Sino-French Wuhan Ecological Demonstration City—A Modern Tale of “Boya and Ziqi”

By Liu Dongli, Wang Yi’an Translation： Zhu Yaguang

Sino-French Wuhan Ecological Demonstration City—A Modern Tale of “Boya and Ziqi”

By Liu Dongli, Wang Yi’an Translation： Zhu Yaguang

In ancient China, there was a story about two dear friends that has been passed down through generations.

During the Spring and Autumn Period(770-476 BC), there was a man called Yu Boya who was a master of musical temperament and highly skilled in playing the guqin (Chinese zither). Though being a well-known guqin player at that time, he believed that no one could truly understand his music, so he was upset about it.

One Mid-Autumn Festival night, Yu Boya was boating alone on the Hanyang River for sightseeing. With the gentle breeze and bright moon as his only companions, myriads of thoughts crowded into his mind, and he couldn’t help but play the guqin that he was carrying. The melodious music became more and more beautiful when it suddenly wowed a man on the bank. The man was a woodcutter who happened to pass by. When the rhythm rose to a crescendo, the man said, “What a wonderful melody! It sounds as grand as a high mountain,” and when the rhythm became smooth and lively, the man said, “How delightful! Now it sounds like an endlessly flowing river.”

Yu Boya was extremely thrilled, as he always expressed his emotions through his music, yet no one could understand it. Now, in the middle of nowhere, he finally met the friend that he had been seeking for ages.

在中國古老的土地上，一則關于“高山流水遇知音”的故事流傳至今：

春秋時代，有個叫俞伯牙的人，精通音律，琴藝高超，是當時著名的琴師，他卻認為從沒有遇到過真正能聽懂他琴聲的人。為此，他十分苦悶。

一年八月十五中秋節的晚上，俞伯牙乘船游覽。面對清風明月，他思緒萬千，不禁彈起琴來。琴聲悠揚，漸入佳境，忽聽岸上有人叫絕，原來，是一個路過的打柴人在聽琴聲。當他彈奏的琴聲音調高亢的時候，打柴人說：“美妙的琴聲啊，表達了高山的雄偉氣勢。”當琴聲變得清新流暢時，打柴人說：“美妙的琴聲啊，表達了流水的無窮無盡。”

俞伯牙驚喜萬分，自己用琴聲表達的心意，很少有人能聽懂，沒想到，在這野嶺之下，竟遇到自己久久尋覓的知音。

打柴人名叫鐘子期。俞伯牙與鐘子期相見恨晚，越談越投機，他倆結拜為兄弟，約定來年的中秋再到這里相會。

次年中秋，俞伯牙如約來到漢陽江口，卻始終不見鐘子期的身影。經打聽，原來鐘子期已不幸染病去世。臨終前，鐘子期留下遺言，要把墳墓修在江邊，到八月十五相會時，好聽俞伯牙的琴聲。

俞伯牙十分悲痛。他來到鐘子期的墳前，凄楚地彈起自己創作的《高山流水》。彈罷，他長嘆一聲，把心愛的瑤琴在青石上摔碎。他悲傷地說：“我唯一的知音已不在人世，這琴還彈給誰聽呢？”

俞伯牙和鐘子期的真摯友誼感動著無數的后來人。這段曠世佳話的發源地，就位于今天的湖北武漢。如今，鐘子期的墓仍靜靜地躺在武漢市蔡甸區的馬鞍山上。這座美麗的城市，也因知音的故事有了更深厚的文化積淀。

The woodcutter was named Zhong Ziqi. The two hit it off and decided to become sworn brothers,and they promised to meet each other at the same place again the next Mid-Autumn day.

A year went by and Yu Boya came to Hanyang River as scheduled, but he saw no sign of Zhong Ziqi at all. After inquiring with some local people,he learned that Zhong Ziqi had died of illness.Before dying, Ziqi left a note that he wanted to be buried at the riverbank so that he could appreciate Boya’s music again on the next Mid-Autumn day.

Hearing this, Yu Boya became deeply grieved. He came to Zhong Ziqi’s tomb, and pathetically played the tune High Mountains and Flowing Rivers that he composed. When the tune ended, he let out a big sigh and smashed his favorite guqin on the slate. Boya said woefully, “The only one who truly understands my music has died, and to whom else can I play the guqin in the future?”

