文/ 林泓穎

在杭州國家版本館的版本捐贈者中，有這樣一對老年夫婦：他們根本不懂英文，卻和美國總統(tǒng)交上了朋友；他們出身草根，卻為兩國民間的友誼奔走了二十多年；他們被媒體譽為中美友誼的“民間大使”，是俄勒岡州前議長口中“最受美國人歡迎的中國夫婦”。他們就是杭州中美友誼民間紀念館的創(chuàng)始人潘杰和范祝華夫婦。

如果被問“你們都已經(jīng)退休了，還辦這個館干什么”，潘杰夫妻倆一定會樂呵呵地回答：“退而不休，是種樂趣?！倍嗄陙恚麄儗⒆约旱耐诵莨べY和積蓄幾乎都用在了這份“公益事業(yè)”上。好在得道多助：政府免費向他們提供辦館場地，志同道合的朋友們盡力協(xié)助他們辦館，兒女們也非常支持，關(guān)鍵時刻都會毫不猶豫地出資幫助父母渡過難關(guān)。如今坐落于杭州中山北路的中美友誼紀念館，既是他們“退而不休”的最好證明，也是中美人民之間友好交往的重要象征。

基辛格博士在紐約與潘杰、范祝華夫婦親切會面，夫妻倆送上中美友誼館為其準備的80歲生日禮物。（資料照片）Pan Jie and Fan Zhuhua meets Dr. Henry Kissinger in New York. The couple sent Kissinger a present prepared by the China-US Friendship Memorial Hall for his 80th birthday.

緣起創(chuàng)作園

潘杰和美國的緣分，從20世紀80年代就開始了。當時，潘杰還是一個朝九晚五的事業(yè)單位工作人員，業(yè)余時間酷愛寫作，沒想到的是，他參加了一場由一對美國夫婦—作家安格爾和小說家聶華苓來杭講學的活動，因此改變了自己的人生軌跡。這對夫婦在美國創(chuàng)辦了一個“國際筆會中心”，通過向社會募捐的形式給作家寫作創(chuàng)造條件。潘杰聽后深受啟發(fā)，與前妻金蕾芳效仿“國際模式”，在杭州用兩人的工資和微薄積蓄，以西湖邊保俶山上的初陽臺為象征，籌建了一個專為創(chuàng)作條件有困難的清寒作家提供寫作方便的“初陽臺文學創(chuàng)作園”。一顆友好交流的種子，落在了這片古老的東方土地上，生根發(fā)芽，開花結(jié)果，連辦10年里，接待了全國各地兩百多位清寒作家。放在當時的大背景下，不能不說是中美友誼在緣分牽引下妙不可言的一個結(jié)晶，也是他投身于社會公益事業(yè)的好起點。

潘杰退休前一直在浙江展覽館從事展覽編輯工作，在搜集資料時，突然看到中國“兩彈一星之父”錢學森院士在1998年的全國第二次科技大會上的一番振聾發(fā)聵的講話：“展覽是人民喜聞樂見的一種教育方式，為什么沒有一門展覽學？也沒有個展覽學院？”潘杰想，自己在展覽館工作，可以為創(chuàng)建展覽學出點力。于是他在兩年內(nèi)，利用業(yè)余時間撰寫了《展覽藝術(shù)—展覽學導論》。第一本就寄給了錢學森院士審閱。錢老收到這本書后，喜不可抑，連忙來信對他表彰。他又花了三年時間，撰寫了一部七十萬字的《中國展覽史》寄給錢老。錢老鼓勵他繼續(xù)努力，他立志要為中國展覽學進一步奮斗。后來，金蕾芳病故，臨終前叮囑潘杰說：“你以后有條件的話，可以把靈隱的一套破房修繕后，樓下搞一個紀念館，展出一些關(guān)于中美友誼的資料，樓上辦創(chuàng)作園?！?/p>

潘杰回憶說，前妻的話“講到了我的心坎上”。因為早些年研究展覽史時，他就曾被歷史上中美兩國友好往來的諸多事跡感動，創(chuàng)辦一個這樣的紀念館，不僅可以作為他持續(xù)研究展覽學的載體，不辜負錢老的殷切期待，還可以提供一個跨國交流的多元視角，以民間交往、文化共榮為紐帶，促進兩國的友好關(guān)系。那時的潘杰不懂什么是“全球化”，但已經(jīng)有了一個朦朧的感覺。總之，在他看來，這是心之所愿，更是愿意為之付出努力的事。可惜前妻因病撒手人寰，潘杰缺少了最得力的助手，這個計劃也只能同創(chuàng)作園一樣暫時被擱置了。

