Shanghai Daily, the Shanghai Writers’ Association and Hangzhou International Information Exchange Center jointly held a cross-cultural dialogue on literature on October 13. Seven overseas novelists and poets as well as six Chinese writers shared their ideas on "Travel and Writing" at the historical building of the HiCenter beside the beautiful West Lake with nearly 100 distinguished guests.

The overseas writers were invited to be a part of the 2011 Shanghai Writing Program, which was started by the Shanghai Writers' Association in 2008. Through the program, foreign writers are invited to live in Shanghai for two months. Zhang Ciyun, Shanghai Daily’s Editor-in-chief, Ye Xin, vice chairman of both the Chinese Writers’ Association and the Shanghai Writers’ Association, and Li Hong, director of the Hangzhou Tourism Commission, hosted the activity.

Sharing ideas at literature exchange

by Yao Minji

Switzerland writer Philippe Rahmy called Hangzhou “a shocking beauty that attracts with her external appearance first, followed with internal beauty” during a cross-cultural exchange on literature yesterday.

Rahmy and six other overseas writers shared their ideas on “Travel and Writing” and “Travel and Hometown” with five Hangzhou writers at Hangzhou International Information Exchange Center (HiCenter), just a few steps from the beautiful West Lake.

The event was organized by Shanghai Daily, the Shanghai Writers’ Association and HiCenter. The Hangzhou Tourism Commission, Hangzhou Information Office and Zhejiang Province Writers’ Association also provided support.

The seven writers were invited to be a part of the 2011 Shanghai Writing Program. They will stay here for two months and the program is an effort to let writers experience Shanghai in an unstructured way in hopes that they will at some point write about China.

Li Hong, director of the Hangzhou Tourism Commission, welcomed the guests from around the world and called such exchanges “a great way to promote Hangzhou.”

“It is a great opportunity to hear profound and inspiring ideas from these writers, and I would like to leverage these ideas in the marketing of the city,” he told Shanghai Daily. “For travelers from other parts of the world, words and videos recorded by foreigners who have visited Hangzhou will appeal more than simply translating from the Chinese mentality.”

He added that the commission had organized many cross-cultural projects, taking advantage of great foreign minds and modern technology, to promote the city from various perspectives.

The “Travel and Writing” session was mediated by Ye Xin, vice chairman of both the Chinese Writers’ Association and the Shanghai Writers’ Association. He has published 106 books.

Ye began by sharing a poem he wrote after visiting Belgrade, the capital of the Republic of Serbia. The post-war city offered him new perspectives on war and peace as well as overcoming life’s difficulties. Ye also explained why he chose “Travel and Writing” as a topic.

“Writers’ lives can not be separated from traveling. Not only does travel inspire writers, it also helps them understand themselves and their hometowns better,” Ye said. “Many good writers’ best stories are based on their life experiences, childhood memories and hometowns.”

Both local and foreign writers agreed that visiting other places helps them understand their hometowns better, which was the topic for the second session, “Travel and Hometown.”

The session’s mediator Zhang Ciyun, editor-in-chief of Shanghai Daily, used the Chinese saying: “Though a tree grows ever so high, the falling leaves return to the ground” to encapsulate his perspective on the topic, especially after living outside of his hometown Shanghai for more than 30 years, and feeling a strong desire to return.

(Nie Xin and Andrea O’Neil also contributed to the story.)

The Shanghai Writing Program started in 2008. Through the program, foreign writers are invited to live in Shanghai for two months. So far, we have invited writers from 15 different countries including UK, Australia, Hungry, Japan, Israel, Canada, Cuba, Ireland, Switzerland, Mexico, India and Greece.

The foreign writers live in an average household neighborhood and have a direct chance to experience Shanghai. The program provides a platform for them to meet local writers and is a unique opportunity to learn about China at the grass-roots level.