In MASEREEL, EEN BIOGRAFIE door Joris van Parys, lezen we heel wat over de grootste, beroemdste Blankenbergenaar en China. De beroemde Chinese schrijver Lu Xun (Loe Siuun 1881–1936) introduceerde hem in China. Hij zag in zijn houtsneden een vorm van sociale en politieke kunst die aansloot bij de Chinese situatie. In 1933 verschenen in Shanghai illegale uitgaven van Masereels werk, kunst die tegen onderdrukking en onrecht gericht was. Pas in 1958 hoorde Masereel dit. In dat jaar reisde hij naar China. In Peking werd een grote Masereel-retrospectieve gehouden; drie weken na de opening was er al een 20.000ste bezoeker. Masereel was zeer onder de indruk van China, maar Van Parys zegt dat hij niet blind was voor het politieke karakter van het regime. Masereel zag volgens Van Parys dat het regime van Mao een Chinese variant van het stalinisme was.
Yara De Prest staat op een van de foto’s van houtsneden van Frans Masereel. Zij hield op de afscheidsplechtigheid in het stadhuis op 3 okt. een toespraak:
Good evening everyone,
Looking back on this exchange, I can honestly say that it has been an amazing experience.
Being in China taught me a lot. I learned that even though cultures, traditions, food, and lifestyles can be very different, people can still connect, laugh, and become close friends. It made me more open-minded and showed me how special it is to discover another part of the world.
We were also a little shocked by the toilets, which were sometimes just a hole in the ground! But that definitely gave us some funny memories.
I was welcomed so warmly by my host family, and I really loved spending time with them. I also enjoyed the delicious food and all the fun evenings we spent together.
Being in China with our Belgian group made everything even more special. We had so many laughs and unforgettable moments.
Now, having my Chinese girl here in Belgium it has been just as much fun. We went to Jump Square, bowling, visited my school and Maerlant, and spent lots of time with my friends. I have really enjoyed showing her my life here.
This exchange taught me that even though our cultures and lifestyles are different, we can still connect and build beautiful friendships.
I am so grateful for this experience, and especially for Caroline, who is such a sweet and lovely girl. I really hope we will stay in touch after this exchange.
I want to thank Martine and Tom for all the help we got from them. You made this journey complete.
And thank you all for making these past weeks so unforgettable!
Even though this exchange is coming to an end, the memories and friendships we have created will stay with us forever. We may live far away from each other, but I hope this is not goodbye, just see you later.