幸好“天意憐幽草”，晚晴之年還能遇上與自己情意相投的伴侶—現(xiàn)任妻子范祝華，那個為中美人民友誼而創(chuàng)館的計劃又一次涌上心頭。結(jié)婚領(lǐng)證的第二天，潘杰就攜范祝華來到了浙江省文物管理局。一紙短短的辦館申請書，在潘杰看來，這不僅是前妻九泉之下未盡的夙愿，也是他和范祝華作為新婚夫妻對未來規(guī)劃的美好希冀。

不到一個星期，申請書就被批準了。那一年是1998年，潘杰已經(jīng)65歲了。

領(lǐng)了批準文書，就可以正式以紀念館的名義開展活動了。此后，由范祝華在國內(nèi)籌備周轉(zhuǎn)，潘杰赴美國搜集有關(guān)資料，早期的紀念館就這樣運作起來了。1999年3月，潘杰回國，夫妻倆舉辦了紀念館的第一個展覽，題目為“中美友好兩百年”。飛虎將軍陳納德的遺孀陳香梅女士親自為展覽題詞：“中美友誼，日月常新?！备σ婚_展，各界名人望士紛至沓來，好評如潮。這讓潘杰信心大增，同時也讓他結(jié)識了更多對推動中美友誼懷有熱忱的友好之士，也更加堅定了他要把紀念館繼續(xù)辦下去的信念。

交往美國政要

秉著“多個朋友多條路”的樸素想法，潘杰來到美國后廣交好友，甚至給白宮寫了信。早在紀念館開始籌辦時，潘杰就給當時的美國總統(tǒng)克林頓寫了信，他在信中向克林頓介紹了紀念館的概況，特別說明紀念館由民間自發(fā)籌辦。

念念不忘，必有回響，不久后就收到了白宮的回信。信中，克林頓稱潘杰為“一個讓人敬佩的老人”，并致以美好祝愿，突如其來的回音讓二老興高采烈。

值得一提的是，寄信地址叫“鳳凰谷”，潘杰更是將其視為一種“吉兆”。他讀過《詩經(jīng)》，傳說鳳凰非梧桐不棲，梧桐非向陽不生。紀念館可不就是一株向陽的梧桐嗎？潘杰堅信，只要他持之以恒地培育友誼之花，今后一定會有更多的鳳凰來棲。

果然，“鳳凰”接二連三地飛來了。

第二封信在一個暖和的秋日，蓋著粉紅色郵戳，跨越萬里重洋，帶著友好寓意的消息來到了杭州，這是時任美國總統(tǒng)小布什的回信。早在他贏得大選時，潘杰就在杭州選了一幅象征“一帆風順”的絲綢國畫，署名杭州中美友誼紀念館，作為一份飽含美好祝愿的民間禮物寄給了白宮。

誰知小布什上任后并非一帆風順，很快發(fā)生了9 ·11事件。潘杰覺得，事件中犧牲的都是善良的平民和無辜者，其中還包括數(shù)十名華人。他們的生命和未盡的心愿永遠定格在了那一天，其背后是多少家庭因此陷入了永遠的悲傷和痛苦。民間友好交往中最重要的就是將心比心，人道主義不分國界和種族，他在事發(fā)當晚，即以紀念館名義給白宮發(fā)了慰問電報，并表達了良好祝愿。小布什閱后深受感動，很快在一張明信片上寫下“謝謝你們的親切慰問，我贊賞你們的良好愿望”，同時簽了名。

夫妻倆收到的第三封美國回信，出自小布什的下一任美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬之手。奧巴馬自稱是平民總統(tǒng)，潘杰是平民，他覺得平民之間可通心，便寄去了象征平民友誼的文化禮物—自己寫的一本勵志長篇紀實小說《云暗雪山》。他在封底寫著“此書獻給敢于挑戰(zhàn)危機的人”。奧巴馬看后，為了表示感謝，總統(tǒng)夫婦一起回信，并寫道：“當我們一起努力應(yīng)對當今世界面臨的巨大挑戰(zhàn)時，我們希望你們也繼續(xù)積極參與?！?/p>