Many people in later generations were greatly touched by the sincere friendship between Boya and Ziqi. Wuhan City is the birthplace of the epic story. Today, Zhong Ziqi’s tomb is still located on the Ma’an Mountain of Caidian District in Wuhan.Because of the tale of “Boya and Ziqi,” the culture of the beautiful city has deepened after years of accumulation.

Paris and Wuhan are only 4 km away?!

How far is it from Wuhan, the city of “bosom friends,”to Paris, the city of romance? According to Wuhan natives, it is 4 kilometers!

That is true. In Wuhan City, over the Han River,there is a Sino-French Friendship Bridge stretching for 4.391 kilometers, which connects the Sino-French Wuhan Ecological Demonstration City at Caidian District and the departure station of China-Europe Train that goes directly to France.

It has been over one and a half centuries since the economic exchanges between Wuhan and France were established—over that time,people from the two places have developed a profound friendship. At the High-level Forum of International Bosom Friends Culture held on the 28th of September 2017, Yu Xi—the senior reporter and Associate Director of Wuhan Foreign Cultural Exchange Association—told some stories that mark the friendship between the Chinese and the French.

武漢與法國僅隔4公里

聞名天下的知音之城武漢，與享譽世界的時尚之都巴黎的距離有多遠？武漢人給出的答案是：4公里！

是的，在漢江的武漢段，一座長度為4.391公里的中法友誼大橋，一端連著武漢蔡甸中法武漢生態示范城，另一端連著中歐班列武漢始發站，可直達法國。

武漢與法國有150年的經濟交往，與法國人民也有著深厚的情誼。2017年9月28日，在國際知音文化高層論壇上，武漢對外文化交流協會副會長余熙，熱情地向大家講述了幾個關于中法人民友好的故事：

第一個打開中國現代服裝藝術大門的人，是法國知名的時裝設計大師皮爾·卡丹；

當代中國標志性建筑之一、中國國家大劇院的設計者，是法國建筑設計大師保羅·安德魯；

阿蘭·拉巴特，被稱為法國對華友好人士中最具組織能力的“鐵桿民間大使”。他將百余所法國中學與中國各地的中學聯系起來，開展校際合作，每年都互派師生進行交流。其中，武漢市外國語學校與波爾多市蒙田中學結為友好學校。

索菲·特德斯基是法國巴黎的青年女畫家。她多次訪問武漢，曾在湖北美術學院、江漢大學、中國地質大學、湖北民族大學等高校講學并舉辦畫展。她還從2011年起，連續六年在中國的農歷春節之際，在報紙上刊載中國生肖年畫。她那一幅幅中西合璧的精彩繪畫，受到許多中國讀者的熱切歡迎。許多人說：“現在只要春節期間看報紙，就想看一看法國女畫家的新的生肖畫。”

……

關于中法友誼的故事太多太多，中法兩國的政治經濟交流也日益頻繁。

The first ever person to open the door to China’s modern art of garments was Pierre Cardin, a wellknown French fashion designer.

The National Center for the Performing Arts, one of the landmark buildings in contemporary China was designed by Paul Andrew, a master architect from France.

Known as the Folk Ambassador who avidly promotes friendship between China and France,Alain Labat has excellent organizational skills and has helped hundreds of French secondary schools to connect with their counterparts in China so that they can build inter-school cooperation, and each year, those partner schools would send teachers and students to learn from each other. The Wuhan Foreign Language School and Lycée Montaigne Bordeaux are among those that have become sister schools.

Sophie Tedeschi, a young female artist from Paris, has paid multiple visits to Wuhan and has also lectured and held her art exhibitions at local colleges, including the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, Jianghan University, the China University of Geosciences, and the Hubei University for Nationalities. Since 2011, local newspapers have published her Chinese zodiac paintings on their New Year issue six years in a row. Her excellent art works combine Chinese and Western elements, and have been favored by many Chinese readers. Some people even comment, “If I read newspapers during the Spring Festival, I would be curious to check out the new zodiac painting by that French artist.”

…

What’s more, the political and economic exchanges of the two countries have also become increasingly frequent.

On the 26th of March, 2014, President Xi Jinpin visited France. Witnessed by the leaders of the two countries, government representatives from China and France signed an MOU on building the Sino-French Wuhan Ecological Demonstration City in Wuhan. Later, the construction of a post-industrial urban area was kicked off in the Caidian District of Wuhan City, which became a sustainable eco-friendly demonstration city for China and France.

