Between July and September 1941, Soong Ching Ling initiated the "Bowl of Rice Campaign" in Hong Kong.
The "Bowl of Rice Campaign" The "Bowl of Rice Campaign" was originally initiated by the American Medical Association for China (AMAC) and other organizations in 1939. It was held annually to collect donations from the American people and overseas Chinese to purchase medicines and medical equipment to support China's war effort. Soon, the One Bowl Campaign spread to the United Kingdom, Canada, and many countries in South America. From the outbreak of the war in July 1937 to the start of the Japanese attack on Hong Kong on December 7, 1941, Hong Kong was temporarily saved from the war and became a stronghold of the anti-Japanese relief movement. In order to raise funds for the relief of wounded soldiers and refugees, in 1941, Soong Ching Ling, then President of the Alliance for the Defense of China (the Alliance) and Honorary President of the International Committee of the Chinese Trade Unions, initiated and led the "bowl of rice campaign" in Hong Kong, which was a sensation throughout the territory. She believed that the launch of such a movement in Hong Kong, more than 1.5 million Hong Kong compatriots to stimulate the patriotic passion for salvation, to raise funds for disaster relief is of great significance. In early May, according to Song Qingling's initiative, the "Alliance" was established in Hong Kong to Song Qingling as the honorary chairman, the Hong Kong Legislative Council Chinese Principal Councillor Lawrence Law as chairman, Hong Kong Medical Superintendent Szeto Yongjue's wife, Clarke, as vice-chairman, and including the head of the Hong Kong Chinese Merchants General Association, the "Bowl of Rice Campaign" committee. The "One Bowl Campaign" Committee. The committee decided to offer 10,000 vouchers at HK$2 each, the value of which would have allowed them to enjoy several dishes, but the subscribers could only use the vouchers to eat a bowl of fried rice at a restaurant that offered sponsorship, and the surplus of this difference would be given to the China Industrial Cooperative for the relief of the Northwest Refugee Fund. The One Bowl Campaign received an immediate and positive response from all sectors in Hong Kong. The first donor was the owner of the Lai Shan Restaurant on Wellington Street, Mr. Wan Tsz Ming, who offered to donate 500 bowls of rice. Driven by him, various restaurants and restaurants in Hong Kong responded one after another, and in a few days, 13 restaurants participated and donated more than 5,000 bowls of rice. They called it "National Salvation Rice". "A bowl of rice movement" inaugural meeting held July 1 evening, in Hong Kong, Wan Chai, the famous Yingjing Restaurant, by Song Qingling presided over the grand scale of the "bowl of rice movement" opening ceremony. Most of the members of the "Bowl of Rice Campaign" committee and more than 150 people from all walks of life in Hong Kong, both Chinese and foreigners, attended the opening ceremony. Song Qingling firstly introduced the significance of the "One Bowl Rice Campaign" to the audience. She pointed out that "the One Bowl Rice Campaign not only collected donations for the relief of the needy, but also expressed the meaning of sacrifice by abstaining from food and drink, which is a virtue of human beings that is praiseworthy in both Chinese and foreign countries, in the past and in the present." She emphasized that "the One Bowl Rice Movement is an expression of sympathy for our resistance to war and the building of the nation, and the development of the spirit of democracy." Moreover, "it has a deeper significance because this donation is to help industrial cooperatives to organize and provide relief for refugees and wounded soldiers, which is the most appropriate relief cause to consolidate the production front, to produce to save the country, and to help people to help themselves." Therefore, "it is worth advocating". In the hall on the podium, displayed some of the Song Qingling donated Sun Yat-sen's life of precious ink and other cultural relics and souvenirs, and on the spot sale, as a "bowl of rice campaign" donation. It didn't take long for these treasures to be purchased. After the inaugural meeting, the "bowl of rice movement" committee through the press, literary and artistic progress, launched a wide range of publicity and mobilization activities. Under the vigorous publicity and encouragement of all sectors of the community, the Hong Kong catering industry responded very enthusiastically to the "One Bowl Campaign". After Lai Shan Restaurant first announced its donation of fried rice, Lok Sin Restaurant in Shui Hang Hau, Sheung Wan, immediately offered to donate 3,000 bowls. Then, Ying King, Lung Chuen, Canton, Han Shang, Tin Yin, Little Gion and other restaurants, cafes and tea houses also donated rice. By August 1, the number of donations had reached 14,700 bowls. At the same time, Hong Kong's industrial, commercial, women's and academic organizations also responded to the call of the "Alliance" and assisted the "One Bowl Campaign" Committee to promote the sale of meal coupons, they are: the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, the South China Athletic Association, the Chinese Youth Ambulance Corps, the Lingnan Reunion, the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Residents, the Chinese Machinery Association, the Women's Association, the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Kowloon Residents and the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Kowloon Residents. They were: Chinese Merchants Association, South China Athletic Association, Chinese Youth Ambulance Corps, Lingnan Alumni Association, Hong Kong and Kowloon Residents' Association, Chinese Machinery Association, Women's Comfort Association, etc. In addition, the Tsuen Wan Daily Restaurant, Chung Ho Luen Chamber of Commerce, Kwok Wah Bank, Wuyi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as Cheng Tieh Ru, Tong Tam Mei, Ko Fook Sheun, Lo Man Kam and others, also donated to the "Bowl of Rice Campaign". The "One Bowl Campaign" was a sensation in Hong Kong On August 1, 1941, the "One Bowl Campaign" in Hong Kong, which was planned to last for three days, was officially kicked off. Early in the morning, Mrs. Clarke and other staff of the "Alliance" went to various restaurants and tea rooms to inspect the preparations of each store, and expressed satisfaction and gratitude for their careful arrangement and orderly preparation. 