Impressions of Beijing from the Icebreakers

Special Reporting Department of Beijing Daily

In 2007， Beijing Daily founded the “Chronicle” column， which was written by the Special Reporting Department of Beijing Daily.

Not at the most beautiful time， but at some delicate historical moments， people came to China with curiosity and yearning， settled in Beijing， or traveled for a short time， leaving different shades of footprints. For China， they are not only passers-by， but also people who report the news， icebreakers， and witnesses who have seen the opening of the Chinese era.

Meet in Beijing: The People and Events of Signif icant Moments

Special Reporting Department of Beijing Daily

Beijing United Publishing Co.，Ltd.

April 2024

78.00 (CNY)

Since the Yuan Dynasty， a continuous stream of foreigners has made their way to Beijing.

As the primary destination upon entering China， Beijing’s urban culture， customs， and architectural gardens became subjects for their investigation and documentation. Around this ancient city and world-renowned metropolis， numerous foreigners wrote a vast number of documentary works， making “Beijing Impressions” a frequent topic in the history of cultural exchange between China and foreign countries.

However， as the renowned sinologist Jonathan Spence once said， “The encounter， collision， and interaction between different cultures are so intricate and often thrilling， more bizarre than fiction.” What we seek are those details more peculiar than novels—the chance encounters， the entanglements in collisions， and the complexities in interactions.

There is an old Chinese saying: “Isn’t it delightful to have friends coming from afar?” Since Marco Polo， over 700 years ago， the ancient capital of Beijing has welcomed countless foreign friends. Various people have left marks of varying depth， but some individuals are destined to stand out. They not only enriched the era they lived in but can also speak to all ages. Their journeys were “icebreaking journeys，” and their mission was “opening up.”

To “rediscover” these stories， our writing team either invited the individuals to delve deep into their memories， or we painstakingly searched for information and conducted on-site historical investigations. “Not just relying on books” is almost an instinct for journalists.

Following the footprints and perspectives of these wise men， we revisited， relived， and retraced， ultimately re-narrating their “Beijing Impressions，” as if describing a flowing feast.

From this， we can glimpse the evolution of the Western view of China over nearly a thousand years—from extreme admiration to gradual infiltration. By analyzing this process， we will see a facet of the evolution of Sino-Western relations—the image of Beijing through Western eyes. More importantly， we attempt to explore the changes and setbacks in these exchanges， and at each turning point， the changes and constants of Beijing.

Therefore， these stories are not limited to merely “Beijing Impressions.” The authors attempt to use an omniscient perspective of a retrospective observer to fathom the feelings and entanglements of the icebreakers on their journey: In 1924， Tagore， knowing he would be embroiled in the conflict between Eastern and Western civilizations in China， still wrote to the French writer Romain Rolland， asking him， “Should I go to China as a poet to pay homage， or should I bring good advice and sound knowledge to China?”

These icebreakers， even when facing cold stares from both East and West， still created their unique temporal blends. Their gaze on Beijing transcended history and future. For Beijing， their arrival was particularly precious. Therefore， every story is imbued with tones of love and appreciation:

After winning the Nobel Prize in Literature， Tagore not only voluntarily came to China but also refused any lecture fees. The same choice was made by Kenzaburo Oe， who won the prize after him. They were both “messengers”， and their courage in expressing themselves stemmed from the indomitable conscience of intellectuals.

Unlike Tagore and Kenzaburo Oe， Sartre and Beauvoir were not invited by academia but came as “fellow travelers” of the Communist Party “to come and see China.” They were once so close to the souls of the Chinese people but quietly exited the stage in the next era. After the serendipitous encounter， mutual regard became a form of guardianship.

Stephen Hawking， before publishing A Brief History of Time， perhaps heard the saying， “He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man.” He expressed that he would rather die in China than miss the Great Wall. Although the common people did not yet know who he was， the students in charge of hosting him carried both him and his wheelchair up to the Badaling section of the Great Wall.

Violin maestro Isaac Stern had long yearned for China since the 1960s.

In 1971， he wrote to Henry Kissinger asking for help to realize his “l(fā)ong-held desire，” but it wasn’t until the early days of China’s reform and opening-up that he saw a glimpse of China’s vibrant springtime.

After 1972， world-renowned filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni never returned to Beijing， but his later paintings carried an “Oriental charm，” and his bookshelf was scattered with drafts on the study of the Zhouyi and acupuncture.

These “icebreakers” came to Beijing seeking consensus， kindred spirits， and business opportunities， inevitably confronting the collisions and barriers of Chinese and Western cultures.

In this “flowing feast，” there are endless experiences， imaginations， and memories of ancient and modern people， Chinese and foreigners. While creating this book， we often couldn’t help but smile when uncovering the everyday life outside the celebrity aura.

Stern was a gourmet， once saying， “I love good food and drink， enjoying satisfying my palate. I love life， which is my motivation for playing.” Yet， he never had Peking duck in Beijing.

When Hawking visited Beijing for the third time， he was already a top figure in the global scientific community. At the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (in the Imperial Palace)， tour guide Wu Ying asked him， “Any thoughts?” After a long wait， the voice synthesizer on Hawking’s wheelchair emitted a metallic-sounding phrase， “I like you.”

They came to Beijing not during its most beautiful times but at subtle moments. Whether settling down or short stays， they lived and loved here. For Beijing， they were not just passersby but “messengers”， icebreakers， observers， recorders， and disseminators of the Chinese era.