大使专访·上篇丨安博宁大使回顾2024年使馆大事……Interview with Ambassador Angelet P1

因为我非常热爱大自然和徒步旅行，在我的“深刻印象清单”上，我必须把2024年2月春节期间我和两个儿子在云南的徒步旅行放在首位。我们先去了丽江等几个历史悠久的小城市，然后前往虎跳峡（位于云南省迪庆藏族自治州香格里拉市），深入山区。我们在五天内走了近80公里的山路，沿途风光旖旎。

大使拍摄的云南自然风光

Pictures taken by Ambassador Angelet

我也很喜欢西安，它的老城区、伟大的博物馆、美食，当然还有它的历史。欧洲人将西安描述为丝绸之路的终点。但中国人善意地提醒我，西安只是丝绸之路的起点！最近，我和家人一起去了平遥，真是伟大而迷人的城市！以及稍远的王家大院和乔家大院（很漂亮！）。

还有其他的，比如沈阳故宫、尤其是它的历史性给我留下了深刻的印象（让我联想起了比利时传教士南怀仁陪同康熙皇帝视察沈阳的情景。关于南怀仁，可以阅读👉我们为什么要将新馆的会议室以南怀仁命名？Why did we name our meeting room after him?）。我也喜欢杭州的西湖，喜欢漫步在城市的河畔。上海的外滩也让我印象深刻（白天和夜晚一样令人惊叹）。我还去了南京，探索了它的古城和玄武湖公园。遗憾的是，那天是周一，南京的大博物馆都关门了。我还喜欢广州的历史街区……更不用说，无论何时何地，徒步游览北京的长城总是令人印象深刻！

大使拍摄的平遥古城

安博宁大使访问沈阳故宫接受采访

Ambassador Angelet Visits the Forbidden City of Shenyang

As I love nature and hiking, on top of my “strong impressions-list” I must put the trekking I did with my two sons in Yunnan, during the Lunar New Year in February 2024. We first visited some small historic cities like Lijiang before we moved to the Tiger’s Gorge and up into the mountains. We did close to 80 km up high in the mountains in five days, and in fantastic sceneries. 

I also love Xi'An, it’s old town, the great museums, the food and of course it’s history. Europeans would describe Xi'An as the point of arrival of the Silk Road. But Chinese people kindly reminded me that it is just its point of departure! I went recently with the family to Pingyao: great and charming city, as well as the Wang and the Qiao courtyards (real beauties !) a little further. 

I was impressed by the Forbidden City of Shenyang (Liaoning) and also the historic dimension of it (thinking of the Belgian advisor Ferdinant Verbiest (Nan Huairen in Chinese) who accompanied Emperor Kangxi for an inspection to Shenyang). I loved the West Lake in Hangzhou and to walk on the river sides around the city. I was very much impressed by the Bund in Shanghai, (as impressive during the day as at night). I could visit Nanjing, discover it’s old town, and it’s great Xuanwuhu park. Unfortunately, it was on a Monday so the great museums of Nanjing were closed. I also like the historic quarters of Guangzhou. Needless to say, hiking around Beijing on the Great Wall is always impressive wherever and whenever!

大使在钱秀玲在家乡宜兴市的雕塑前献花

Ambassador Angelet at the memorial statue of Mrs. Qian Xiuling

了解更多关于钱秀玲 To know more about Mrs. Qian Xiuling: 她从盖世太保的枪口下救了近百名比利时人 Qian Xiuling Hall: Why Do We Commemorate Her

友好、开放、乐于助人和沟通，这是我的第一印象。一年多之后，这些印象得到了印证。现在，我也更加理解了中国的幅员辽阔，理解了中国人的多样性和人们的观点。中国人渴望学习。与他们交谈，我惊讶地发现，有多少人曾经旅行过，而欧洲在地理和文化上又是多么遥远，这恰恰解释了（中欧）双方对彼此的兴趣。

当然，我经常被中国人热衷合影和自拍所逗乐。当他们提出要求时，我大多会摆出姿势和微笑，让他们开心！

Friendliness, openness and willingness to help and communicate, were my very first impressions and more then a year later, they are confirmed. I also understand better now – given the size of the country – the diversity of the people and people’s opinions. Chinese people are eager to learn. Talking to them, it strikes me how many have travelled, but also how far Europe is geographically and culturally, which explains exactly the magnetic attraction of both Chinese to discover Europe and Europeans to discover China. 

Of course, I am every day amused by the love of Chinese people for pictures and selfies and, when asked, I mostly accept to pose and smile to make them happy ! 

