Peter MacInnis, son of Donald MacInnis, was born in Fuzhou city, Fujian province, amid a rich historical backdrop.
Donald, a lieutenant in the American Flying Tigers, came to assist China in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), later teaching at Fukien Christian University.
Peter's childhood was deeply influenced by Kuliang, a summer retreat of Fuzhou where many Americans gathered in the early 20th century. He went to Kuliang in infancy and spent his first summer there. Since then, the family visited Kuliang annually, leaving behind precious photographs and taking away fond memories.
During his studies at Harvard University, Peter met Elyn, and they built a family, raising two daughters, Ai Zhong and Ai Hua, meaning Love China. In 1988, Peter returned to China with Elyn and their daughters for work, retiring in 2017.
In 2015, following Donald' wishes, Peter and his wife scattered some of his ashes into the Minjiang River. They subsequently visited Donald's former residence in Kuliang, where they discovered an old map on the wall of the Kuliang Post Office. This map sparked their interest in the history of Kuliang, prompting them to embark on a quest to uncover more information.
Since 2016, Peter and Elyn have been on self-financing trips between the East and West Coasts of the United States, beginning a challenging journey of research and exploration. They not only confirmed the list of villa owners in Kuliang, but also found more individuals who had lived there during their childhood and are still alive today. They unearthed and collected over 1,000 pieces of data related to Kuliang, including textual materials, photographs and physical artifacts, all scanned and archived by Peter.
As their research deepened, their social circle in Kuliang expanded, culminating in the establishment of "Kuliang Friends". Through this platform, they not only preserved the historical memories of Kuliang but also shared these precious resources and stories with more people.