In October 2002, on occation of Pearl S.Buck’s 110TH birth year, grand commemorative activities were held in Zhenjiang,her Chinese home city.Taking part in the activities were 78 honorable guests coming from Pearl S. Buck International, USA, Zhenjiang’s sister cities of Tempe,AZ,USA and Mannheim Germany, her son and daughter as well as dozens of specialists and scholars in the field of Pearl S.Buck study.There were also delegates coming from Nanjing , Huai’an and Suzhou where Pearl S.Buck once lived and worked.

Born in the USA,Pearl S.Buck grew up in China and of her 37 years long life in China,the first 18 years in Zhenjiang were really unforgettable to her;for this is the place where she spent her babyhood and girlhood.Here she was learning Chinese Language, hearing folk narrator’s stories , receiving education , widening her knowledge and finding her strong interest in Chinese culture.Zhenjiang Chongmei Girl’s School was her Alma Mater which she attended in her girlhood and returned to work after graduation from college.Meanwhile she was also a teacher in Zhenjiang Runzhou Middle School,a man’s school.Pearl S.Buck was very popular among her students for her broad knowledge and skillful teaching technique.As a result,quite a few students of hers later became famous for their great achievements in certain fields.Beautiful Zhenjiang forstered Pearl S. Buck,providing her with rich and colorful source material for her later wellknown literature works .With deep affection she called Zhenjiang “my Chinese home city” .And in the long decades after she left here,she had always been concerned about China and Zhenjiang.She once asked her Chinese friend to pay respect on her behalf to her parents at their tombs in Zhenjiang. She dreamed to taste once again Zhenjiang’s sesame cake and molt dust which were her favorite girlhood socks.Zhenjiang was the cradle for her growth and the starting point from which she embarked on her road to success.

The activities comprised the commemoritive conference,the curtain lifting ceremony of Zhenjiang Pearl S.Buck Research Center and first issue ceremony of Pearl S. Buck commemorative stamps.They also included visit to Pearl S.Buck’s former residence ,attendance of the exhibition of “Pearl S.Buck in Zhenjiang” and going around Pearl S. Buck’s Alma Mater as well as 2002 Pearl S.Buck International Symposium . Zhenjiang municipal leader,the president of Pearl S.Buck International of USA, vice-mayor of Temple,AZ,USA and Mannheim of Germany,a famous German film director,Pearl S.Buck’s adopted son and daughter as well as internal scholars and specialists made speeches at the conference and symposium.From various points of views they gave their high and fair appraisement of Pearl S.Buck . The emotional speeches such as “Building a future rooted in the past”,”Reflections on My Mother,Pearl S.Buck”, “Pearl S.Buck and Angnes Smedley: Neither is Forgettable” were warmly applauded by the audience.

To commemorate the 110th anniversary of Pearl S.Buck’s birth year and 30th aviversary of release of China-US Joint Communique China Post Administration issued a set of commemorative stamps based on the photos of Pearl S.Buck and her family members in Zhenjiang.The guests coming to visit Pearl S.Buck’s former residence bought one after another the Pearl S.Buck’s commemorative stamp collection ,her gold-foiled photo,souvenirs on “the Good Earth” as well as her works.The president of Pearl S.Buck’s International and Pearl S.Buck’s son and daughter were chased as a star,being asked to leave their signiture or take a photo with by a lot of peaple during and after the conference.

Mr. Nobert Engge,vice mayor of Mannheim,Germany and honorary citizen of Zhenjiang, pointed out that understanding and freindship is the common desire of the people around the world .That has been the kernel of Pearl S.Buck idea and emotion . The true peace can only resulted from mutual understanding .He also said that in “China Garden” jointly built by Zhenjiang and Mannheim there has been erected a stone tablet on which Pearl S.Buck’s words are engraved.It says:”Wherever one may come from, he can achieve communications and understanding with the others only through acquainting himself with their culture.” The words have left deep impressions on millions of visitors who come to China Garden in Mannheim from all over of the world each year.Mr. Dulick, a famous German film director,the winner the Oscar award in 1982 is an old friend of the Chinese people.He made a particular trip to China this time to take film recording the commemorative activities and the landscape in Zhenjiang so as to prepare a documentary film on Pearl S.Buck and recommend Zhenjiang to the world.Mr.Safer,an German enterpreneur who came to China for the first time was deeply moved by warm welcome from the people in Zhenjiang and signed a letter of intent for cooperation with the counterpart enterprise in Zhenjiang.The Pearl S.Buck International of USA has reached an agreement with Zhenjiang Pearl S.Buck Research Association on cooperative projects for sister school relationship establishment,exchange of students and teachers.

The activities aroused attentions from a lot of media.China News Agency,China Daily,Peking Review,China Overseas Daily gave full coverage of the activities.

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