For decades, Zhang Sujiu has been active in the front line of Sino-American cultural exchanges. The daughter of a famous general, a student of a famous school, and a well-known overseas Chinese leader, in the eyes of others, Zhang Sujiu's experience has always been accompanied by a halo. But in Zhang Sujiu's view, everything is natural, not without difficulties and challenges, but when the test comes, she pays more attention to how to solve it and never immerses herself in emotions.
To this day, Zhang Sujiu is still busy with various activities - organizing cultural activities for Chinese and American youth, and promoting the landing of Chinese cultural towns in Los Angeles. In her view, "friendship" is the keynote of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries at all times, and to enhance friendship, it is necessary to rely on cultural exchanges to increase mutual understanding. She will also continue to travel and write this story called Friendship.
01
"I feel like I've gained a lot of love"
Zhang Sujiu is the youngest daughter of the famous patriotic general "Peace General" Zhang Zhizhong. Before she was born, the family had four daughters and two sons. "At that time, the older generation looked at my mother's belly and said that she was pregnant with a boy." In such anticipation, Zhang Sujiu was born. "When the father went to visit his mother in the hospital, the mother said, 'Another daughter.'" But the father said, 'I like my daughter.'" ”
Like a coincidence, Zhang Sujiu's personality was like a boy when he was a child. "So at that time, everyone called the fourth sister 'sister' and called me 'brother'." Zhang Sujiu recalled that the fourth sister was more than a year older than her, and the two were always inseparable. "The fourth sister is very capable and can greet people, and when she is doing things at home, I follow behind like a little tail."
The warm family atmosphere has created a good growth environment for Zhang Sujiu. Zhang Sujiu's parents have a very good relationship, although the two are married in the womb and have different growth experiences, but the couple have a deep relationship and have never changed. Zhang Sujiu recalled that although his mother Hong Xihou had not studied, she kept the big family in good order. "At that time, someone persuaded my father to remarry, but my father refused, saying that if he abandoned her, how would he face his hometown father?"
The bronze statue of Zhang Zhizhong is located in Huanglu Park, Huanglu Town, Chaohu City, Hefei City, Anhui Province. Photo by Liu Honghe
During the Anti-Japanese War, Zhang Sujiu's fourth sister fell ill and died. "Originally, the two little girls were inseparable, but suddenly I was the only one left, and my family cared for me even more." Zhang Sujiu recalled that the eldest sister was responsible for taking care of her, helping her develop good living habits, and also teaching her to write a diary and learn English. "Although we are 20 years apart, we have always been very close."
The list goes on. At that time, ice cream and bananas were still "rare", but when Zhang Sujiu wanted to eat them, her brothers and sisters would find a way to take her to eat them. "Later, my brother and sister went abroad to study, and when they came back from United States, they brought me beautiful clothes, skirts and dolls, and when they put the doll down, it would close its eyes by itself." Speaking of his childhood experience, Zhang Sujiu's tone was very brisk.
When he reached the age of junior high school, Zhang Sujiu went to Xinjiang with his father's work transfer. There, she saw her father's efforts to coordinate the rescue of the arrested Communists, and her gentleness and carefulness. "My father was entrusted by Premier Zhou Enlai to find a group of Communist Party members who had been imprisoned by Sheng Shicai after going to Xinjiang, improve their situation, and help them return to Yan'an. Several of their children are still in contact with me. Zhang Sujiu said.
"My father was also a very caring man, and at that time he wore a robe to work, and the kitten jumped between his laps to sleep, and he did not rush. While writing, the kitten jumped on the table to look at the tip of his pen, and he acquiesced. Zhang Sujiu recalled.
"I grew up in a loving environment, and I never got angry and angry." In Zhang Sujiu's view, such a growth experience has cultivated her optimistic and gentle character, and also given her a lot of spiritual strength.
Zhang Sujiu, daughter of Zhang Zhizhong, chairman of Zhang Zhi Chinese Education Foundation and leader of overseas Chinese in the United States, delivered a speech at the 130th anniversary of Zhang Zhizhong's birth. Photo by Han Suyuan
02
"Gains beyond learning"
Zhang Sujiu's talent for learning and sports has been evident since childhood. When she graduated from elementary school, she was ranked first in the school. When she was 5 years old, she learned to swim with her brother, and she learned quickly and well. "I like to study the truth behind everything, think about how to master the right method, and learn what I can't do, which is what I have always done."
