An Encounter with Consuls General by the East Lake

Text by Bo Ning ＆ Chen Chen Photos by Su Zhuolin

After days of drizzling,it was finally a fine day on the morning of April 13,2019. In the fresh air by the East Lake of Wuhan,a spring cycling event kicked off on the world famous Greenway. It was a warm-up event for the coming Military World Games to be held in Wuhan,as well as an activity for both citizens and foreign friends to enjoy in the spring breeze. Over 300 guests from the French,American,British,and South Korean Consulates General in Wuhan,Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Wuhan),Hong Kong Trade Development Council Central China Representative Office,Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute Wuhan Office,as well as others from overseas sister cities joined together to cycle and share a special and unforgettable day in the 2nd biggest in-city lake in China.

On this special day,Special Focusreporters bumped into American,British,and French consuls general in Wuhan,and were deeply impressed by them.

Among the participants,a big man was walking to the registration area. Nobody could stand in the sunshine of him—he was the tallest there apart from the buildings and trees. He was Mr. Jamie Fouss,the Consul General of the United States of America. Carrying a camera,he looked like a professional photographer.

Easy going as he was,Mr. Jamie Fouss gladly accepted my request for a brief interview. He said that compared with other cities in China he’s visited,he’s fonder of Wuhan for “it is a city really trying to improve and internationalize.” In his spare time,he was fond of walking around and taking photos. As he put it,“I go into neighborhoods where people who don’t know me and they are just very sweet. It’s very easy for them to smile,and it’s very easy to have conversations with them too.”

英國總領事霍加凱接受本刊采訪Mr. Gareth Hoar,the British Consul General,having an interview with Special Focus

Before the opening ceremony,I interviewed Mr. Gareth Hoar,the British Consul General. He was showing the temperament of a British gentleman through his decent behavior. He’s been in Wuhan for just half a year and impressed by the rapid development of local infrastructure. He was fond of riding bikes as a way to explore the city. And he’s not afraid of getting lost,which to him,was a channel to know new places and had more fun.

New to the city,he’s already impressed by the hospitality of the locals and has fallen in love with the local foods. Lotus root soup with pork ribs,among all,was his favorite. We hope he will help us to export more lotus roots to his country,and perhaps some British cooks could learn about this dish. I am sure lotus root is good for the health of people there.

Before and after the opening ceremony,Mr. Olivier Guyonvarch,the Consul General of France was surrounded by reporters. Replying in fluent Chinese,you might forget his nationality,if you did not took notice of his French nose. I can imagine there must be some interesting stories of his experiences in learning Chinese.

Wearing a beret and a T-shirt with a slogan “Can you speak French?” printed in both French and Chinese,Mr. Olivier Guyonvarch looked sporty,joyful and energetic. Although it was his first time taking part in a cycling race,he won first place in the warm-up match. As a great fan of the East Lake for its beauty,tranquility and cleanliness,he regards the East Lake Greenway as a name card of Wuhan,which he recommends more citizens and his friends to come to for relaxation and refreshment.

The 20-kilometer-long greenway path was finished first by Mr. Kevin Fisher from the American Consulate General in 38 minutes 49 seconds,and the female champion was Ms. Sui Wenyue from Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Wuhan. Both of them have settled in Wuhan,and feel cycling is a good way to exercise.

It was certainly a memorable Saturday,as we saw the friends from different countries gather together by the beautiful East Lake of Wuhan,making this city more and more international and vibrant.

I feel lucky for Wuhan. For today’s sunshine,breeze,smiles and delights were shared by many friends from afar. The East Lake Greenway is becoming a way of international cultural exchange for the city.

美國總領事傅杰明在熱身賽上騎行 Mr. Jamie Fouss,the Consul General of America,riding a bike in the warm-up match

法國駐武漢總領事貴永華在熱身賽上騎行Mr. Olivier Guyonvarch,the Consul General of France,in the warm-up match