13 restaurants and cafes, such as Yingjing and Lexian, have decorated their halls in a new and chic way. Some of them hung banners on the door "welcome to eat to save the country", "the door of patriotism", "the door of glory", some of them posted patriotic posters in the store, and some of them displayed anti-Japanese warrior Some put up patriotic posters in the shop halls, while others displayed pictures of anti-Japanese fighters bravely killing the enemy and members of labor unions working hard to produce. Preparations were well organized. The Ying King Restaurant in Wan Chai set up a special hall on the second floor to receive customers of the "Bowl of Rice Campaign" and waived the tea charge. Lok Sin Restaurant is even more original, for donations of more than $ 100, the store's collection of many years of big red bowls to serve rice hospitality. public **** cars, trams, also posted slogans and posters, written "for the motherland homeless refugees," "everyone to eat patriotic meal", "all the income allocated to the China Industrial Cooperative to expand the All proceeds will be allocated to the China Industrial Cooperative to expand its relief work". The event culminated in the appearance of a specially made model of a large bowl on the street that morning. A large group of people clustered around this "big bowl" and shouted the slogan "Buy one more bowl of rice, give relief to one more refugee" as they walked through the downtown areas of Central, Western and Wan Chai, adding momentum to the "One Bowl of Rice Campaign", which was already a household name. The campaign has added momentum to the already well-known "One Bowl Campaign". On this day, the people of Hong Kong took to the streets to buy rice coupons, and everyone was proud to be able to contribute to the funding of the war effort and the relief of our compatriots in the motherland. They called fried rice as "patriotic rice", "save the country rice", is to save the best efforts, so each face with a proud look. A vendor said to the newspaper reporter interviewed: "Usually all the expenses saved again and again, even if it is a match money also have to weigh, but only to buy a bowl of rice sports meal coupons can not be cheap. I bought five bowls, his wife and children have eaten, although it took a good deal of hard-earned 10 yuan, but the heart is twelve million happy, because our family is considered to do a Chinese should do a duty, conscience feel comfortable." The bosses of the restaurants, shopkeepers are to participate in the "bowl of rice movement" as the most meaningful thing in their lives, such as the wedding as the intention of the ingredients processing, to unprecedented quality of service to receive diners. There was a beggar in rags, looking forward and backward on the second floor of the Yingjing Restaurant, "a bowl of rice movement" special hall, picking the corner seat to sit down. He may have never been in such a luxurious restaurant in his life, he looked very uncomfortable, was distracted when the beautiful waitress with a steaming hot fried rice, sent to him in front, said with a smile: "Please eat." On-site interview reporters witnessed this unusual scene, asked the restaurant manager Gao Fuzhong: "beggars also come to your store to eat fried rice, you do not hate?" High manager said: "Patriotism does not distinguish between rich and poor, all come to eat patriotic rice, we treat all the same are warmly welcome reception." August 2, 3, on weekends and Sundays, the public to participate in the "bowl of rice movement" as the most honorable and most eternal commemorative significance of an important activity, they or with the young and the old to raise the family **** food; or and friends to the dining room. For those who are poor, they buy a bowl of rice and sit around the family, sharing a chopstick with you and a spoon with me; for those who are sick and old and cannot go out, they ask others to take the rice with them. In Hong Kong, there is no distinction between north and south, between Chinese and foreigners, and everyone knows about the "One Bowl Campaign". They are all from different walks of life, but they all sympathize with the victims, support the workers' union, and are united in their passion for winning the war of resistance! On the same day, the Chinese newspaper "Huashang Daily", the headline published Song Qingling's inscription: "Japanese invaders, the flesh and bones of the displaced, all my compatriots, their speed and mutual assistance." "A bowl of rice campaign" extended the date Originally scheduled to carry out three days of "a bowl of rice campaign" soon passed, but there are still many people who did not eat "a bowl of rice" and regret. It is not a good idea to have a good time, but it is a good idea to have a good time. People from all walks of life have also appealed for an extension of time, so that more people can eat a bowl of "patriotic rice", "national salvation rice", to express their feelings of patriotism and salvation. As a result, most of the restaurants extended their dates, including Longquan Teahouse until August 10th, Tianyan Teahouse until the 15th, and Lexian and Xiao Gion until August 30th. The number of tickets sold far exceeded the original target of 20,000, and the One Bowl Campaign was a complete success. September 1, "a bowl of rice campaign" ended in triumph, held in the Yingjing Restaurant, the end of the ceremony, Soong Ching Ling to preside over the meeting. Announced at the meeting, "a bowl of rice movement" income: after deducting the expenses, the net balance of 25,000 Hong Kong dollars, 615 French dollars. During the victory march, Soong Ching Ling presented prizes and awarded the banner inscribed by her as "Patriotic Model" to the 13 winning restaurants that had pledged to donate fried rice; she also presented the owners of Ying King, Little Gion, and Lok Sin with a gift of Dr. Sun's posthumous ink, "Strive to move forward! " as a special encouragement. All proceeds from the "One Bowl Campaign" were donated to the Chinese Industrial Cooperation Movement, which strongly supported China's war of resistance. Its success could not have been achieved without the strong support of Soong Ching Ling on the one hand; on the other hand, it could not have been achieved without the patriotic and salvation fervor of our compatriots in Hong Kong.