The book ’China, in the Eyes of a Foreigner, With the Heart of a Host“ of the author Tatjana Soldat presented

Banja Luka, 31 March 2018 – The book „China, in the Eyes of a Foreigner, With the Heart of a Host“ of the author Tatjana Soldat was presented today at the Faculty of Political Sciences,  organised by the Confucius Institute of the University in Banja Luka.

Tatjana Soldat is one of the leading sinologists, professors of Chinese language and culture, from this region, who graduated in the Chinese Language and Literature at the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade, where she currently lives and works. Her book is a collection of newspaper articles and observations on everyday life in China, where she lived and worked for several years as editor and journalist of the Chinese Radio 'International' in the Serbian language editorial office in Beijing. This educational book gives a new picture of modern China seen by a foreigner who, during her long stay in this country in the Far East, has gained many impressions of the everyday life of the Chinese people, and who has accepted and adopted certain habits of the host.

„Visitors expect to see residents with straw hats, they are asking for foot massage and are interested in tourist attractions such as the Chinese Wall or the Heavenly Peace Square (Tiananmen), which those who live in China rarely visit“, says Tatjana Soldat, the author of the book. „Regardless of the numerous information on China's economic progress, it is difficult for the average person from this region to understand that Beijing is a metropolis such as New York or Paris, and is therefore confused when, instead of the terrestrial buildings with red lanterns, they see a highway with seven lanes and modern architecture.“

Tatjana Soldat notes that the China she saw in 1993, when she first went on her specialisation, differs much from today's China. Chinese people in modern China now have the latest devices, young people listen to Western music on their iPads and they like to buy modern clothes and they are people who like to go out and entertain themselves. Nevertheless, despite the glittering lights of commercials and skyscrapers, China has not lost the tradition and wisdom of the ancient people, about which the author is in detail introducing her readers with. „Given the global political and economic changes, bringing China closer may only be to our benefit“, she remarks.

„The lecture of the sinologist Tatjana Soldat, who was born in the Republic of Srpska, is the first in a series of lectures organised by the Confucius Institute on the topic of China, Chinese culture, tradition and economic and social trends in this Asian country,“ said Ljiljana Stevic, the Confucius Institute Home Director of the University in Banja Luka.

„This was also an occasion for the Confucius Institute of the University in Banja Luka, opened on the observance held on 21 January 2018, to present itself to the students and professors as a new member of their academic community, as well as to the general public of Republika Srpska, to whom it will organise, apart from the Chinese language, courses in Chinese calligraphy, traditional Chinese paining, tea rituals, cooking, Tai Chi martial arts and many other events“, said Stevic.