Dr. Norbert Egger, former deputy mayor of Mannheim, Germany and also an honorary citizen of Zhenjiang visited the eastern Chinese city again from July 3 to 9. At 79 years old, he is glad to start a new journey – write a book about Zhenjiang and promote its global image at the invitation of the city.
On April 28, 1995, Zhenjiang government sent its first large-scale delegation to a trade fair in Mannheim, and the delegation brought a variety of the city’s signature products, such as scarves and Chinese redwood furniture set.
With a smile, Egger said he was deeply impressed by the furniture because it was remarkably beautiful, very expensive and also won a lot of praises in the fair. A museum that Egger helped contact finally decided to buy the furniture for collection.
Since then, Egger has kept a strong bond with Zhenjiang and he visits the city once or twice a year. His eyes sparkled when speaking of the Chinese garden in Mannheim, built with the support of Zhenjiang. The Chinese garden was the largest of its kind in Europe at that time and it has a tea house, a bonsai area, a performance venue, a multi-purpose exhibition zone, and activities site, according to Egger. Over 20 years ago, to build the garden, almost all raw materials were first produced and processed in Zhenjiang before they were shipped in more than 60 containers. The materials had a total weight of more than 1,100 tons. The garden received more than 200,000 visitors in just over three months after it opened on September 12, 2001.
Egger said great changes has happened in Zhenjiang in the past two decades. People used to cross the Yangtze River on steamboat but now there’s the imposing Runyang Bridge. The narrow roads in the past are wide and supported with elevated roads. He said all these changes are worth writing for a book and telling more people. What makes him also happy is something that has not changed, such as the beautiful environment and fresh air in the city’s Nanshan Scenic Area. “I used to live here and it feels still the same," said Egger.
During his one-week stay, Egger has made full use of every minute to collect materials for the book. He visited the Zhenjiang New District, Jurong City (under the administration of Zhenjiang), Zhenjiang Development and Reform Commission, Zhenjiang Commerce Bureau, and famous vinegar manufacture Hengshun Group. Before talking with people at these places, Egger always prepared detailed questions in the notebook.
After the trip, Egger said that he will read and think thoroughly the interviews, try his best to tell the story of Zhenjiang, and hope more foreigners can gain insights of Zhenjiang with his book.
Special thanks to Foreign Affairs Office of Jiangsu Provincial People's Government.
