The chronicle of a Chinese family in Peru spans a hundred years.

　　100 years ago, a man from Guangdong set out from the south of China and sailed for Peru in the southern hemisphere. After a stormy life and death test, he arrived in this strange land.

　　He worked hard, took root in a foreign country and bred a huge family. He failed to return to his old country all his life.

　　Time is great. His descendants will return to China in a way he never imagined.

　　This is a chronicle of an ordinary family, spanning a hundred years and 20 thousand kilometers.

　　Lonely overlook

　　One day in 1915 or 1916, he disembarked from callao Port and arrived in Peru.

This is the monument to the arrival of Chinese in Peru, which stands in callao Port, Peru, on November 9th. Xinhua News Agency reporter Shen Hongshe

　　He is from Guangdong, China, and now he can’t know his Chinese name. Like most farmers in China at that time, he couldn’t read or even write his own name, but when he registered his name, he vaguely wrote down a "CHIA". He should be between 20 and 25 years old when he arrives in Peru.

　　He didn’t leave any photos either. We can only infer his appearance from the looks of his son and grandson: he should have a typical face of a man in southern China, with dark skin, stocky figure, Chinese character face, thick eyebrows and slender eyes, which narrow into a crack when he smiles.

　　But back to a hundred years ago, "CHIA" should have little smile. He is a Chinese worker who paid off debts through labor. After he came to Peru, he had a western name — — "Aulery Olympics".

　　As early as the 16th century, Chinese businessmen in the Philippines settled in Peru by Manila galleon, and the large-scale arrival of Chinese in Peru began in the 19th century. The "contract Chinese laborers" had written contracts before being plundered and sold abroad. Although they were slightly different from the black slaves and the early "pigs", they suffered the same tragedy.

　　It is estimated that from 1840s to 1970s, 300,000 to 400,000 contracted Chinese workers were imported into Latin America, and quite a few of them came to Peru. Christina Huenfeldt wrote in her History of Peru: "Between 1840 and 1874, 100,000 immigrants from China, mainly men, arrived in callao. There are many deaths caused by this Pacific voyage. It is estimated that 10% to 30% of the people who boarded the ship in China died during this journey. Once these Chinese workers arrive in Peru, their living conditions are similar to those of former slaves in Peru … …”

On November 15th, 2008, tourists passed by the Presidential Palace in the Old Town of Lima, Peru. Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Weishe

　　Today, it is difficult to restore the experience of "Aulery Olympics" in Peru. Later generations only vaguely remember that he arrived in callao Port by boat with his brothers. Later, his brothers left Peru and went to Chile, leaving him alone to grow cotton in Ica province in southern Peru. I don’t know which year, and I don’t know how much blood and sweat he paid. He paid off his debts, saved some savings and opened a bakery.

　　In cotton fields and bakeries, after working, "Aulery Olympics" has been lonely for many times, but I can no longer see my hometown on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

　　He died in 1959 and was buried in a foreign country.

　　He has eight children, and no one in his family can speak Chinese except himself.

　　Distant China.

　　Juan francisco was born in 1925. He is the sixth child of Aulery Ao.

This is a photo of Juan Carlos (middle) in childhood and his grandfather juan francisco (left) (file photo). Xinhua news agency

　　In his later years, juan francisco left some photos, all of which were with the children. In one photo, he was ill in bed, and his three grandchildren were sitting around him, smiling brightly.

　　His childhood was hard. By the time he reached adulthood, Peru’s economic situation had improved, and the export of primary products led to sustained economic growth. Juan francisco drives a taxi and runs a small shop. He gave birth to 10 children altogether. What makes future generations feel is that although their livelihood is difficult, all 10 children have become professionals in a certain field when they grow up.

　　Diligence, frugality and emphasis on education … … I can’t speak Chinese anymore, but Chinese’s characteristics are still preserved in the family. Maria, the little girl sitting next to her grandfather in the photo, felt that some habits in her family were obviously different from other Peruvian families since she was a child. For example, family members love to drink tea; For example, family members are particularly punctual and used to arranging everything in an orderly way, while Peruvians in general are more casual and take it one step at a time; For example, family members are very enthusiastic about their guests. When they come, they have to prepare food and keep guests for dinner, while Peruvian families generally don’t keep guests for dinner at home … …

　　In 1952, George W. juan francisco was born. When he was seven years old, his grandfather passed away. When he was eight or nine years old, he began to realize that he was a descendant of Chinese — — At that time, the children in the neighborhood called him "Chinese" because his eyelids were obviously different from those of ordinary Peruvians.

　　When juan francisco was young, his dream was to study in the United States.

On November 4th, juan francisco Jr. (left) and his wife Kangxi were interviewed by Xinhua News Agency at their home in Lima, Peru. Xinhua News Agency reporter Shen Hongshe

　　The United States has been Peru’s largest trading partner and an important source of foreign investment for many years, and the relationship between the two countries is close. Juan francisco Jr. entered a mining company and became a metallurgical engineer after graduating from Peru National University of Engineering. After working for 7 years, he won a scholarship provided by the company to study in the United States. This is 1981. Two years later, he got a master’s degree and returned to Peru. In the same year, Lima became a sister city with Beijing, the first sister city of Beijing in Latin America.