提到促成中美兩國達成共識最具代表性的人物，許多人都會想到美國前國務(wù)卿基辛格博士，他被稱為“中國人民的老朋友”。上個世紀，他在美麗的西子湖畔，率先打破了橫亙在中美兩國間的堅冰，后又一手促成中美建交。2001年8月，潘杰夫婦剛好在美國，偶然看到報紙上刊登著基辛格生病入院的消息，特寫信以表達對這位“老朋友”的關(guān)心。在基辛格博士對中美友誼紀念館有了初步了解后，夫妻倆又寫了一封信，提及將在他80歲大壽那一年，在杭州西子湖畔的中美友誼紀念館內(nèi)，為他八十歲生日舉辦一個主題展覽，以感謝他對中美友好作出的卓越貢獻。基辛格博士立即回信致謝，并寄來了他的親筆簽名照。但當展覽如期展出后，夫妻倆卻犯了難：藝術(shù)家們?yōu)檎褂[創(chuàng)作的22件藝術(shù)品，需要他們親自送去美國，可他們是靠自己的退休工資在支撐辦館開銷，而且不懂英文，更不懂正式場合下的各種禮儀，不知道如何才能見到基辛格博士。果然，到了美國后，基辛格出差去歐洲了，他們只得在紐約干等。由于帶去的錢用完了，范祝華便去旅美華人家?guī)兔Γ瑏砭S持夫婦倆的生計。

一個多月后，夫婦倆終于與基辛格紐約事務(wù)所里的一位華人顧問取得了聯(lián)系。2003年10月23日下午3時許，夫妻倆終于在事務(wù)所里與基辛格博士親切會面。潘杰將22件禮品逐一作了介紹，基辛格博士贊不絕口，并予以極高評價，激動地說：“中國人的念舊情懷，世界上沒有其他民族可以比得上?！彼S即在代表中美友誼紀念館贈送生日禮品的清單上題了詞，感謝中國藝術(shù)家們的盛意，并鄭重地說：“我永遠是中國人民的好朋友！”

1.前美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬來信。 2.前美國總統(tǒng)小布什來信。3.基辛格博士寫信感謝杭州中美友誼館為其贈送80歲生日禮物。1. Letter from former US president Barack Obama. 2. Letter from former US president George W. Bush.3. Dr. Henry Kissinger wrote a letter expressing his appreciation for the 80th birthday present sent by the China-US Friendship Memorial Hall.

此后，基辛格博士一直與潘杰夫婦保持書信聯(lián)絡(luò)。2005年，基辛格博士85歲生日時，潘杰夫妻倆在紀念館內(nèi)為其立起了一座半身銅像，象征中美人民的友誼長存；基辛格博士90歲生日時，潘杰夫妻倆攜女兒一同前往美國與基辛格博士二次會面。就這樣，中國的這對草根夫妻，和被譽為“美國歷史上最偉大外交家之一”的人成了好朋友。中美友誼紀念館正如基辛格博士早年在信中所寫的那樣，成為了“增進美中兩國友好和相互了解的橋梁”。

通過這樣民間與政要的非官方交往，潘杰感到與美國朋友可以親切相處。一位旅美多年的中國朋友曾經(jīng)向他闡述過這樣一個觀點：從民間交往與文化交流的角度來說，中美之間其實可以找到更多的共通性。而如何在兩國人民友好交往中去尋找某種精神上的共識，就成了他今后辦館的一個重要目標，同時也是中美友誼紀念館努力的方向。

友誼長存

2020年4月，杭州國家版本館計劃落地杭州余杭良渚，面向群眾廣征藏品。版本館工作人員了解到潘杰夫婦在創(chuàng)辦中美友誼紀念館過程中有許多珍品值得收藏，便向他倆提出請求。他們知道這一消息后，想法驚人地一致，“辦紀念館不是為了私利，是純粹想為中美人民間的友誼做一些事情”。他們馬上列了一份資料清單，把潘杰多年來為中美友誼所撰寫的書籍悉數(shù)贈送，而與錢學森院士的往來書信，以及1998年辦館以來他們收到的所有飽含紀念意義的手稿，如三位美國總統(tǒng)和基辛格博士的來信，則全部交予杭州國家版本館代管。