When she was in high school, Zhang Sujiu came to Beijing to study at Beiman Girls' High School, where her organizational talents gradually emerged.
At that time, she was the head of the mass culture department in the Beiman Girls' High School Student Association, leading her classmates to perform and hold exhibitions, and cooperating with surrounding schools to organize dance troupes and drama troupes. "It wasn't too difficult for me to study and take exams, so I naturally organized some literary and artistic activities, and cultivated strong organizational skills in the activities, which is a gain outside of studying."
In 1952, Zhang Sujiu was admitted to Tsinghua University. In addition to her studies, she is still involved in student work in the Student Council.
In the first Spring Festival in college, Zhang Sujiu did not go home, but spent the New Year at school with his classmates who stayed in school. "In order to save travel expenses, many students did not go home, I think since it is the New Year, it will be lively, so I also stay in school, organize some activities, and everyone celebrates the Spring Festival together."
Liaise with orchestras and folk bands, set up venues in the cafeteria, prepare dance parties, arrange film screenings, prepare supper for events...... Each work was carried out in an orderly manner under the overall planning of Zhang Sujiu. "Even when I was eating, people kept coming to discuss the details of the event with me, and everyone was very hard, but they also enjoyed it."
To this day, Zhang Sujiu still organizes cultural exchange activities himself, participates in cross-border work, insists on dancing, and swims twice a week. In her opinion, the habit of loving thinking and learning, the education she received during school, the organizational skills she cultivated in activities and the habit of insisting on sports have laid a solid foundation for her future work as an overseas Chinese leader.
03
"Friendship is the keynote of people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States"
Zhang Sujiu was 45 years old when he was offered the opportunity to study abroad, and he had worked at Tianjin University for more than 20 years. After half a year of preparation, she embarked on a flight to New York on January 21, 1981. "It was my first time abroad, and I had a sense of unreality on the plane, flying over New York, and seeing the lights below, I suddenly felt that I was really on the other side of the ocean." Since then, Zhang Sujiu has worked in the United States, from New York to San Francisco to Los Angeles, spanning the east and west of the United States.
Since 1992, Zhang Sujiu has served as the president of Angel Science and Technology Development Center in United States. At that time, China's economy was developing rapidly, and the demand for international integration was increasing. Zhang Sujiu, who has accumulated a lot of experience in the technology industry, began to organize short-term exchange and training activities in the United States. The training involves securities, real estate, finance and other industries, with expert lectures and field trips.
In 1999, Zhang Sujiu accepted the invitation of his alma mater and was hired as the president of the Tsinghua North American Education Foundation. During her tenure, she raised funds and founded the Tsinghua Education Foundation of North America website and Tsinghua North America magazine, which supported the academic research of Tsinghua alumni.
In 2007, Zhang Sujiu was elected as the president of the Federation of Chinese Associations in Southern California, United States, and in various cultural exchange activities, Zhang Sujiu gradually came up with the idea of promoting cultural exchanges between Chinese and American youth. She said: "At all times, people-to-people exchanges between China and United States are based on friendship, and the future development of bilateral relations is inseparable from mutual understanding and exchanges between the young people of the two countries." ”
With this in mind, in 2010, Zhang Sujiu initiated the establishment of the United States Youth Culture and Art Association to organize Chinese teenagers to participate in cultural exchange activities in United States. "After the establishment of the association, 700 to 900 Chinese students will be organized to participate in choirs, dance troupes, geological expeditions and other activities in the United States every year." Zhang Sujiu introduced that this year, the association set up a small press group to invite Chinese young students to visit the media work in United States and report on what they saw and heard during their stay in the United States, and so far more than 200 students have participated.
In addition, Zhang Sujiu also founded the "Angel Cup" art festival and other activities, inviting Chinese teenagers to perform on the same stage with United States teenagers. "I hope to be able to foster friendship among the next generation through this kind of close contact cooperation, and I think it's my responsibility." She said.