On November 6, two students practiced Chinese conversation in the Chinese class in Marcona, Ica province, Peru. Xinhua News Agency reporter Shen Hongshe

　　On the other side of the ocean, China is in the midst of reform and opening up, but in Peru, China is still a stranger. Little juan francisco knew little about China and seldom mentioned China at home, but when choosing a middle school for his children, he chose Juan XXIII Secret Middle School. Chinese is not the main course in secret middle schools. At first, this school specially accepted the children of Chinese in Peru, and later most of the students were Peruvian locals. The school will hold many extracurricular activities related to Chinese culture, such as China Dance Class, Handicraft Class, Table Tennis Class and Wushu Class.

　　After the children graduated from high school, juan francisco Jr. sent them to Catholic University, which is one of the best universities in Peru. Juan francisco Jr. came back from studying in the United States, knowing that the education in the United States is very good, which can make children become professionals. The couple scrimped and saved, and also let their children enter the best schools in Peru for education, and then go to the United States to study. In 2004, juan francisco Jr., the eldest son, successfully went to the United States to study biology. He plans to study medicine later and then stay in the United States for development.

　　At the Catholic University, Maria, the eldest daughter, met Fernand Alayza and Guillermo danino, "China experts".

　　The language of ancestors

　　Maria studied journalism at Catholic University, and Fernand Alayza was her teacher. During her internship, she also interviewed Sinologist Guillermo danino. They told Maria about China, which is undergoing great changes. At that time, Ji Yemo, who was fascinated by China culture, wrote in the Oriental Monthly: "As a native Peruvian, I want to say to hundreds of thousands of overseas Chinese: Be proud of the culture of your motherland! Please be sure to understand her, carry forward her and spread her. In this way, you will make greater contributions to Peru and the world! "

　　In 2007, the Catholic University of Peru had an exchange program with Peking University. Maria decided to spend a year studying and understanding the mysterious oriental country, and she came to Beijing in this way. This is the first time that a descendant of this family has set foot on the land of China since her great-grandfather left China for Peru 100 years ago.

　　Half a year after his daughter left home for China, juan francisco Jr. and his wife both flew to Beijing to see their daughter. They felt "it’s too far" all the way — — First stop in new york from Lima, and then fly across the Pacific Ocean in 13 hours.

On August 11th, 2007, juan francisco Jr. and his daughter Maria (middle) took a group photo on the Great Wall (file photo). Xinhua news agency

　　They visited Beijing and Xi ‘an, and were particularly interested in the history, culture and architecture of China. So far, they will never forget the Terracotta Warriors and Horses and the countdown board for the Beijing Olympic Games in Tiananmen Square. Juan francisco Jr. said: "Peruvians also have ancient Inca culture, and the ruins still exist, but in contrast, the traditional culture of China is even more shocking." What shocked him most was the rapid development of contemporary China. During his stay in China, George W. juan francisco has been observing and thinking: How is the Communist Party of China (CPC) combined with the market economy?

　　What reassured them was that their daughter was fine. Maria’s exchange program at Peking University’s School of International Relations is to teach in English, but she found that it was almost impossible to speak Chinese after coming to China. Moreover, in order to get credits at Peking University, the school also had certain requirements for Chinese proficiency. So, she had to bite the bullet and learn Chinese. Perhaps it was because China’s gene was in her veins that she got the HSK (Chinese Proficiency Test) Grade 6 certificate in just over a year, and because of learning the language, the exchange program from one year was extended to one and a half years. After studying at Peking University, Maria faced another choice: to go back to Peru or to stay in China?

　　She is worried that after returning to Peru, she will forget the Chinese she learned with great efforts. More importantly, the longer she stayed in China, the more she felt that China was kind, and Chinese was friendly to foreigners, with good public security and comfortable life. Maria decided to continue her studies in China and was lucky enough to apply for a full MBA scholarship from Tsinghua University. When she was in Tsinghua, she worked as a part-time reporter for Effie Beijing Branch with her journalism background. At the end of 2012, she walked into the Great Hall of the People and participated in the report of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which she is still proud of.

On November 17th, in SOHO, Sanlitun, Maria (left) Pacha the Great restaurant and China staff prepared hot wine for customers. Xinhua News Agency reporter Shen Hongshe

　　While studying in Peking University and Tsinghua, Maria found that in courses such as international relations and international trade, Latin America and Africa were rarely involved, which also reflected that the academic circles in China paid little attention to Latin America. At the same time, she can clearly feel that Peruvians don’t understand China, and their understanding of China still stays in the 1970s and 1980s. She still remembers that in the library of the Catholic University of Peru, books introducing the culture of China and China were rarely found. Therefore, she determined her research direction as Sino-Peruvian economic and trade relations, and her graduation thesis was entitled "Challenges and Difficulties in South-South Cooperation between China and Peru".

