis's mother, Helen, along with her friends and several deaf mothers. Due to the high cost of wool, Helen and her granddaughter Ai Zhong began developing handmade puppets, transforming their scarf-knitting skills into doll-making. Once completed, the dolls were taken by the deaf mothers, who often travelled with Elyn MacInnis between Nanjing, Hong Kong, and the United States to sell at cultural and creative gift shops for their children's tuition funds.
In Xuzhou, Elyn and her companions raised funds to support children with disabilities. Later, they found a special education school for children with intellectual challenges, serving as the predecessor of today's Pengcheng Special Education School.
As noted in the article, "In a wooden box in the corner of the Amity Printing Company's workshop lies the first woodcarving by Mr. Zhang Wanlong. The elderly craftsman had originally intended to carve a Western-themed piece, but Elyn MacInnis pointed to illustrations from Dream of the Red Chamber and said, 'I want the Chinese soul.'"
Echoes of an Era in the Printing Press
In 1986, Peter MacInnis led a team of Chinese workers in debugging Amity Printing Company's first printing press. Reflecting on those early days, a long-serving employee recalled, "Conditions were tough, but the general manager and his family worked alongside us on the factory floor. After work, they even came with us to the local markets, learning how to bargain in Chinese."
By the end of May 2025, Amity Printing Company had produced over 279 million copies of the Bible. This number includes editions for both Protestant and Catholic communities, as well as Bibles exported in nearly 290 different languages.
The article continued: "Elyn MacInnis still vividly remembers the impression of stepping into the printing workshop for the first time: the scent of ink mixed with the dampness of paper and the sight of Chinese workers hunched over machines studying technical diagrams. It reminded her of the pioneering spirit she had seen in Kuliang. When Elyn learned that Amity-printed Bibles were chosen as commemorative gifts during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she felt these books, imbued with Chinese warmth, had become powerful symbols of cultural exchange."
- Translated by Poppy Chan
