A Visit to Fuchau, China
By R. C. PORTER
LEAVING Shanghai June 25, I reached Fuchau the twenty-eighth, where I was met by Pastor Keh and his son, in a house boat about two hours' sail down the river. We had a favoring gale, and were served with a first-class European luncheon while en route up the river, so the time passed very pleasantly. Fuchau is one of the principal business centers of China. Foreign missions occupy a large island near the harbor, which rises to a good elevation, so securing the pleasant river breeze that reaches it from all sides. Upon this island are located two large foreign-operated colleges. The Anglo-Chinese is the older, while the Methodist College is the larger and later built. Bishop Lewis of the Methodist Church resides in this city, and as the result of a recent visit to America he succeeded in gathering $350,000 for erecting and equipping a hospital, and for further development of their college plant. This is one of their strongest mission centers in China. Two years ago Pastor Keh, with his family, removed to Fuchau, settling in the very heart of the Chinese city, and opening our mission work. A desirable compound, formerly the home of a wealthy Chinaman, was soon offered him at a low rental for his city mission headquarters. Besides the chapel and living quarters off the open court, there were large servants' dormitories, which would serve as school quarters for nearly one-hundred students. A spacious open court is always found in the high-class Chinese house, and usually in all Chinese dwellings. From this compound, which Pastor Keh and his family believed that God had given them in answer to prayer, they began their work by circulating literature and holding Bible studies with the people in their homes. They also conducted services in their compound chapel. Soon people began requesting baptism into their newly found faith in the third angel's message. Pastor Keh and his assistant opened a small boarding school in their compound, and the school soon had an attendance of more than one hundred. While in attendance at their general meeting, I had opportunity to become acquainted with this school and the mission work in the city. All the boys dress in uniform, and it is the most orderly and best-conducted Chinese school I have visited in China. They all attend every Bible service, and, with Bible in hand, each student turns and reads every scripture used by the minister. They all come to the chapel in regular order; and when the minister enters the chapel, they arise and remain standing until he kneels for silent prayer, when they bow with him. At the close of the service they remain standing until the minister has passed out of the chapel, when they retire in regular order to their dormitory. Fourteen of these students have already received baptism, and many others are deeply interested in Bible study. After two years of work among those speaking the Fuchau language, Pastor Keh and his associates have a church of eighty-seven members. They have received but little foreign supervision, so that the development of this work has been almost wholly by our Chinese workers. Others have requested baptism, and their membership will soon reach the one-hundred mark. Pastors B. L. Anderson and W. C. Hankins carried the principal burden of the general meeting at this time. While we were there, we ordained one Chinese worker to the gospel ministry, and arranged for the purchase of a temple ground one hundred and fifty by three hundred and ten feet, situated on the city boulevard, near the center of the city. This ground has a large, well-built temple, and other buildings in good repair, with good walks, trees, well, and paved courts, surrounded by a large stone wall. With a little remodeling, these buildings can be utilized for our mission work. This compound, with improvements, was bought for $517.50. The Chinese have a fear of occupying temple grounds; and as it had been decided to discontinue this temple as a place of worship, it was bought without Chinese competition. For business purposes in that section of the city it would be worth several times what we paid for it. Fuchau needs a foreign family to learn the language and take general supervision. The field is open. Calls are coming in from all parts of the territory, and every providential indication is that now is the best time to work for this people.