A Lifelong African Dream

　　Li Songshan stands in a construction site insuburban Beijing. Through the clouds of dust kickedup by rumbling building machines, the 71-year-oldsees a vision of his long-held dream: an Africanvillage, with 13 buildings covering 10,000 squaremeters, providing Chinese citizens with a real-lifeglimpse at the continent’s culture.

　　When the village is erected, it will be the firstprivately owned, non-profit organization in Chinadedicated to promoting African culture. The projectis funded by Li and his wife, Han Rong, both renownedaround China as scholars of African culture.

　　They could have put off building the village, but theydidn’t. Above anything else, time is of the essence. Liis suffering from cancer. On July 20, 2012, groundwas broken on the African Village project, and constructionbegan.

　　“As the first generation of Chinese workers inAfrica, we want our fellow countrymen to know thatAfrica has more than rich natural resources,” Hansaid. “We hope the splendid culture and art therecan attract more Chinese youth to spend their life inAfrica, like we did decades ago.”

　　Devotion to art

　　Changchun is a city in northeast China’sJilin Province,known for bleak winters and heavy industry,but here Makonde sculpture is easily found. The Makondeare an ethnic group living along the Tanzania-Mozambique border. The group’s woodcarving isreferred to as the grandfather of modern Africanwood sculpture. They depict the group’s fears andhopes, their spirituality and mysticism, religion andsuperstitions.

　　Located at the Changchun World Sculpture Park,the Songshan-Hanrong African Art Collection Museumhouses 12,000 pieces of African art work, alldonated by Li and Han. It’s nearly their entire collection;it took them three decades to accumulate.

　　“It was like marrying off our own daughter,” Hansaid. “It was hard, but you still want her to end upwith someone good, someone who deserves her.”The couple’s connection with Tanzania beganin the late 1960s, when they were sent by theChinese Government to work there. During thetime, they saw Makonde art for the first time. Withone glimpse, they fell in love and began a lifelongdevotion.

　　In the 1980s, they were recalled by the ChineseGovernment and moved back to China. But aftera short stay, they made a decision that surprisedeveryone. In 1990, Li and Han, then in their 40s,quit their promising jobs in governmental ministries,and left China for Tanzania with only $8,000 in theirpockets. To be closer to the source of Makonde art,the couple decided to settle down in Tanzania.

　　During the years they spent there, they collectedtens of thousands of African sculptures and TingaTinga paintings. They pored over the artwork withmeticulous detail, analyzing and categorizing themand publishing academic research. Due to their contributionsto the understanding of African artwork,the Tanzania Arts Council honored them with thetitle of “Doctors of African Culture and Art.”

　　Another dream

　　After having settled in Tanzania for more than adecade, the two felt a strong desire to introduceMakonde Art to their homeland. In 2003, Li and Handonated 547 Makonde carvings to Changchun, acity where African culture was nearly unheard of atthe time. There, the woodcarvings soon gained fame,and tourists and professionals became increasinglyintrigued by the art. Encouraged by the achievement,in 2008 Li and Han packed their collection into fourcontainers and shipped them to China.

　　“Bringing them back to China and donating them,the whole process was laborious and full of difficulties.But we know our roots are in China. We love thecountry, so we hope to see more Chinese peoplebenefit from African culture and art,” Li said.The museum, which bears their name in remembranceof the couple’s contribution, opened to thepublic in 2011. It’s notable as the first museumin China focused on foreign artwork. Meanwhile,it’s also the world’s largest Makonde artmuseum.

　　“Songshan-Hanrong is not only a symbolof us. I hope it can also represent the firstgeneration of Chinese working in Africa,” Lisaid. “People like us spent their life and madestrenuous efforts on promoting China-Africacommunication and friendship, because wetake it as our dream.”

　　When people hailed the museum inChangchun as a perfect ending for the couple’slifetime connection with African culture,Li and Han, in their 70s and 60s, were draftinga new plan - building an African culturecenter in China’s capital.

　　The idea was actually conceived in2005. In that year, four Tanzanian sculpturemasters died. Li and Han felt a deepsorrow. They were intimate friends withthe masters, and their deaths markedan end to a period of flourishing Tan-zanian artwork that lasted nearly 50 years.Soon, they made a decision to move back toChina, where the masters’ brilliant artworkcould be appreciated by more people.

　　In 2007, they bought land in

　　Songzhuang, an artistic zone in a Beijingsuburb, and planned to use it to build theirdream project - the African Village. But inthe same year, Li was diagnosed with coloncancer. Insisting on finishing the project, hebegan to commute between constructionsite and hospital. Han was supportivefrom the start, knowing how importantthe project was to her husband.

　　“All I ask is several more years so that Ican see its completion,” Li said. “It’s notour personal property but a belongingof China, of future generations devotedto promoting African culture and art andChina-Africa friendship.”

　　African village

　　To now, parts of the African Villageproject have been completed, and havebecome the accommodation for theTanzanian deputy minister of culture and the wivesof eight African diplomats. They say the village is justlike their second home.

　　“There will be an auditorium for African officials,African scholars and Chinese experts on Africanstudies to give speeches about African economiesand cultures,” Li said. According to Li, the auditoriumwill also function as a museum with an exhibitionof African arts. It will also house a movie theaterto show African movies and a restaurant featuringAfrican-style dishes.

　　The four buildings around the auditoriuminclude an African art research center based oncooperation with universities in Beijing, a clinic ofvolunteer doctors to serve African diplomats andstudents in Beijing, and a publishing house to workfor Chinese scholars and those giving speeches inthe auditorium.

　　What Li is most proud of is an art studio themed“Africa in the Chinese eye.” Li said that Chineseartists can work here to design industrial products,such as furniture, with African elements. Hebelieved that Chinese artists can draw inspirationfrom African arts to develop Chinese art.

　　They also established the Makonde Art Instituteat the Jilin College of Arts, where Li was appointedas an honorary professor, supervising graduatestudents working on Makonde art theory.

　　“Families and friends think we are out of ourminds every time we make major decisions likethis. But, life is not about what you have but whatyou can give. To foster more Chinese interest inthe culture and art of that beautiful land is the bestthing we can give.” Li said.