Hello, and welcome to this edition of  Africa Express here on China Radio International. I'm your host, Wei Tong. 

In the previous two episodes, we felt the vigor and energy of a dynamic Africa, ranging from rugged Kenyan wood-carvings to dazzling Cullinan diamonds from South Africa. Not to mention we sampled some time-honored South African Constantia wine, which dates back hundreds of years.

All of these items are on display at the first African Tourism and Culture Festival that is currently underway in Beijing. The organizer of the festival is Touch Africa, so far China's only company that specializes in promoting African culture.

Touch Africa, established in late 2003 has several stores in Beijing and other parts of China. They display numerous African handicrafts, such as traditional costumes, personal adornments, antiques and furniture. It is really an African art museum!

  
CRI reporter Wei Tong (L) and the owner of Touch Africa, Cheng Hui. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.COM]

The owner of Touch Africa, Cheng Hui, is himself an Africa enthusiast. He has set foot onto more than twenty African countries over the past few years. He tells me that the more time he spend there, the stronger desire he has to discover more about the mysterious and vibrant continent grows. He says one cannot have a real picture of Africa in the mind until one feels the continent for themselves.

"I majored in arts at college. When I stepped onto Africa the first time, I was fascinated by its large variety of extraordinary arts, especially abstract carvings. Africa through my eyes was even more overwhelming than I had learnt from textbooks. I fell in love with the serene and tranquil land immediately. From then on, Africa has been within my heart."

As an art person, Cheng Hui says in fact, some popular music like jazz and blues originated in Africa. The world-renowned Spanish painter Pablo Picasso changed his artistic style from realism to abstraction probably because he drew inspiration from African art. Many of his abstract and cubist paintings share similarities with African wood carvings.

Cheng Hui tells me that since his first trip to Africa, he thought up the idea of promoting African culture in China, since few Chinese people know about Africa compared with Asia, Europe and the US.

"When we talk about Africa, many Chinese people only associate it with wild animals, uncivilized tribes and an agricultural society. However, it is only one side of Africa. Actually, Africans are gifted with the arts. They are born artists. I remember I was surprised to see that all villagers can sing and dance when I visited a tribe in Uganda. They are not rich in food but rich in mind. That really touched me."

However, a hobby is a hobby and a job is a job. So what difference can it make when Cheng Hui decided to engage in what he likes? Is it more interesting or a mental burden?

"I am striving to combine what I like and what I do together. I don't think there is any contradiction between them. I am only motivated to do a thing if I like it. So I started my career by introducing African handicrafts to China. I opened a small store, Touch Africa, to display and sell them. I didn't count in earning money from it at the beginning. It is just a way of promoting culture."

Now, Touch Africa has more than ten chain stores around China. Every year, they hold an African handicrafts show in conjunction with local media and department stores.

Apart from the tourism and culture festival happening right now, they also held an African artwork exhibition in 2004 and an African art festival in 2005. In accordance with the unprecedented Beijing Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Touch Africa exhibited some of its handicrafts at the Chinese National Museum to highlight the event.

Cheng Hui is planning to build an African street in Beijing, exclusively for African artists to display their traditional artworks, serve unique food and present folk songs and dances regularly.

And more interestingly, there will be a hairdressing salon in the street where African hairstyles can be tried out. The street is expected to be completed and opened to the public before the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympics.

With that we conclude this edition of   Africa Express. If you would like more details about the program, you can log onto our website at: www.crienglish.com. Your comments and suggestions are also welcome by email as well, please write to: africaexpress@crifm.com. I'm Wei Tong. Hope you can tune into our program again next time, bye for now!