Eighty percent land, as solid and steadfast as a mountain,
giving rise to the strength of the “mansion”, the “Xia.”
Twenty percent sea, a turquoise expanse, embracing all things,
surging with the openness and the inclusiveness of the “gate”, the “Men.”
Here, when the city and the sea hold each other gently,
the mansion and the gate come together to create the city of “Xiamen”,
a place of captivating charm, especially through an outsider’s eyes.
So, come along with Jane, all the way from Russia,
as we step inside
the sixth episode of our series “Foreigners But Not Outsiders in Huli”
“The Gate of the Great ‘Xia’.”
Over her years as the deputy director
at the China Russia Digital Economy Research Center,
Jane’s not only committed to her job.
She’s also developed a love for discovering
the two sides of Huli District in Xiamen: the “new” and the “old.”
From the 99 ancient red-brick houses of Banmei,
where you can feel the echoes of Southern Fujian’s past,
to the Lujiang Yacht in the Xiamen Special Economic Zone Memorial Hall,
where you can almost hear the call to action from the 1980s.
As Jane looks at the detailed records in the exhibition hall,
at the photos, faded in color but incredibly full of life,
each one tells a story of old Heshan,
a remarkable history forged by a spirit that “dared to venture and dared to try.
She couldn’t help but marvel,
“In just over 30 years,
this place went from an empty stretch of waste land to an international gateway.”
And the very ground she is standing on
is the birthplace of the Xiamen Special Economic Zone:
Huli.
Huli opens like a grand door,
facing Kinmen and holding Taiwan close,
welcoming the world with a calm and confident embrace.
Through the vision of Lu Di, the Deputy General Manager of Winland Property Limited,
Jane gets a glimpse of the “Cross-Strait Financial Center.”
Here, she discovers a landmark
symbolizing a “Gate of Peace”
and a “Gate of Triumph,”
an icon stamped with Xiamen’s own signature.
And she also steps into the city’s “financial living room,”
a place that brings together business, travel, art,
and hospitality all under one roof.
As Lu Di puts it,
“Make this place
the core of the core,
the finest of the fine,
a treasure among treasures.”
From the skyline, Jane looks across the strait,
she sees endless blue,
and an open future.
“What will this financial center
look like in the next decade?
I think, the answer is tucked behind every door we open,”
she says with conviction.
Jane, Deputy Director, China Russia Digital Economy Research Center: “From the birthplace of the Special Economic Zone to a cross-strait financial highland, Huli’s ‘gate’ keeps opening wider. With an inclusive heart, it’s writing a new chapter of openness for our times.”
And with that, the first season of “Foreigners But Not Outsiders in Huli”
comes to a perfect close.
But the stories of being in Huli and telling Huli’s stories
are far from over.
In the same place, with the same friends,
we’ll be waiting for you.
Stay tuned!