Documentary series celebrates China-UK cultural exchanges

A symposium on the Our China Stories documentary series in London on Monday attracted around 100 attendees from the Chinese and British academic, cultural, artistic and media circles.

The series was launched by People's Daily Online UK in 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-UK ambassadorial-level diplomatic relations.

It spotlights influential figures in the UK who have been deeply engaged with Chinese history, philosophy, literature, art and more for a long period of time. The series delves into their stories and underscores their efforts to foster enhanced collaboration and communication between China and the West.

Since 2022, a total of eight seasons and 43 episodes of the series have been produced, with the support of various parties, including China's Embassy to the UK and the China National Tourist Office in London, according to Yu Ying, general manager of the People's Daily Online UK.

Wang Yun, counselor of the Chinese Embassy to the UK, said at the symposium: "Culture possesses its unique, profound and enduring strength. I hope we can take Our China Stories as a link to review the past, to look forward to the future, to promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and to work together for a peaceful and beautiful world for all."

Xue Ling, director of the China National Tourist Office in London, recalled that the idea for the production was born at the end of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the difficulties, the results have been fruitful, she said.

"The production of the series has made our dream come true, which is to put our British friends in the limelight and let their China stories reach more people and touch more hearts," she said.

During panel discussions at the event, people featured in the series shared their thoughts on Chinese civilization and cultural exchanges between the East and the West.

Katie Hill, academic lead of the Asia department at Sotheby's Institute of Art, told China Daily that being associated with China has driven her to reflect on her cultural identity as a British person.

"When you put yourself in a different cultural space, you will be dealing with different philosophical constructs and ideas,­­ that makes you question your own culture deeply," she said.

James Trapp, a translator of numerous Chinese classics, said the West needs to embrace Chinese culture more because learning is a mutual process.

"China currently seems much more open to learning from the West," he said. "China has its ways of dealing with things. The West needs to begin to think that no ways of thinking are better and learn to amalgamate them all with our own."­­