My 30 Years with Cultural Dialogue

By Qin Feng, our special reporter in USA



My 30 Years with Cultural Dialogue

By Qin Feng, our special reporter in USA

“摄影仍是我的最爱，抱着长镜头拍鸟去！”Qin Feng, our special reporter in USA, is a passionate photographer.

本文作者与非洲姑娘在一起。2015年7月摄于肯尼亚马赛马拉大草原。The writer of this short memoir poses for a picture with an African woman in Masai Mara National Reserve in July 2015.

One day in 1985, Uncle Liu Dan came to visit my father at home. He was my father's old friend and was serving as the president of the standing committee of Zhejiang People's Congress. I called him uncle. He talked about Cultural Dialogue with my father. It was him that had proposed to print and distribute a magazine for cultural exchanges with the outside world and the first issue was about to go to press. That day, he was excited. He said, “China is now reforming and opening up to the outside world. Cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world are important. Zhejiang has many cultural assets and has intimate ties with overseas Chinese communities. The magazine can serves as a bridge, introducing the finest of Chinese culture to the outside world and introducing the best of the world to China. The two-way communication is good to promote international cultural exchanges and enrich our minds and open our eyes. ” I was interested since I was working as a journalist with Zhejiang Daily. Uncle Liu Dan explained it would be a publication in both Chinese and English and it would be printed in colors. He urged me to contribute in the future.

I have been a reader of Cultural Dialogue since its initial issue. My collection began to grow as more and more issues came out. Even after I settled down in the United States, I still received it regularly. Then my colleagues at Zhejiang Daily came to work at Cultural Dialogue. I ran into them when I was back in Hangzhou. They urged me to write about cultural exchanges between China and USA for Cultural Dialogue since I was abroad. I was appointed a special reporter. I felt honored to be the only special reporter of Cultural Dialogue in the USA . In my spare time, I covered Chinese national troupes' activities in the United States and I also interviewed some cultural icons that Chinese people were familiar with such as pianist Yin Chengzong, violinists Li Chuanyun and Lyu Simian, artist Zhu Yixiong, Dr. Wang Ge who blazed new trails in digital music, and photographer Wu Haichen. Some of photographs I took in my life outside China have also been printed in Cultural Dialogue over years.

I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to say thank you to Yao Zhenfa and other leaders and colleagues at Cultural Dialogue who are like teachers and brothers to me and who have cared for me and given me tips. They give me a space so that I can make contribution to cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

My life is closely interwoven with Cultural Dialogue. In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Cultural Dialogue, I would like to say I will continue to do my bit and wish all the best for the publication!