On the 23rd of February 2017, Bernard Cazeneuve, Prime Minister of France and Wang Xiaodong, the governor of Hubei Province, planted a gingko together at Houguan Lake National Wetland Park, which symbolized “a long lasting friendship marked by the co-constructed eco-city.”

With more and more exchanges at all levels between China and France, more people start to find their friends as in the tale of “Boya and Ziqi.”

When Chinese Opportunity meets with French Romance

In the hometown of “Boya and Ziqi,” the science,technology, and culture of China and France find a perfect meeting point.

At the foot of Ma’an Mountain, the landscape,city, and people are ready to embrace each other.

At the Sino-French Eco-city, romantic interactions are happening every now and then.

“With the opening of direct flights from Wuhan to Paris, the bond between the two cities has become deeper and deeper. Today, lots of Chinese faces from Wuhan can be seen in the streets of Paris, and likewise, many French people visit Wuhan to enjoy its cultural and historical landscapes and eco-friendly environment.” The Ambassador of France to China, Jean-Maurice Ripert, said on the Opening Ceremony of the 4th Cultural and Tourism Festival of the Sino-French Wuhan Ecological Demonstration City on September 26th.

Although this was his first visit to Wuhan and the Sino-French Wuhan Ecological Demonstration City since taking office, Mr. Ripert led a delegation of 40 French companies for inspection. It is thus clear that French companies have regarded Wuhan as an important city in China to develop their business.

They certainly had a rewarding trip. In order to optimize the investment environment for French companies, the Sino-French Ecological City has been a pioneer in China to promulgate the “16 Preferential Policies for French Companies,” which include the setting up of an industrial guidance fund of RMB 200 million yuan, a loan subsidy of up to 1 million yuan for each French firm, an incentive of up to 45 million yuan for French enterprise headquarters, and an incentive of 15 million yuan for the R&D centers established by French firms on the Fortune 500 list or industry leaders.

Favorable conditions will surely attract business and investment. On September 27th, themed by “Green, Open, and Innovative—Sharing New Chances in the Belt and Road Initiative,” the 4th Sino-French Urban Sustainable Development Forum was the site of signing ceremonies for 21 investment projects, including 10 French-invested projects in the fields of alternative power, with a total sum of investment reaching 126.2 billion yuan.

Will it damage the ecosystem or drain up resources, as traditional urban development does,to vigorously develop economy? Will it impose heavier burdens on the Earth, environment, or cities? As for the answers, according to urban planners, the planning of eco-cities is the role model for urban sustainable development. The Sino-French Eco-city is never meant to cut off from industrial chains, but to divert its development track and establish an eco-friendly industrial cluster, so as to make other enterprises realize that ecological protection is the general trend.

Therefore, at the initial planning stage of the Sino-French Eco-city, urban planners have adopted the concept of “counter-planning.” According to them, “Urban design should never go against the nature of a landscape. Overcorrection can never happen. The buildings,like a stone rolling down a hill, should be accidentally and harmoniously ‘dropped’at the foot of the hill or on the riverside.” In order to preserve the original appearance of the landscape, all the urban building facilities should gently blend with environment.

攝影/倪娜 Photos by Ni Na

2014年3月26日，習近平主席訪問法國。在兩國首腦共同見證下，中法雙方政府代表在巴黎簽署“在武漢市建設中法武漢生態示范城意向書”。從此，在湖北省武漢市蔡甸后官湖地區，一座后工業化時代城區拔地而起，成為兩國可持續發展的生態示范城。

2017年2月23日，法國總理卡澤納夫與湖北省長王曉東在后官湖國家濕地公園共同植下一棵銀杏樹，寓“生態之城中法共建，友誼之林萬古長青”之意。

兩國各層次交往的知音越來越多。

中國機遇與法國浪漫相遇

知音故里，中國、法國的科技文化“相遇”。

馬鞍山下，山水、城市與人的“相遇”。

在中法生態城，這樣一場浪漫的相遇時時刻刻在上演。

“武漢至巴黎航班的開通，兩個城市之間的聯系越來越緊密。巴黎街頭出現越來越多的武漢人，而很多法國人也向往來到武漢、來到蔡甸旅游，欣賞這里的優美人文歷史景觀和生態環境。”9月26日，中法武漢生態示范城國際旅游文化節開幕式上，法國駐華大使黎想動情地說。