大多数人对比利时的了解当然是我们优质的食品、巧克力、啤酒和钻石。有些人则更进一步，了解我们的连环画和漫画传统。我经常遇到一些曾到比利时旅游的中国公民，他们对比利时美丽的历史名城记忆犹新。一些民意调查显示，中国游客对比利时的自然风光印象尤为深刻。没错，比利时的乡村非常美丽，而且往往保存完好。

比利时最为人所知的元素

但是大使想通过他的工作，让中国了解比利时更多的面

The most commonly known aspects of Belgium. Ambassador would like to introduce much more to China!

我们的中国朋友不太了解的是，比利时拥有一流的科研水平和创新能力。除了行业内的专家，谁会知道比利时是世界上第一大疫苗生产国？谁会知道我们在生命科学领域拥有世界上最多的人均临床试验和专利？很多中国朋友也不知道我们每年举办世界上独一无二的“古典音乐奥运会”——天津的一位中国小提琴家在向我介绍我们一年一度的“伊丽莎白女王国际音乐比赛”时所说的那样，这是世界上最难、最负盛名的古典音乐比赛！我们计划从今年起在中国推广比利时的这些不为人知的强项。

What most people know about Belgium is of course the quality of our food, chocolate, beers and diamond. Some go a little further and know also our tradition of strips and cartoons. I regularly meet Chinese citizens who have also travelled to Belgium and remember our beautiful historic cities. Some polls indicate that Chinese visitors are particularly impressed also by the natural scenery, which is surprising given we are a small and densely, urbanised country. But yes, the countryside is wonderful and often well preserved. 

What our Chinese friends are less aware of is the top-quality scientific research and the level of innovation of our country. Who  - apart from experts – would know that Belgium is number one producer of vaccines in the world, or that we have the most validated clinical trials and patents in life sciences per capita on earth? Not many Chinese friends know either that we host the world’s unique  “Olympic Games of classical music” - as a Chinese violinist in Tianjin explained to me, describing our annual “Queen Elisabeth Competition”, the toughest and most prestigious classical music competition on earth! Our plan is to promote also those strong features of Belgium in China as of this year. 

2023年底，比利时驻华使馆迁入新址，这是一项复杂的工作，但进展顺利。2024年1月，比利时首相和外交部长正式访问使馆，这对外交官来说始终是一个充满挑战但又令人激动的时刻，因为这可以确保与中国领导层进行富有成效的接触，并在此基础上再接再厉。

2024年1月，时任比利时总理亚历山大·德克罗和时任比利时外交部长哈吉娅·拉比卜参观北京故宫

这一年来，我们在新使馆为中国公众举办了许多公开活动。6月1日，使馆举办了盛大开馆仪式；11月的一年一度的国王日也是亮点之一。我特别高兴中国朋友们踊跃参加使馆的活动！我们还在使馆新址举办了许多次的展览和活动，包括艺术作品、摄影展和钢琴音乐会。

使馆2024大事回顾（点击链接跳转阅读）：

Articles of some important events of the Embassy (click to read):

• 【视频回顾】新馆落成啦！比中外长共同揭牌，首相见证……Inauguration of New Embassy Building

• 安博宁大使向习近平主席递交国书 Ambassador Presented Credentials to President Xi
  

• 比利时首相德克罗与外交部长拉比卜访华 PM De Croo and Minister Lahbib Visit China
  

• 开放日回顾 | 谢谢你来使馆“暖居派对”！It was a great house warming party with you

• 17位欧盟成员国大使共同出访四川 17 EU Ambassadors Visit Sichuan

• 叮！您有一份来自副馆长傅翔鹰的摄影展邀请待查收 Exhibition：Nature through a Belgian lens

• 展览开幕丨他做国王仅17年，却一生痴迷自然，退位后成为环保卫士 A king, a guardian of the green
  

• 视频回顾丨是什么将我们在冬夜凝聚在一起丨2024国王日招待会 King’s Day Reception
  

• 圣尼古拉斯到访大使官邸：“今年北京没有淘气的孩子！” St. Nicholas Visits Beijing
  

Moving into the new Embassy, end of 2023, was a complex operation but it ran smoothly. In January 2024, we had the official visit of our Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, which for diplomats is always a challenging but very exciting moment as it allows also to ensure a fruitful engagement with the leadership of China and on which we can build. We organised many public events for the wider Chinese public in our new embassy all over the year. A particular highlight was the grand opening of our Embassy on 1st of June and of course the annual King’s days. I was in particular pleased by the big attendance of our Chinese guests. We also held our first exhibitions in the new premisses of our Embassy, with piece of arts, photo exhibitions and a piano concert.