　　This is a paper written in Chinese.

　　Regression of origin

　　Maria’s elder brother juan francisco Jr. and her younger brother Juan Carlos also came to China and learned Chinese.

　　In 2011, juan francisco Jr. graduated from the United States. At that time, the aftermath of the financial crisis was still lingering, and he could not find a job in the United States. In addition, he was depressed because of emotional problems. After being invited by his sister, he came to China for fun. He originally wanted to stay for three months at most. But three months later, he found himself particularly fond of China. Like his sister, he also applied for an MBA scholarship from Tsinghua University. After graduating in 2014, juan francisco Jr. joined Hainan Aviation Investment Department, later settled in Beijing, and had a 3-year-old child, the fifth generation of CHIA family.

In SOHO, Sanlitun, juan francisco Jr. (right) introduces the characteristics of Peruvian cuisine to customers in China at Pacha the Great. Xinhua News Agency reporter Shen Hongshe

　　Juan francisco Jr. has always liked Pisco, Peru’s "national wine", which is a popular strong liquor distilled from grapes in Peru, but it is hard to buy in China. He really wants to introduce this wine to his friends in China. In 2015, he heard that an open-air cafe located in the East Third Ring Road in Beijing was looking for a partner and wanted to make it a model of daytime cafe and night bar. So he consulted with his sister and took over the bar. In June 2015, the bar opened, named "Pacha the Great" — — Pacha the Great is a Peruvian honorific title for Pacha Kutek, the Inca king. During his reign, Pacha the Great was the most famous Inca king. Maria said that Pacha was a bit like Qin Shihuang in China.

　　This is the first Peruvian restaurant in Beijing. Brother and sister hired a Peruvian chef from Lima to come to China with a high salary, hoping to create a world in Beijing food circle and introduce Peruvian culture to Chinese through food.

　　The two brothers and sisters sent an invitation to their younger brother Juan Carlos to come to China. After graduating from college, my younger brother worked as an electrical engineer in Peru. In 2013, he came to China, stayed for two months and left. At that time, he was 28 years old, worked in Peru for several years, and his life circle was in Peru, so he was reluctant to leave. However, after returning to China, his work was not satisfactory. After receiving the invitation from his brother and sister, he made up his mind to come to China for development. While managing the bar, he also applied for the MBA program in Tsinghua.

On November 17th, in SOHO, Sanlitun, Beijing, juan francisco Jr. (left), Maria (middle) and Juan Carlos took a group photo in their restaurant Pacha the Great. Xinhua News Agency reporter Shen Hongshe

　　The three brothers and sisters plan to open a Peruvian restaurant next. In addition to catering, a Peruvian business incubator project will be prepared. There is great room for cooperation between China and Peru. Made in China has a broad market in Peru, but many high-quality products from Peru have not been introduced to China.

　　All three children have arrived in China, and the hearts of Mr. and Mrs. juan francisco Jr. have all been put in China. They have learned to chat with the children through WeChat, and they often fly to China to see the children. They live there for several months. My mother likes China so much that she can’t bear to leave. When she first came, she couldn’t speak Chinese, but she was able to chat with her neighbors enthusiastically with gestures. Now my mother can speak a lot of Chinese, such as her favorite ice cream and mutton kebabs, as well as "how much", "no" and "goodbye", which is full of Beijing dialect.

　　George W. juan francisco also found the answer: China found a path that suits him best, and his brilliant achievements made him feel proud as a Peruvian with a quarter of China descent.

　　In 2016, George W. juan francisco retired. Just in November, three children called their parents excitedly: "The Supreme Leader of president, China is going to visit Peru!" The eldest son also happily asked his parents, "Can you imagine that maybe I will become a Peruvian diplomat in China in the future?" On November 19th, the 24th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting will open in Lima. The three brothers and sisters also chose this day to open the Peruvian restaurant in Beijing.

　　Mr. and Mrs. juan francisco Jr. are very pleased: their children are happy in China, and their careers can develop better. They plan to invest all their life savings in their children’s careers. They hope that their daughters and younger sons can find lovers in China, get married and have children, and rejoin the family in China blood to complete a new cycle.

　　"Aulery Olympics" will be happy if it is known in Jiuquan. He has walked out of a hundred years of loneliness.

This is the monument to the arrival of Chinese in Peru, which stands in callao Port, Peru, on November 9th. Xinhua news agency

　　In callao Harbor, there stands a monument to the arrival of Chinese in Peru, which reads: "I would like to commemorate the pioneers of Chinese immigrants who arrived on this beautiful coast. Because of their efforts and dedication, they have made great contributions to Peru’s agriculture, railway construction, bird droppings mining and subsequent commercial development, thus promoting Peru’s prosperity."