Farewell Guangdong: Documentary recounts harrowing journey of early Chinese refugees

RNZ has launched a documentary web series titled Farewell Guangdong that sheds some light on a little-known chapter of New Zealand's history.

In 1939, the New Zealand government approved the temporary entry of 256 Chinese wives and a similar number of children, allowing them to seek refuge amid the turmoil of war.

The seven-part series traces the journeys of seven Chinese refugee wives and their children who fled Guangdong during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-45) to reunite with their husbands in New Zealand, navigating immense hardship along the way.

Produced for RNZ by Tawera Productions, with support from NZ On Air, the documentary combines dramatic re-enactments, interviews and historical archive material to bring firsthand refugee accounts to life.

The first episode tells the story of Lau Yuet Seen, who fled her village of Woo Bui in Poon Yue County on foot with her two children in September 1938 as Japanese forces advanced.

Braving pirates and enduring a harrowing ocean journey without knowing a word of English, she finally reunited with her husband, Lim Yuen Loy, a fruit vendor in Cambridge.

But their joy was short-lived.

The New Zealand government initially granted Chinese women a two-year temporary permit to stay.

What's more, their husbands were required to pay a £200 deposit and a £500 bond, both forfeited if a child was born during their stay.

Director Lynda Chanwai-Earle, herself a descendant of Chinese refugees, interviews Yuet's daughter, Freda, now in her 90s.

Through Freda and her family, the documentary explores how Yuet overcame adversity and persevered to make New Zealand her home.

Yuet's experience was not unique. Throughout the series, seven refugee families share their journeys, their desperation to escape war, the hardship of leaving home behind, their struggles to settle in New Zealand and their deep love for Aotearoa - a place they could finally call home.

Chanwai-Earle said the stories of refugee women and their families reflect the multicultural identity of the country's Chinese community.

"Our series aims to enrich the diversity of cultural experience by providing a window into our Chinese community," she said. "[It shows] the injustices that we experienced and the resilience that we showed in the face of persecution and racism.

"At the heart of our series, we want to tell the story of inclusion and connection."

Lily Lee, co-producer of the documentary and author of Farewell Guangdong, the book that inspired the series, said she had received several moving messages from the Chinese families featured in the documentary.

Many expressed a deep appreciation and enthusiasm for seeing their stories brought to life.

Born in New Zealand, Lee's mother and elder sister were among the refugees who fled China in the late 1930s. Their experiences are also featured in the documentary.

She felt grateful that her family's story could be included in the film.

"I felt good about this because I had heard these stories from my mother when I was young," Lee said. "My mother ... had escaped, fled, suffered and endured quite a lot of hardship going through the trauma of war."

Lee hoped the documentary would give young Chinese New Zealanders a deeper understanding of their identity and heritage.

"My initial thought was simply to share our story with the Chinese community," she said. "I wanted younger generations to know and understand their past, to know that they came from Guangdong."

Lee noted the documentary also served as a valuable resource for new Chinese immigrants, offering insight into the history of early Chinese settlers in New Zealand.

"It gives them an anchor to know Chinese have been part of this country's history a long time ago," she said. "They don't need to feel that they are newcomers.

"We, the immigrants, have settled and integrated here. We are a good model of how the next generation can integrate and contribute to New Zealand's community, economy and culture."

Lee said the arrival of the refugees had been described as a watershed event that allowed the Chinese community to establish a genuine foothold in New Zealand.

Prior to their relocation, most Chinese immigrants to New Zealand were male labourers who travelled without their families and returned home after making some money.

After wartime hostilities in China dragged on before the country was torn apart by the Chinese civil war, the refugees' stay was extended until New Zealand finally granted them permanent residency in 1947.

"We have a strong root settling in different parts of New Zealand," Lee said. "Many Māori and Europeans have expressed how Chinese were wonderful neighbors and how well they all got along.

"Many people were pleased to have Chinese families come into the community."