2018:ProfessorLiuHongwuvisitsadesertinNamibia.“AnEgyptiansayingdatingbacktwomillenniagoesthatthosewhodrinkthewateroftheNilealwayscomeback,”declaresLiuHongwu.“AmericanwriterErnestHemingwaysaidthatbeforeheleftAfrica,hehadalreadybeguntomissit.IthinkthesetwothoughtsmirrormyattachmenttoAfrica.”
ProfessorLiu’sWeChataccountis“returnhometown@Africa.”ConsideringAfricahissecondhomeland,Liumaintainsgreataffectionforthecontinent.Bornin1958inXishuangbannainChina’sYunnanProvince,Liudidn’tleavethemountainouscityuntilhewasadmittedtoWuhanUniversityin1979.Inthe1990s,LiustudiedinAfricaasoneofthefirstbatchofChinesescholarstostudyonthecontinent.In2007,hefoundedtheInstituteofAfricanStudiesatZhejiangNormalUniversity,whichhasbecomeoneofChina’smostreputedresearchinstitutionsandthinktanksforAfricanstudies.AndLiuhimselfhasbecomeaChineseforerunnerinstudyingAfrica.
ChinaPictorial(CP):BeforeyourfirstvisittoAfrica,whatdidyouthinkitwaslike?Andwhatchangedyourperceptionthere?
Liu:Initially,myknowledgeaboutAfricawassimilartootherChinesepeople:Ithoughtitpoor,backwardandplaguedbywarsanddiseases.ButwhenIsteppedonthelandofAfrica,studiedthereandbegantravelingbackandforthbetweenChinaandAfrica,myunderstandingaboutthecontinentwascontinuouslycorrected,upgradedandexpanded.
Africahasmorethan50countrieswithcontrastingdevelopmentlevels.Mostcountriesarestableandsomeenjoymoderateeconomicprosperity.Atleastone-thirdofAfricancountrieshavepercapitaincomesclosetoorhigherthanthatofChina.LikeChinaandotherregionsintheworld,AfricaisalsothebirthplaceofsomeancientcivilizationsliketheNilecivilization.Asforclimateandecology,alongwithrainforestsanddeserts,one-thirdofthecontinent(about10millionsquarekilometers)isagreeableandcoollikemyhometowninYunnan.AndAfricaalsohasmanyoftheworld’stopscholars.
Allinall,Africaisacontinentfullofpotentialandvitality.
CP:YouevencontractedmalariainNigeria.Wasitworthallyourstudyinggainsthere?
Liu:Yes,ofcourse.ThatexperiencehelpedmebetterunderstandAfricawhileevolvingmyattitudeandmethodsonstudyingthecontinentoverthenextthreedecades.DuringmyearlyyearsoffieldworkinNigeria,theconditionswerehard,andIcontractedmalaria.Afterseveralbed-riddendayswithahighfever,Irecoveredandroseoutofbedtotakeintherainforestunderthescorchingsun.Irecalledaclassiclinefromafilm:“Onlyafteryou’vehadmalariacanyouunderstandAfrica.”
Africa’sculture,musicandlivinghabitsarecloselyrelatedtoitsenvironment.Forexample,Africanpeopledon’tliveinrainforests,butondryhighlandsbecauselushforestsbreedmosquitoeswhichspreadmalaria.SocontrastingAsia’srivercivilizations,Africa’scivilizationsmostlyemergedonhighlandsliketheCameroonHighlandsoronsavannasattheedgeofdeserts.Soonlybybeingthereandlivingtherecanunderstandthelandmoreprofoundly.
CP:WhatconnectsChinaandAfricathataresofarapartfromeachothergeographically?
Liu:In2003whenIwenttostudyinAfricathesecondtime,IvisitedZanzibarIslandinTanzania,whereIsawanavigationmapfromZhengHe(1371-1433),aChinesenavigator,inanimperialpalace.Thesix-century-oldmapclearlymarkstheCapeofGoodHopeandMountKilimanjaro,evidencingthatsolongago,ChinesepeoplealreadyknewaboutlandformsinAfrica.IalsosawancientChineseceramics,booksandcoinsinotherplacesonthecontinent.
