February 28, 1972, was a very ordinary day. For most Shanghainese at the time, it was strange that in the afternoon, the sky cleared up after several days of continuous gloom. Sunlight emerges from the clouds and sprinkles on the winter grass. Many people did not know that at that time, then US President Richard Nixon had just finished his visit to China and left Shanghai by special plane.
The young girl Chen Danyan knew. Half a century ago, this "handshake across the Pacific Ocean" not only opened the door to Sino-US relations and changed the pattern of the entire world, but also had a tidal impact on countless individuals who were born at the right time. Chen Danyan is one of them. On the occasion of President Nixon's visit to China and the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Shanghai Communiqué, she talked to reporters about the "American past" she has experienced over the years.
From English teachers to "Phoenix" brand blankets
On a rare sunny day, people always have to take out the bedding and clothes at home to dry. Chen Danyan remembered that on the road where her family was located that day, "no family dried clothes."
"Because the U.S. delegation's convoy will pass through here." She explained that drying quilts along the street is somewhat obstructive to the appearance of the city, in order not to leave a bad impression on American guests, every household "screens" to the motorcade to leave, only to take out the clothes to be dried, and work together to ensure the cleanliness of the street.
Shortly after Nixon left, Chen Danyan's mother solemnly told her: "We are going to hire an English teacher for you to teach you English." At that time, her parents were keenly aware of the changes that might be brought about by the icebreaking of Sino-US relations, and they planned for their daughter early.
▲ In 1971, 13-year-old Chen Danyan
The "Phoenix" brand blanket, which was once a national gift, also entered Chen Danyan's life. In December 1971, Shanghai First Wool Spinning Factory, Eighteenth Cotton Spinning Factory and other units took over the task of customizing exquisite gifts for Nixon, using Mohair and Australian wool as raw materials, and produced a high-grade all-wool jacquard blanket with a × of 230 centimeters and a weight of 3.26 kilograms. The pattern revolves around peonies, chrysanthemums and other flowers that mean luxury, beauty and longevity. Chen Danyan said that Shanghainese call this flower type "four dishes and one soup."
As Premier Zhou Enlai presented the blanket as a state gift to Nixon's visit to China, the honor of the national gift spread to the consumer market. The same blanket is sold in large shopping malls such as Shanghai No. 1 Department Store at a price of more than 3 times higher than that of ordinary blankets, and it is sold out as soon as it is on the cabinet. In the late 1970s, the "Phoenix" brand blanket, like the "Shanghai" brand watch, the "Phoenix" brand bicycle, and the "Butterfly" brand sewing machine, gradually became a gift for newlyweds. When Chen Danyan got married, her mother added a Nixon blanket to her as a dowry.
A wizard-like communication space
When she grew up, Chen Danyan became a writer. In 2005, she received a message that the University of Iowa had invited her to participate in the "International Writing Program" for the new year.
The University of Iowa's International Writing Program is a world-renowned international literary exchange program, and its founders, Nie Hualing and Paul Ingres, were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for founding and running the program. Since 1967, more than 1,400 writers from more than 150 countries and regions have studied at the University of Iowa. The addition of Chinese mainland writers began in 1979 after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, and the number of visitors in the past 40 years has reached more than 60, including wang Zengqi, Beidao, Mo Yan, Yu Hua and other famous writers.
"It's like a dream." With excitement, Chen Danyan came to Iowa City in the autumn of that year. This small midwestern Town in the United States has a large cornfield, and when tornadoes blow, it seems to be able to transport people to the world of the Wizard of Oz.
The Chinese writer who participated in the international writing program with Chen Danyan was Mo Yan, and the rest were more than 30 writers from more than 20 countries. They hold reading sessions on campus and in bookstores, reciting their work and introducing their own writers. An Uzbek writer wrote an English poem mentioning that "the Iowa River keeps flowing", and another Austrian female writer joked that "of course the water will flow", and everyone laughed in unison... These beautiful moments of getting along lingered in the corner of her memory and were always unforgettable.
Despite speaking Different Accents of English, writers from around the world have found the ideal platform for communication at the University of Iowa. Chen Danyan said that the four-month project had a profound impact on her writing career, and "the sincere interaction between ordinary people and ordinary people is nostalgic."
▲ In 2019, Chen Danyan was at a reading meeting
Simplicity and kindness are precious
Chen Danyan was also one of the first Chinese writers to go abroad. Across the ocean, the journey has strung together the imprints of Sino-US exchanges bit by bit.
In 2017, she traveled to the United States to attend her daughter's wedding and took the opportunity to embark on the "Road of Chinese Workers" with her family. From the location of the "gold rush" full of Chinese workers, to the Pacific Railway, where Chinese workers worked hard, she searched all the way.
On the way to visit, Chen Danyan stumbled into a museum dedicated to Chinese workers. To her surprise, one of the walls of the museum was full of Chinese names. The curator, an elderly American, explained that this was because many Chinese workers settled in the United States and often changed their names to American names, and over time, their original names Chinese were lost. In order to commemorate these Chinese workers who have made great contributions to the construction of the City in the United States, he collected Chinese names of Chinese workers through various channels to show that they will not forget the past.
"We were very touched after listening to it." Chen Danyan sighed that the Old American man was not a mixed-race child, but hoped to find the original name for the Chinese workers and prove that these people had come to the United States. It can be seen that the friendship between the Chinese and American people and the goodwill between people have always existed.
From witnessing the historic moment of Nixon's visit to China, to participating in the University of Iowa's international writing program, to searching for the footprints of ancestors more than 100 years ago, in the 50 years since China and the United States signed the Shanghai Communiqué, Chen Danyan has always believed that "this simple goodwill will support us to work together to the future and jointly promote human peace and development."