Reuniting a forgotten foreign community

Jiang recounts one of the key examples: the foreigners initially wanted to build on the ridge line for panoramic views of Fuzhou, but locals mistook them for constructing "forts".

"After discussions, they respected the local opinion and moved their houses further in," he says.

Another instance was the swimming pool on a main road. When local residents were uneasy about those foreign residents running around in swimsuits, "the women's pool was moved to the back of the mountain — a crescent-shaped one, still there today," he adds.

Perhaps the most concrete symbol of this harmonious coexistence is a well whose inscription reads,"Public Well for Foreigners and Locals," beside the post office.

"Chinese people traditionally regard a well as more important than life itself," Jiang says.

"But here, they were willing to share the well with foreigners, and even carved it in stone, which speaks volumes about their relations."