LETTERS

I read the article titled “When the Swedish Passion Embraces the Chinese Dream” in the June issue ofChina Today.It is an engrossing story.It’s by no means easy for an expat like Thomas Karlsson– a Swedish teacher at Beijing Union University (BUU)to pursue his career dream in China for over 15 years.His dedication to work,passion for life,love for charity,and knowledge of Chinese culture,all are impressive.Learning Chinese didn’t mean business rewards or job opportunities when he decided to learn the language.China had not at that time yet become the world’s second largest economy.However,he could sense the huge potential and his willingness to be immersed with Chinese society finally proved to be rewarding.The efforts he puts to make students more creative and competitive on the job market are meaningful.For example,he mentors students on designing their business models and conducting market research to find customer preferences.His story is just one good example of mutual benefits of China-Sweden exchanges.His story is also a tribute to BUU for enabling him to present himself as a beloved teacher with academic rigor and making his commitment to international education admirable.I am looking forward to reading more stories like that.

Johan Asplund

Sweden

I am particularly interested in Chinese traditional culture and its perfect combination with modern arts.Therefore,I found the articles in the special report ofChinaToday’s June issue a fascinating reading experience,including“Modern Expressions of Traditional Culture” and “China Chic:Culture,Tech,and More.” I was particularly impressed with one picture which depicted a female dancer dressed in traditional Chinese attire performing the role of the well-knownCi(lyric poetry) poetess Li Qingzhao(1084-1155) in the Song Dynasty(960-1279).Her clothing featured a long flowing robe with loose sleeves and a belt around the waist,a symbol of authentic Chinese culture.The new interpretation of traditional culture has become a means of helping Chinese people inherit their fine culture and is also a window for foreigners to understand Chinese culture,injecting more vitality into traditional culture.I learned about Guochao,or China chic,in recent years,and found that this trend about fashion is sweeping and invigorating all sectors of Chinese society.Animation films imbued with Chinese aesthetics became top box office earners and artists of intangible cultural heritage have had a large number of followers on social networks.In overseas markets,toys with distinctly Chinese elements have been an inspirational success story for Chinese manufacturers to increase value added.What’s more,the trend has been bolstered by China’s sci-tech prowess.It expresses Chinese people’s growing confidence in the economy,culture,and technological progress of their nation.

Eric Wu U.S.A.