這是他履新后第一次來漢，也第一次來到中法生態城，便帶領40多家法國企業來到這里，說明法國企業對中國武漢的重視。

事實也證明，他們不虛此行。為優化法國企業的投資環境，中法生態城制定全國首個專門針對法資企業的優惠政策“法企16條”，包括設立2億元的產業引導基金，最多可給予每家法資企業100萬元的貸款貼息；最高可獎勵法資總部企業4500萬元，獎勵法資世界500強企業和行業龍頭企業設立的研發中心1500萬元。

Ecological protection should not only be the guiding principle for urban planning, but also for economic development. In terms of industrial forms, the 21 signed projects are either smart industries or asset-light ones.

Zheng Yuanbao, Chairman of the People’s Electronic Appliance Group, was appointed as the Business Attraction Ambassador of the Sino-French Eco-city and signed an investment agreement on September 27th. According to Mr. Zheng, the natural resources in the eco-city are never meant to be consumed,as they are the breeding bed on which innovative or intelligent enterprises survive. If an enterprise wants to expand its business to the world,it must abandon the assetheavy approach that consumes resources and transition to high value-added and asset-light projects.

Mr. Zheng’s idea has gained recognition from many entrepreneurs. Quite a few enterprises on Fortune 500 list coming to the Eco-city have a common understanding: it is a lucrative business to “discuss ecological protection” nowadays.

…

As a Wuhan native, it is our responsibility to tell a great Chinese story, promote the culture of friendship, constantly enhance the global influence of Hubei, and show the world an open Caidian, a friendly Hubei and an inclusive China.As the Sino-French Ecological Demonstration City is being constructed step by step,Caidian District or even Hubei Province has gained more and more regional influence in the interaction between China and France.

In the past, there was the epic tale of Boya and Ziqi, and today,when the reform and opening up is taking place, Caidian of Hubei will continue to write a new chapter in the Sino-French friendship, and make it the modern version of Boya and Ziqi.◆

栽下梧桐樹，引得鳳凰來。在9月27日舉辦的“以綠色·開放·創新——共享一帶一路新機遇”為主題的第四屆中法城市可持續發展論壇上，現場簽署21個投資項目，投資總額達1262億元，其中包括發過電力新能源等10個法資項目。

如此大力度發展經濟，會不會像傳統城市發展一樣，給生態、資源造成嚴重破壞？會不會給地球、環境、城市帶來更大負擔？對此，規劃專家給出答案：生態城規劃，是城市可持續發展的典范。這座城并不是為了生態而閹割產業鏈，而是直接轉換發展軌道，建立一個生態發展的產業群，讓其他企業認識到生態是大趨勢。

對此，在生態城規劃之初，規劃者就堅持踐行“反規劃”的理念。“自然本底是什么，設計建設就按這個來，不過多改動，就像一塊山上滾下的石頭，偶然而和諧地‘插入’到山腳、水邊。”讓整個城市建筑設施，輕輕地放在自然本底上，保護自然山水連綿。

城市規劃如此，經濟發展也同樣如此。從產業形態上看，21個簽約項目全部是“智慧型”“輕資產”。

人民電器集團董事長鄭元豹受聘生態城招商大使，并于27日當天簽約投資生態城。他說，生態城優厚的自然資源稟賦不是用來消耗的，這種資源是創新型智慧型企業共生的土壤。企業走向全球做生意，必須摒棄資源消耗型“重資產”方式，轉型“輕資產”高附加項目。

鄭元豹的想法得到許多企業家的認同。不少來到生態城的世界500強企業都有共識：現在，“討論生態”是一件很賺錢的事。

講好中國故事，讓知音文化走出去，不斷提高湖北的國際影響力，向世界展示一個開放的蔡甸、友好的湖北、包容的中國。隨著中法武漢生態示范城的逐步建設，蔡甸乃至湖北在中法兩國的交往活動中，不斷彰顯著重要的區域影響力。

古有伯牙子期“高山流水遇知音”的曠世佳話，在改革開放正當時的今天，湖北蔡甸將續寫中法友好新篇，成為書寫新的知音故事。◆

向世界講述“知音”故事——中法武漢生態示范城印象

文/劉冬莉 王易安譯/朱亞光