To Huang Shejiao, working as a diplomat in Africa was not always as glamorous as many other ambassadors to Africa who frequently attended big events and networked with important people. During the 15 years he spent in Africa, what Huang experienced most were turbulent times and tough situations. However, these difficulties didn't compromise his affection for African art, people and the continent as a whole.

"Regimes in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) changed during my term of office. Life was tough then, but I fell in love with the continent in a short time," Huang told ChinAfrica.

Graduating from China Foreign Affairs University in 1964, Huang worked in China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served as ambassador to Rwanda and DRC. Over a career spanning decades, his attachment to Africa became increasingly profound. And after retirement, Huang continued to be involved with African issues by writing commentary in newspapers and co-publishing books discussing Sino-African relations. Currently, although in his 70s, Huang is working to compile academic books under the invitation by the Center for African Studies of China Foundation for International Studies.

Art lover

Huang was captivated by African art the first time he watched a performance by a Guinean troupe at the Capital Theater in Beijing in 1966. The unique African dances and music gave him a spiritual lift and prompted him to ponder on the very essence of what is art.

"The drumbeat shook the entire hall. With dynamic dances, performers created a thoroughly joyful atmosphere. It was so impressive," Huang said. As he recalled the event his hands involuntarily played an imaginary drum.

With a long history, Guinea is well-known for its dances. Every tribe has its distinctive dance, which reflects its daily life and traditions, like baptism, circumcision, weddings and funerals. Under the guidance of drums, highly skilled dancers combined different rhythms into various passionate dances by violently shaking their bodies, especially their chests and pelvis. "As though walking on hot coals, the dancers moved and shook in amazing styles," Huang recalled.

To promote traditional culture, the Guinean Government encouraged the establishment of theaters and cultural organizations. And since 1965, activities like cultural weeks were held periodically across the nation.

From 1993 to 1996, Huang was appointed as the ambassador to the DRC where he had the opportunity to get to know and appreciate the art of African carving. "The minute you land in the country, you are surrounded by an atmosphere full of art," he said. No matter when wandering in a local art market, or when attending business events, Huang would find time to appreciate stone or copper carvings on display.

He also admired African wood carvings. Unlike Chinese sculptures that are more realistic in nature, African carvings are more abstract and always display figures in an exaggerated manner, for example, with long faces, arms or legs. "Although the body is not proportioned, the carvings never looked unharmonious, but beautifully shaped with fine lines," Huang noted. For him, there are no boundaries in art. With a unique way of thinking, African artists are influencing their peers across the world. In recent years, more and more Chinese sculptors have been going to Africa and learning from African artists who increasingly influence their work.

Going to the root

Years of working experience in Africa made Huang realize the significance of cultural exchanges to bilateral relations. Since the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2000, cultural exchanges supported by the government between the two sides are deepening day by day. An increasing number of African students come to attend universities in China. They learn Chinese and gradually fall in love with Chinese culture. Some even get married to Chinese women and settle in China.

"African people are generally smart. They are quick in learning Chinese and speak the language with proper pronunciation and intonation," Huang said. Meanwhile, some Africans can be frequently seen in TV shows, singing Chinese songs or performing crosstalk shows, a traditional Chinese art form where a pair of comedians entertained the audience with witty dialogue.

However, Huang believed the exchanges are far from enough. "Chinese songs and crosstalk shows are still Chinese cultures in essence. Performing them is not really doing cultural exchanges," said Huang.

In his opinion, the exchanges should be commercialized. More African art troupes should be invited to perform across China so that more ordinary Chinese people could have access to African arts. With an improvement in lifestyle, Chinese people pay more attention to cultural activities and would like to pay the bill for such events. "China has a population of 1.3 billion, only a small number of them having opportunities to go abroad and experience foreign cultures personally. If foreign artists are invited to their backyard, I believe audiences would be attracted," Huang said.