Putian

Country information

The city of Putian is located in the south-eastern province of Fujian. This province is opposite the island of Taiwan, and it was from here that Chiang Kai-shek and his followers fled to Taiwan. This is why, for many years, the province was at a disadvantage as far as its development was concerned. Therefore, there is a special need for homes for orphaned children. The corner-stone for the SOS Children's Village Putian was laid in November 1997; the official opening took place in March 2000. The SOS Children's Village Putian consists of 14 red-tile family homes, the Village Director's house, a community centre, an aunts' house, a guest house, staff quarters and various administrative buildings. There is also an SOS Kindergarten. The SOS Children's Village is surrounded by a lychee grove, and a river runs at the back. The site was provided by the city of Putian. It covers an area of 33,300 square metres and is about one kilometre from the city centre in one of the city's residential areas. There is a primary school, a market and a military hospital near by.