“以后肯定是要捐掉的?！狈蹲ＨA說，“如果哪一年紀念館有困難了，或者我們兩個人無能為力了，東西肯定是會捐贈的”。

夫妻倆如今年事已高，潘杰已經(jīng)89歲了，2019年，他便將館內(nèi)日常工作移交給現(xiàn)任館長趙國平和副館長胡龍官。趙館長本身是位成功的企業(yè)家，與范祝華同屬杭州民進，早年就結(jié)下了深厚的友誼。在與潘杰夫妻倆交往的過程中，他為這對夫婦創(chuàng)館辦館的篳路藍縷，為促進中美人民友誼而奉獻之真誠與無私深深感動，便主動提出幫二老分擔紀念館相關(guān)工作，兢兢業(yè)業(yè)并慷慨解囊的十多年里，他一直是紀念館的忠實支持者和守護者。

被聘為館長后，趙國平也不負眾望，他和副館長胡龍官組織了一系列交流活動：接待了美國西華盛頓大學學生的組團來訪，開了兩次座談會等。為了表達紀念館對中美人民友好往來的肺腑之情，潘杰夫婦將在紐約寫下的緬懷長詩《不死的火鳳凰—獻給美國人民》精制成中英文對照的水晶詩碑，與幾位館長一起送給紐約9 · 11紀念館永久陳列。紐約紀念館館長收到詩碑后來信稱，這是“代表了中國人民的心”，并決定將此詩碑按最高館藏標準永久收藏和展出。

受到新冠肺炎疫情影響，紀念館目前暫時關(guān)閉，而趙國平除了在自己企業(yè)的廠房內(nèi)陳列《中美友好二百年》的展覽內(nèi)容外，還計劃在辦館的形式上進行改革。他認為，現(xiàn)在是融媒體時代，可運用新媒體等符合當下受眾視聽習慣的傳播方式來擴大影響力，對紀念館來說非常有必要，并堅信紀念館的未來必將更加美好。

聽過千禧年世紀相交的鐘聲，又來到復雜多變的所謂“后疫情時代”，潘杰和范祝華堅信，盡管一路走來經(jīng)歷了晴晴雨雨，但中美兩國人民向往和平、美好、友善的初衷是不會改變的，因此兩國人民的友好交往也應(yīng)該一直進行下去。如今，火把雖然已經(jīng)傳遞給接棒者，但他們?nèi)匀粫猿帧巴硕恍荨薄?/p>

The 24-Year Endeavor of an Ordinary Chinese Couple: Building a Bridge of Friendship

By Lin Hongying

This is a story of a Chinese couple, Mr. Pan Jie and Ms. Fan Zhuhua, founders of the China-US Friendship Memorial Hall in Hangzhou, the first of its kind in China. The elderly couple have befriended US presidents without knowing a word of English.Ordinary as they are, they have made efforts over the past two decades to promote China-US friendship. The couple, dubbed“folk ambassadors”, have been spoken highly of by a former House Speaker of Oregon.

基辛格博士來信中附親筆簽名照一張。An autographed photo that Dr. Henry Kissinger sent together with his letter.

From 1998 to 2022, the two self-rehired retirees have spent almost all their pensions and savings on the Memorial Hall, a nonprofit endeavor. Fortunately, the good cause has received abundant support and borne witness to the people-to-people exchanges between China and the US.

It all began in the 1980s, when Pan worked nine-to-five at Zhejiang Exhibition Hall. One day, he attended a lecture given by an American couple, writer Paul Engle and novelist Hualing Nieh Engle, without knowing it would change his life. The US couple had founded the International Writing Program in 1967 to support writers through public donations. Inspired by the“American model”, Pan and his then-wife, Jin Leifang, founded a writers’ workshop for financially challenged writers, which became Pan’s starting point of running a non-profit organization.

One day, a question raised by Qian Xuesen, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, caught Pan’s eyes: How come we don’t have exhibition studies since exhibition is a popular way of education? Pan believed he could do something about it, so he spent two years writing a book entitledUpon its completion, he sent the first copy to Qian, who gladly wrote a letter of commendation.Three years later, Pan sent Qian his bookand received words of encouragement again.

