US scholar shares Soong Ching Ling's legacy in letter and spirit

"On the night before she passed away, I was right here." Standing in Soong Ching Ling's former residence in Beijing on Aug 26, 84-year-old US scholar Sharon Crain recalled her first meeting with Soong in 1981. A friend of Helen Foster Snow and Soong, Crain visited China from Aug 22 to Sept 17, donating copies of her handwritten English correspondence with Soong. These letters reveal Soong's private, compassionate side; even gravely ill shortly before her death, she still thought of others. She also admired how Soong took the time to write English — a gesture Crain saw as a way of welcoming others from around the world. "Her handwriting was very beautiful," Crain said.

During the trip, Crain also saw an electric coffee percolator — a 1932 wedding gift Soong gave to the Snows. She brought the artifact back to China for the Snow family, and it is now on display at the former residence. Crain's connection with China began in the 1970s. Introduced by Helen Snow, she learned how Soong helped the Snows travel to Yan'an. Over five decades, Crain has promoted China-US people-to-people exchanges, and received the Sanqin Friendship Award in 2007. On Aug 31, she donated a Parker pen and her personal letters to Soong to the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall.

Crain sees her donations as part of her 50-year commitment to bilateral understanding. "The bridge of China-US people-to-people exchange is not built of concrete, but of individual planks," she said. "Soong Ching Ling, Helen and I are all planks of this bridge. It is everyone's responsibility to keep building these bridges, and pass on this legacy to the younger generations."