Inmoderntimes,ChinaandAfricabothsufferedfromWesterninvasionandcolonialruleandgainedindependenceandfreedomonlyafterheroicandpainstakingefforts.So,ChinaandAfricaforgedatight-knitfriendshipinthe20thcentury,despitetheirgeographicaldistance.
Today,ChinaandAfricabothstillneedtodevelop,sotheyhavebecomereliablefriendsinthecourseofpursuingnationalrevival.Despitetheirstarklycontrastingcultures,thetwosidessharesimilarspiritualbeliefsbasedonnatureandrootedinland,withrespectfornatureanddesiretoliveinharmonywithnature.
CP:WhatmadeyoudecidetoestablishtheInstituteofAfricanStudies?WhatdoyouthinkisthegoalofstudyingAfrica?
Liu:Oneyear,IwenttostudyattheUniversityofDaresSalaaminEastAfrica.Ivisitedlocalancienttownsdubbed“stonetowns”or“spicetowns.”WalkingonthestoneslabstreetsthereremindedmeofvisitingLijiangTownasachild.SwahilicultureinEastAfricaisatypicalfruitofAsianandAfricancultures.Inthesetowns,IrealizedthatlongbeforeEuropeanexpansion,therewasalong-standingculturalcirclearoundtheIndianOceanlinkingAfrica,theMiddleEastandEastAsia’sChina.
Butyouhardlygetsuchknowledgeinhistorytextbooks,whicharefilledwithinformationabouthistorydominatedbyEuropeandtheUnitedStatesoverthepastfourcenturies.Theworldisnowfacingincreasinglycomplicatedproblems.ButweusuallyapplyWesternknowledgetosolvelocalproblemsandconsiderituniversalmethodology.Obviously,thisdoesn’talwayswork.Soweneedtoestablishadisciplinarysystemcoveringeveryregionintheworld,compilingthewisdomofallnationsandformingaknowledgesystemsharedbyallmankind.Certainly,Africanwisdomandexperienceofferanimportantpieceforthejigsawpuzzle.
2012:ProfessorLiuHongwuposesforapicturewithstudentsfromtheUniversityofNyalainSouthDarfur,Sudan.CP:Youarguethatinadditiontoeconomiccooperation,ChinaandAfricaneedmoreculturalexchange.Why?
Liu:Cultureissocomprehensivethatitcoversallaspectsofdailylifeincludingfood,clothes,housingandtransportation.Ilikenculturalexchangetowater,economiccooperationtofishandmutualtrusttoafishpond.Whenthefishpondisbuilt,growthofthefishrequiressoundwater.Moreover,onehindranceforAfrica’sdevelopmentisalackofculturalidentity.CenturiesofWesterncolonizationandtheslavetradedevastatedthetraditionalculturesofAfrica.AlthoughAfricancountriesgainedindependence,theystillhavenotescapedtheshadowcastbyWesterncolonizationcompletely.ItisimportantforAfricancountriestoreestablishtheirownsocialvaluesandculturalsystems.Doingsorequiresbothinvestmentandculturalrevivalaswell.So,theculturalexchangebetweenChinaandAfricaisveryimportant.
2018:ProfessorLiuHongwuleadsagroupofChinesescholarstovisitHausaCulturalCenterinnorthernNigeriaafterparticipatingintheSino-AfricanRelationshipSeminarinthecountry.
2015:ProfessorLiuHongwuwithlocalchildrenatLalibelaWorldCulturalCenterinnorthernEthiopia.
2009:ProfessorLiuHongwuposesforapicturebeforeChina’sfirstAfricanMuseumhesetupatZhejiangNormalUniversity,inhopesofspreadingAfricancultureamongtheChinesepublic.