Pan’s first wife, Jin, advised him on her deathbed to renovate their old house into a memorial hall and a writers’ workshop. Her advice found an echo in Pan’s heart. The memorial hall could serve as a platform for continuing exhibition studies and promoting China-US friendship. Unfortunately, the plan had to be laid aside because of Jin’s death.

As fate would have it, Pan met his second life partner, Ms.Fan Zhuhua, and his dream was reignited. The day after they tied the knot, the newlyweds submitted an application for a memorial hall. That was in 1998 when Pan was 65. Then, Pan traveled around to collect exhibition materials. March of 1999 saw the launch of the first exhibition entitled “Two Centuries of China-US Friendship”, which received an inscription message from Anna Chan Chennault and garnered much praise. The successful debut boosted Pan’s confidence and made him more resolute in continuing the meaningful cause.

In the early days of the Memorial Hall, Pan tried his best to make friends. He wrote to Bill Clinton, introducing to him the non-governmental Memorial Hall. Shortly afterwards, Pan got a reply from the White House, in which Clinton praised him. The letter came as a pleasant surprise for Pan and his wife.

A few years later, on a warm fall day, they received a letter from the then president George W. Bush, as a response to a gift Pan had sent him to celebrate his victory in the presidential election. On the night of September 11, 2001, Pan sent a cable to President Bush, expressing his condolences to the families of the innocent victims. Deeply touched, President Bush replied with an autographed thank-you postcard.

President Bush’s successor, President Obama, believed the most important title for himself is “citizen” rather than “president”.Pan, who also considers himself an average citizen, sent the president his long non- fiction as a token of friendship. The first couple replied with words of appreciation and inspiration.

The replies from three US presidents convinced Pan that friendly people-to-people exchanges between the two nations are necessary, through which they can find common ground and real consensus. For Pan, this is what the Memorial Hall is all about.

In August 2001, the couple sent get-well wishes to Dr.Kissinger after they learned he had been hospitalized. After sharing with him the stories of the Memorial Hall, the couple wrote the old friend of the Chinese people another letter, telling him they would stage an exhibition at the hall to celebrate his 80th birthday and thank him for his great contributions toward improving China-US relations. Dr. Kissinger responded with a letter of appreciation and an autographed photo. After the exhibition, the couple embarked on a difficult journey to bring the 22 works of art from the exhibition to Dr. Kissinger. Over a month later, on the afternoon of October 23, 2003, the couple presented the 22 gifts to Dr. Kissinger at his office in New York. Dr. Kissinger was deeply impressed and simply thrilled.

Since then, the couple has kept in touch with Dr. Kissinger through mails. In 2005, a bronze bust of Dr. Kissinger was erected inside the Memorial Hall. When Dr. Kissinger turned 90, the couple and their daughter paid him a visit. The story between the couple and Dr. Kissinger has demonstrated the important role the Memorial Hall plays in promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the two nations.

The China National Archives of Publications and Culture(Hangzhou) in Liangzhu, Yuhang district of Hangzhou, is an institution set up to promote the preservation, exhibition, research and exchanges of the archival heritage. When the archives staff approached the couple for the valuable records marking the founding process of the Memorial Hall, the couple did not hesitate a moment and immediately prepared a list of such records.

Pan, 89 years old now, turned over the routine responsibilities in 2019 to Zhao Guoping and Hu Longguan, director and deputy director of the Memorial Hall. After assuming his role,Zhao has organized a series of exchange activities together with Hu. To express their best wishes for the everlasting friendship of the Chinese and American people, the couple prepared a crystal tablet inscribed with a bilingual poem and presented the gift to the National September 11 Memorial Museum, whose curator recognized it as a token of sincere friendship in his reply and promised to put it on permanent display.

Due to the pandemic, the Memorial Hall is closed. But Zhao has staged an exhibition on China-US friendship in his factory building and is planning to change the way the hall is run. He believes that it’s necessary to increase the impact of the hall via new media and that this meaningful cause holds an even brighter future.

Despite the ups and downs over the past two decades, Pan Jie and Fan Zhuhua are convinced that China and the US should maintain people-to-people exchanges. The 24-year endeavor of the couple has successfully built a bridge of friendship that connects the past with the future.