BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- When he was still a child, Eric Foster made a quiet promise to himself that one day he would go to China. This personal pledge stemmed from Foster having heard stories about his uncle, American journalist Edgar Snow, and his wife Helen Foster Snow.
Helen helped organize manuscripts and research materials, making significant contributions to the publication of Snow's 1937 classic, "Red Star Over China." In April 1937, Helen traveled to northern Shaanxi in the northwest of China to interview leaders of the Communist Party of China, and she later authored "Inside Red China." Together, these two books allowed the world to know better of Chinese revolution and inspired countless others.
Decades later, Foster fulfilled his childhood promise, moving to Beijing in 2010. Foster still lives in the Chinese capital and this past Wednesday he attended a Chinese New Year gathering in the city, where international friends shared China stories from either their own lives or family histories.
The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) hosted the gathering. It was the first time for the association to host a large-scale Chinese New Year reception specifically for international friends living in Beijing. Nearly 120 people from 45 countries gathered at the event to celebrate the Year of the Horse and renew bonds of friendship.
Like Foster, many of the guests' connections with China took root in childhood, or even earlier, through family memories.
Zheng Xiaoti is the daughter of Chong Ryul-song, a composer born in what is now Gwangju of the Republic of Korea, who wrote the military anthem of the People's Liberation Army. Zheng's mother, meanwhile, from southwest China's Chongqing, served as the first female ambassador of the People's Republic of China.
Zheng's parents, who met during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, came from different countries but were brought together by shared ideals. Zheng noted that in Gwangju, streets and memorial facilities have been named in her father's honor. Also, commemorative events centered on his life have been held since 2004.
Today, this cross-border legacy has been passed on to a third generation. Zheng's son, Jian Feng, is now active on the international stage via youth cultural exchanges, using music as a bridge for dialogue.
In 1988, a young Canadian, Mark Rowswell, arrived in China to begin advanced studies in the Chinese language. Having previously studied Chinese for four years, he planned to pursue a career related to China. Today, he is widely known across China by his Chinese name, Dashan, and is considered a cultural celebrity.
"Although Canada is a young country, exchanges between Canada and China go back more than a hundred years," Dashan said. His ancestors were among those who took part in the early stages of friendship between these two countries. In 1922, his grandfather arrived in China with his family, first receiving training at Peking Union Medical College Hospital before moving on to central China's Henan Province to work as a doctor.
Through archival research and with the help of many Chinese friends, Dashan gradually pieced together fragments of his family's history in China. Dashan learned that during Christmas, his grandparents had hosted a gathering for both Chinese and foreign friends. His grandmother played the piano during this gathering, while his grandfather entertained guests by performing the story of "Wu Song Fights the Tiger" in Chinese.
"I came to realize that I am actually a third-generation member of a family devoted to traditional performing arts," Dashan said jokingly.
Beyond emotional bonds passed down through families, many international friends have also formed close ties with China through professional collaboration. Shahbaz Khan, a water resources expert from Pakistan now living in Beijing, is both a witness to and a participant in exchanges in science and culture.
Khan, director and representative of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, first established links with China as early as 1999. He visited China many times for work after that, conducting research along the Yangtze River and Yellow River and collaborating with Chinese scientists on issues such as water conservation.
Now, revisiting the places where he once worked and built lasting friendships, Khan said he encountered "a very different world."
"I traveled by very fast train and excellent road as compared to the past, amazing infrastructure," Khan said. He added that while making progress in many areas in science and technology, like solar energy, electric vehicles and nanotechnologies, China has managed to retain its Confucian culture and tradition, such as very strong family values.
"I feel China has done tremendous work to bring the next level of human progress in science and technology, and in education and culture," he told Xinhua.