04
"More calm, more calm"
Decades of overseas Chinese activities have not always been smooth sailing. Zhang Sujiu recalled that after taking office as the president of the United States Southern California Federation of Chinese Organizations, the first thing she wanted to do was to promote floats from Chinese mainland to participate in the United States Pasadena New Year's Rose Parade. "This is one of the largest float parades in the United States, held every January 1 and with spectators all over the world. Unfortunately, no floats from Chinese mainland had boarded the parade at that time. ”
With the 2008 Beijing Olympics just around the corner, Zhang Sujiu thought it was a good opportunity, and after communicating with the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee, Zhang Sujiu got the authorization to use the mascot and emblem of the Beijing Olympics on the float. However, subsequently, the United States Olympic Organizing Committee and the International Olympic Organizing Committee successively raised the issue of intellectual property rights for the use of Olympic-related elements in floats. "I didn't expect this to happen, but when I encountered a problem, I solved it." Eventually, after several negotiations, the copyright issue of the float design was resolved.
On January 1, 2008 local time, the Beijing Olympic float at the New Year's Rose Parade in Pasadena, United States. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
After the design problem was settled, Zhang Sujiu ushered in a new challenge. Local anti-China forces created an incident and tried to prevent the Beijing Olympic floats from participating in the parade. "We went to three hearings, took a position, argued on our grounds, and finally got the support of the Float Commission and the City of Pasadena."
On New Year's Day 2008, when the float carrying the mascot of the Beijing Olympic Games "Fuwa" passed by the rostrum with the performers of the Peking Opera Troupe and the Acrobatic Troupe, Zhang Sujiu cheered together with the relevant person in charge of Avery Dennison, which funded and supported the production of the float: "We have done it!" （We did it！ ）”
After the success of the float at the Beijing Olympics, Zhang Sujiu immediately began to prepare for the float at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. However, in the design of the float, there was a disagreement of opinion. It was proposed that the elements of the dragon be used on the floats to represent China. However, in the general perception of Western culture at that time, the image of the dragon was not positive. After many times of communication and mediation by Zhang Sujiu, all parties finally reached an agreement and decided to use the image of the China Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo as the main visual element of the float.
But bigger tests followed. "Our total budget was $350,000, but with less than 50 days to go, the largest sponsor of $150,000 withdrew from the parade." Zhang Sujiu recalled that at that time, the production of floats was already on the way, and when the situation was tense, it was an overseas Chinese who reached out in time to make up for the funding gap.
On New Year's Day 2010, the float of the Shanghai World Expo appeared on the streets of Colorado Avenue with Yao Ming, Jackie Chan and others, and received warm cheers from the audience.
On January 1, 2010 local time, the Shanghai World Expo float at the New Year Rose Parade in Pasadena, United States. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
Recalling these waves, Zhang Sujiu's tone was very calm. "When I encounter difficulties, I only think about how to solve them, because it is useless to worry, and it is the only way to grasp the main contradiction to solve it. As the saying goes, I'm always 'calmer, calmer'. ”
Today, Zhang Sujiu also has a wish to build a Chinese cultural communication platform in United States. She said that in the process of organizing cultural exchange activities for many years, she gradually realized the need to build a local platform to provide a continuous window for United States people to understand Chinese culture.
She hopes to organize the construction of a gathering area of Chinese culture in the Los Angeles area. "Just like coming to Los Angeles and going to Disneyland, I hope to develop a cultural tourism industry similar to a Chinese cultural town as a platform to showcase Chinese culture in the United States." Zhang Sujiu said.
"I wanted to build a Chinese Buddhist temple from Chinese mainland in the eastern part of Los Angeles. In addition, we also want to attract a number of museums and art galleries that can display Chinese culture for a long time, and play a cluster effect. Zhang Sujiu said.
In June 2024, Zhang Sujiu signed a letter of intent with Master Huiming, abbot of Jing'an Temple in Shanghai, to build a temple in Los Angeles, United States. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
At present, Zhang Sujiu has reached a cooperation intention with Master Huiming, the abbot of Jing'an Temple in Shanghai, and has completed the site selection and preliminary design of the temple. "It is not so easy to build temples and build a cultural tourism industry, and there may be various problems to solve in the future. But just like before, take it one step at a time, and when you encounter a problem, you solve it. Zhang Sujiu said.
Reporter: Menrui
Editor in charge: Ma Haiyan
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