Taxia, located in Nanjing County, Fujian Province in Southeast China, holds special significance for RCQ members for two main reasons. First, it is the ancestral homeland of PP PokZin’s grandfather, who maintained strong ties to his birthplace even after leaving as a young man to build his life in Indonesia and later in Singapore. His descendants have upheld this tradition, staying connected to their roots by supporting educational development and creating opportunities for talented students to reach their potential.

Second, Taxia gained further importance for RCQ in 2017, when a school in the village became the centerpiece of a major project led by PP Sissy.

Quijiang Overseas Chinese School in Nanjing County is a purpose-built institution covering over 20,000 m². Established in 1957 with significant financial contributions from overseas Chinese, including Mr. Zhang Rongting, the grandfather of PP PokZin, who was a principal donor, the school currently educates 180 students aged 7 to 16. It offers education up to grade nine, after which students transfer to other schools in the region. In 1986, PP PokZin established a scholarship and funded the construction of dormitories for both students and teachers on-site. Over the past 40 years, the Teo family has consistently supported education in their hometown with remarkable generosity.

The campus consists of four buildings. The main building, an impressive whitewashed two-storey structure, features six elegant columns adorned with yellow-ringed capitals intricately carved with botanical and animal motifs. Blue-framed windows under the porches, opening onto the schoolyard, create a sense of openness and grace.

To the left of the main building are three classroom blocks housing a total of nine classrooms. Each class accommodates an average of 20 students.

On the right side is the three-storey dormitory building, a charming old structure with a porch and columns. The four central columns are intricately embellished with botanical designs. Many students, coming from distant villages, reside at the school from Sunday afternoon to Friday afternoon. Boys are housed on the ground floor, while girls reside on the first and second floors. Each room contains four to six wooden bunk beds.

The teachers also have their own dormitory on campus, staying during the week and returning home for a brief weekend from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon.

Facing the dormitory is the communal canteen, which can seat up to 200 individuals and provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner for students and staff.

A metal plaque on the dormitory’s outer wall lists the names of Rotary Club of Queenstown members, family, and friends who contributed to its refurbishment in 2019.

The school grounds feature a spacious courtyard with football and basketball fields. The entire campus exudes a timeless sense of order and grace.

On Monday, November 18th, an award ceremony was held to honor the most outstanding students in English. The event began with the national anthem and flag-hoisting ceremony, followed by an introductory speech from the principal. Mr. Johnson, the English teacher, along with PP Linda Gouw and PP Mavis Yong, presented awards to 18 students who were called to the podium.

"If you are planning for a year, sow rice;
if you are planning for a decade, plant trees;
if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people."
                                               Chinese Proverb

Later, visitors observed classroom activities, and several competitions were organized with the students during breaks, including a football game.

Unfortunately, Rob, one of our fellow travelers, suffered a bad fall during the football game and injured his wrist. Tingjun quickly set up an emergency unit on-site, stabilizing Rob’s arm with makeshift materials. Mr. Zhang, from the hotel where we were staying, transported Rob and Tingjun to the local hospital. This incident revealed a touching twist: despite his pain, Rob maintained a cheerful demeanor, joking and smiling in photos shared by Tingjun to reassure Rob’s worried daughter. At the hospital, Rob was initially treated in the emergency unit, but soon the head of the orthopedic department, a former scholarship recipient of PP PokZin’s family, appeared. He personally attended to Rob. Rob received exceptional care and rejoined the group later that day.

The school has greatly benefited from the generosity of PP PokZin’s family, whose roots trace back to Taxia. The family’s longstanding contributions to the village have earned them deep respect and affection from its people.

As part of the program, we visited a temple in the village where the village dignitaries addressed the congregation with heartfelt words of gratitude and appreciation for PP PokZin’s grandfather and the Teo family. Outside the temple stood a series of commemorative columns, each dedicated to individuals who had served the community in exceptional ways. Notably, one of the columns honored PP PokZin’s grandfather. Unlike the others, which were funded by the local government, this column was uniquely financed by the villagers themselves—beneficiaries of Mr. Zhang's acts of kindness and goodwill.

For the past nine years (excluding the COVID years), PP Linda and PP Mavis have visited the village annually to teach English, spending time with students and teachers to encourage language learning and skill development.

The region has been designated as the World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO for its  unique ancient architecture. Set amongst rice, tea and tobacco fields there are earthen houses called the Tulous scattered in the region. These are several- storey high structures,  built along an inward-looking, circular or square floor plan as housing for up to 800 people each. They were built for defence purposes around a central open courtyard with only one entrance and windows to the outside only above the first floor. Housing a whole clan, the houses functioned as village units and were known as “a little kingdom for the family” or “bustling small city.” They feature tall fortified mud walls capped by tiled roofs with wide over-hanging eaves. The most elaborate structures date back to the 17th and 18th centuries. The buildings were divided vertically between families with each disposing of two or three rooms on each floor. In contrast with their plain exterior, the inside of the tulou were built for comfort and were often highly decorated. They are inscribed as exceptional examples of a building tradition and function exemplifying a particular type of communal living and defensive organization, and, in terms of their harmonious relationship with their environment, an outstanding example of human settlement.

These structures still serve the same purpose: they are the living quarters of the villagers. In earlier times, each Tulou was owned by a single clan or family. Today, however, they are shared by villagers who may not necessarily belong to the same clan or family - perhaps a legacy of the 1949 revolution.

In some of the Tulous we visited, we met the descendants of the original clan who still reside there, albeit sharing the space, which was once entirely theirs, with others. The Teo family continues to maintain their Tulou in the village, which remains inhabited by family members who chose to stay and live there.

Taxia is surrounded by a forested landscape of mountains, densely covered in lush greenery from a wide variety of trees and plants. The misty sky above adds an ethereal quality to the scenery, giving the entire view an idyllic charm, beautiful beyond imagination.

The village and its people feels like a world apart, exuding serenity and timeless authenticity.

For those encountering Taxia and its people for the first time, this journey was truly an unforgettable experience.

For more photos and videos on this event, please click on the following links courtesy of PP PokZin: Taxia vidoes and photos.

The FSC has been serving the western community for over 20 years. Recently, it was highlighted in the media for assisting a stateless individual (featured in the October issue of the Newsletter: “Stateless Unemployed Youth Who Has Never Gone to School Lands Job Offer”).

Join us to meet the team, learn about their programs and services, and explore opportunities for collaboration. You can find the registration link in the announcement above.

Honoring 100 Years of Rotary Service in Africa

Rotary District 3310 is organizing a special trip to Kenya in early January 2025 to celebrate 100 years of Rotary service in Africa. The trip is divided into two segments:

• January 8–11: Safari adventure

• January 12–15: Medical mission, Rotary projects, and a Rotary Friendship Exchange

For more details or to register your interest, please contact President Farouk at +65 8112 6844 or PP Jimmy Ooi at +65 9844 6007 as soon as possible. Early registration is encouraged to secure hotel accommodations and airfare at special discounted rates.

The 2025 Council on Legislation of Rotary International

The 2025 Council on Legislation will take place in Chicago from April 13–17, 2025.

Rotary clubs and districts can use an online form to submit statements of support, opposition, or general comments on the proposed legislation. Statements from clubs must be submitted by the club president, while district statements must be submitted or confirmed by the district governor.

To review the proposed legislation, please click the link below:

• July 2025

1. The Arch Klumph Society was established to recognize the Foundation's highest top tier of donors - those who have contributed $250,000 or more. Paul Harris fellows are donors whose contribution is above $1,000/year.

2. The Rotary "annual themes" mentioned in this newsletter are: