As good as her word

There is no doubting Chinese readers' enthusiasm for Western literature and contemporary works, but Chinese literature, be it ancient classics or modern works, have not seen such wide acclaim in countries with a French-language background.

Guo says the reasons behind this are comprehensive.

French Sinologists focus more on areas like philosophy, religion and economics, rather than literature. There are some Eurocentric perspectives that are biased toward overseas cultures, she says, expecting that more Chinese literature will be embraced by French-speaking countries.

In addition, "ancient Chinese literature is not easily understood by foreigners and Chinese translation circles have not contributed many works — from both ancient and contemporary literature — in French", she adds.

She expects that more leading Chinese literature works will achieve a greater presence internationally.

Apart from daily teaching, research and translations, Guo says she is fond of needlework, including hand embroidery and dressmaking. She says she has found that she is "gaining weight", so she personally designs and tailors clothes for herself and enjoys the process.

"Sometimes it takes a whole day to design and make a dress," she says.

Guo received the title of "March 8 Red Banner Pacesetter "in Tianjin, the top award honoring leading women in the city. She also received a renowned teacher award in Tianjin, granted to top-notch educators in the city.