林泰相：重慶，我的第二故鄉

賀煜

Lim Teasang， a Korean living in Chongqing， speaks highly of the city in an interview in the middle of January. He said “I have lived in Chongqing for four years， and have visited many fascinating and impressive places such as Jinfo Mountain and Fairy Mountain. The magnificence of the Three Gorges is even more breath-taking. Chongqing lives up to its reputation as A Land of Natural Beauty， A City with Cultural Appeal. Lim Teasang expressed that he will recommend this charming city to more foreign friends.

“Chongqing， my second hometown”

Lim Teasang’s hometown， Busan in the Republic of Korea， has established a friendly cooperation tie with Chongqing， and personally he tied the knot with a Chongqing lady. He served as the Secretary-General of the Korean Chamber of Commerce in Chongqing and now works for a Korean automation equipment company in China.

Lim Teasang came to China in 2015 and studied at Soochow University where he met his wife. They got married in 2017 and settled in Chongqing. He felt at home when he arrived Chongqing for the first time as Chongqing boasts picturesque landscape and friendly people with great hospitality.

“Chongqing is a heaven of delicacies. The spicy flavor could be found in every corner of the city.” Lim Teasang said that he loves Chongqing noodles， especially noodles with mince and peas. “Hi， noodles with mince and peas， a fried egg and soup please.” Every morning he orders breakfast using fluent Chinese in a noodle restaurant.

Lim Teasang said that working and living in Chongqing for four years was a lovely experience， and a lot of meaningful activities were done. During his tenure as Secretary-General of the Korean Chamber of Commerce in Chongqing， he was committed to promoting economic and trade exchanges between Chongqing and the Republic of Korea. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19， he has contacted the Foreign Affairs Office of the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government for many times to help Koreans to return to Chongqing and resume work and production.

“Chongqing has become my second hometown.” Lim Teasang said， “I have my family here. In addition， the former site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea locates in the city. Chongqing and Busan have established a friendly cooperation relation in 2010...” All these special bonds make him felt at home.

“Chongqing， a unique city with growing strength”

As a witness to the opening-up and development of Chongqing， Lim Teasang experienced Chongqing’s changes of emerging into a well-known metropolis of China.

In his view， with the development of the Internet and the growth of the sharing economy， Chongqing’s charming scenery， delicious food， and magical terrain have been widely circulated on the Internet. Tourism has become popular， bringing the economic benefits to all walks of life.

“Chongqing is a unique city with growing strength，” Lim Teasang said. Apart from popular tourism industry， the industrial and manufacturing development in Chongqing is also very impressive. Chongqing has the largest automobile production base in China， with many vehicles production lines， as well as components and accessories companies.

Lim Teasang informs that the Koreans’ understanding about Chongqing is quite limited. Hot pot was very popular in Korea a few years ago， but Koreans did not know it was originated from Chongqing. He wishes Chongqing to increase its efforts on publicity to build its international reputation so that a larger foreign community knows Chongqing， understands Chongqing and comes to visit Chongqing， thus to find out the birthplace of hot pot.

“Recommending the tourism of Chongqing to more foreigners”

“Chongqing boasts many scenic spots， a reason to fall in love with it.” Lim Teasang said that he loves traveling and has left his footprints in many famous scenic spots in Chongqing. “Many places deserves recommendation， and the most distinctive one is the Three Gorges along Yangtze River.”

During the “May Day” holiday in 2019， Lim Teasang drove his family to the Three Gorges. In Baidi Fortress of Fengjie County， they enjoyed the majestic and magnificent Kuimen （Qutang Gorge）， and also went to Wushan County to climb mountains for a bird view of the Three Gorges.

“Upon returning to Chongqing proper， I visited the Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing to learn more about the history and changes of the Three Gorges. I can’t wait to tell my friends that the Three Gorges is a must-visit in one’s life.” Lim Teasang hopes Chongqing to actively promote its scenic spots like the Three Gorges to the Republic of Korea so that more visitors will be attracted to experience the local customs and the charisma of Chongqing.

Photo/the interviewee

“我來重慶已經4年了，去過很多美麗的地方，金佛山、仙女山等都給我留下深刻印象，三峽更是雄偉壯觀，重慶是名副其實的山水之城、美麗之地！”1月中旬，在渝生活的韓國友人林泰相在接受記者采訪時盛贊重慶。他表示，要向更多外國朋友推介重慶這座美麗的城市。

“重慶是我的第二故鄉”

林泰相的家鄉是重慶的友好合作城市韓國釜山，他也是一位“重慶女婿”。2020年他曾擔任重慶韓國商會秘書長，現就職于一家在華韓國自動化設備公司。

2015年，林泰相來到中國蘇州大學留學，在那里結識了現在的妻子。2017年，他們結婚并來到重慶定居。林泰相說，初到重慶之時，就有一種回家的感覺，重慶和釜山一樣，都有優美的自然風光，市民熱情友好。

“重慶是美食之都，處處充滿麻辣味?！绷痔┫嗾f，他最愛重慶小面，尤其是豌雜面。早上，他習慣來到小面店，熟練地用中文點餐：“老板，二兩豌雜，加煎蛋、加湯?！?/p>

林泰相表示，在重慶工作生活的這4年非常美好，做了很多有意義的事情。包括在擔任重慶韓國商會秘書長期間，致力于推動重慶和韓國的經貿往來。新冠肺炎疫情發生以來，他還多次與重慶市政府外辦對接，幫助韓國人順利返渝復工復產。

“如今，重慶已然成了我的第二故鄉。”林泰相說，“這里有我的家人，還有大韓民國臨時政府舊址，重慶和釜山2010年建立了友好合作城市關系……”這些都讓他備感親切。

“重慶是中國獨具特色且實力強勁的城市”

作為重慶開放發展的親歷者，林泰相最大的感受是重慶變成了一座全國知名城市。

在他看來，隨著互聯網的發展，共享經濟壯大，重慶的美景、美食、魔幻地形在網絡上廣泛傳播，觀光旅游業隨之火爆，帶動了各行各業的經濟效益。

“重慶可以稱得上是中國比較有特色、實力強勁的城市之一?！绷痔┫嗾f，除了熱門的旅游業，重慶的工業、制造業發展也非常可觀。重慶有中國最大的汽車生產基地，有眾多整車生產線和零部件、配件公司。

林泰相說，目前韓國民眾對重慶的了解還很有限。前幾年，韓國很流行麻辣燙火鍋，但他們并不清楚火鍋的發源地在重慶。他表示，重慶應該加大對外宣傳力度，持續擴大國際知名度，讓更多外國人知道重慶、了解重慶、來到重慶。也讓全世界都知道重慶是火鍋的故鄉。

“要向更多外國朋友推介重慶旅游”

“重慶景點眾多，這也是我喜歡重慶的原因之一?！绷痔┫嗾f，他酷愛旅游，重慶很多著名景點都曾留下他的足跡，“這些地方都很值得推薦，但最具特色的還是長江三峽?！?/p>

2019年“五一”假期，林泰相帶家人自駕去了重慶境內的三峽景區。在奉節縣白帝城，欣賞了夔門（瞿塘峽）巍峨壯麗的峽谷風光，還前往巫山縣登山遠眺三峽。

“回重慶后，我還去重慶中國三峽博物館詳細了解三峽的歷史和變遷，并迫不及待地告訴朋友們，三峽是人生一定要去的地方?！绷痔┫嗾f，希望重慶能在韓國大力宣傳三峽這樣的風景名勝，讓更多人來重慶體會風土人情和山城魅力。

圖片/受訪者提供