In Love with Africa

By+staff+reporter+LU+RUCAI

IN 2013， Chinese President Xi Jinping recounted a story about a Chinese couples fondness for Tanzania in East Africa： “There was once a Chinese couple who， fascinated by images of Africa they had seen on the television， chose to go to Tanzania for their honeymoon. They were enchanted by local customs and extraordinary scenery of the wild Serengeti Plains and fell in love with the country. Back home， the young couple posted a record of their journeys on a blog， which received tens of thousands of hits and hundreds of comments. They said， ‘We have fallen in love with Africa and our hearts shall never leave this wonderland.”

This was Li Lings story. “I have calmed down now，” said Li， “but the moment I heard that President Xi Jinping had told the world our story， I was so thrilled. It has made our experience even more memorable. And it also helped me to focus on my dream of writing a book， something I can look back on proudly when Im old.”

The Story

On March 2， 2013， Li and over a dozen other Weibo （Chinese Twitter） users were invited to attend the anniversary celebrations of “China-Africa，”a microblogging site of the Department of African Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Weibo users joined together to share their tales of Africa and their opinions on the relationship between China and Africa. Li shared the story of her remarkable Tanzanian honeymoon in lively detail.

Lis story attracted the attention of Director Lu Shaye of the department， who explained the reasons why it stood out from the others： “Li Lings story reflects the natural intimacy between the people of China and Africa. When President Xi recounted it at the Nyerere International Conference Center of Tanzania， warm applause resonated from the African audience.”

Exploring Africa

Li and her husband are experienced backpackers and have traveled to many places in China. Choosing where to go on their honeymoon in October 2009 was consequently a tough decision. One night， the newlyweds were watching a BBC documentary about the Serengeti Plains. “We had heard that a huge proportion of animal documentaries were filmed in Africa， and， specifically， on the Serengeti Plains，” Li said. “We were intrigued and so， we decided to go to Tanzania for our honeymoon.”

“Poverty， warfare， illness and danger are what most peopel associate with Africa. But in fact， the natural scenery of Africa was far more significant and breathtaking than I could have imagined，” Li said. Besides the amazing scenery， the respectful attitude to nature from the local people actually impressed Li the most. “The peoples awareness of ecological conservation was more intense than I thought. From the local government to the Maasai people， everyone is involved in an all-out effort to protect the environment. And they do so fondly with respect for nature that comes from the bottom of their hearts.”

During the Spring Festival of 2010， Li and her husband visited Africa for the first time， traveling to Tanzania only. Throughout their journey they were impressed with the people they met， from native cooks to drivers who guided them safely on their safari. “Our driver was so considerate. He would not track animals merely to please us， but always followed the rules of the National Park. Once he took a detour off the beaten track to show us at close quarters the habitats of elusive leopards. According to the driver， by doing this he was taking the pressure off the already well-worn grasses of the plains.” Li said the locals they met were all very down-to-earth. “They just want to be good to you.” This helped the new couple quickly feel comfortable mingling with their African friends. Thats why they revisited Africa time and again.

We Are Friends

Experiencing Africa， Li and her husband gained a better insight into the well-known concept that “China and Af-rica are close brothers.”

On their first trip， as soon as they left the airport， they received a warm welcome from the locals. “The taxi driver asked us where we came from and as soon as he knew we were from China， he immediately replied ‘we are friends.The driver chatted animatedly and told us which roads and buildings had been constructed by China. We felt as if we were old friends.”

Many occasions like this warmed Li and her husband on their travels. Li recalled once in Tanzania in 2010， when they were traveling to Moshi， she approached some locals selling fresh fruit and vegetables at a service station. Li picked up a tomato and was going to ask the price when the bus they had been traveling on suddenly set off without her. “I shouted to the bus to stop， but it seemed the driver could not hear me. I still had the tomato in my hand but didnt have time to take money from my wallet to pay for it. Our bus sped up and the tomato seller was running after the bus. I had no choice but to drop the tomato. I shouted ‘SORRY！ to the girl but she just smiled and waved happily at me.” Li said she would have felt very guilty if the girl had become angry or disappointed. On the contrary， her smile dissolved the stress of the incident and further filled Lis heart with love for the country.

On her travels， Li has found that Africans hold China in high esteem. This year， on a trip to Ethiopia， Li went to apply for 3G Internet only to be told that the capacity of the network was already full and she could only apply for a 2G connection. However， the native shop assistant told them， “Huawei has arrived in Ethiopia， so our network will be expanded successfully soon.” This was not the first time the couple had heard high compliments for Huawei during their journey. Such praise made Li， who works in the communications industry， feel proud. “China is helping Africa with many basic needs of its people； but Huawei is taking the level of aid one step further by developing its communication infrastructure to match that of developed countries. These Chinese enterprises are serious about helping African countries achieve informatization and modernization– they are not just paying lip service– and， therefore， they have gained respect of these African countries.”

My Heart Lies in Africa

Li Ling realized her dream of writing a book in January 2014. The Once in a Lifetime Vacation – Lets Honeymoon in Tanzania is now in bookstores nationwide.

In April 2013， a media company contacted Li and asked her whether she would like to write a book about her Tanzania travel. Li jumped at the chance. Having kept a comprehensive blog of her trips， Li was able to finish the manuscript quickly. In the preface to the book director Lu Shaye wrote，“From Lis lively narratives you can feel the grand magnificence of the Serengeti Plains， the mystery of Arushas starry sky， the diversity and magic of African wild animals and the enthusiasm of the Tanzanian people. Through her descriptions you can imagine yourself there and feel Lis heart overflowing with love for the magical land of Africa.” He concluded， “I truly hope this will inspire more Chinese people to learn about Africa， visit Africa and love Africa just like Li Ling. Then， we can all contribute to the friendship between China and Africa.”

Today， Li is a volunteer for an animal protection organization. In both her book and interviews， she emphasizes the concept of responsible tourism. “It is not only the responsibility of locals to maintain Africas ecological environment， but also the responsibility of all visitors to that continent.”

Thus far， Li has visited Tanzania， Kenya， Rwanda and Ethiopia among other African countries. This year， she plans to go to Africa with her three-year-old son.“It is probably because we have talked about Africa so much that our son already knows a great deal about this wonderland. He loves animals and can even distinguish a leopard from a cheetah.”

“I feel Africa is my soul mate，” Li told China Today， “I wish I had travelled there earlier in my life. Moving there to live is， unfortunately， out of the question， but I will continue to visit Africa time and again. In this way， my heart will never leave.”