Book by German author opens a door on Qingdao

A book on Qingdao, written in German by Norbert Egger, former deputy mayor of Mannheim, Germany, debuted in Berlin and Frankfurt early this month.

Titled A Door to the World, Qingdao's Rise from a Personal Perspective, the book is based on Egger's personal experiences, and looks at Qingdao from various aspects, such as history and culture, science and technology, city construction and transportation, education and society.

"I fell in love with Qingdao at first sight in 1989. Its coastal scenery, moderate climate, hospitable residents, mix of classical and modern culture and dynamic economic development, impressed me greatly. I feel it is my second hometown," said the 77-year-old at the book's launch in Frankfurt.

In 1989, he became the deputy mayor of Mannheim and remained in the post for the next 16 years. Under his efforts, Qingdao and Mannheim established a friendship relationship in 1995, and Mannheim became the first German city to forge close cooperative relations with Qingdao.

"I visit Qingdao three to five times every year. I feel a sense of responsibility to return to Qingdao to see what I can do for the city."

Even today the city is well-known for its German-style villas in well-preserved Badaguan scenic area.

To Egger, Qingdao was a door for China's opening-up in the past decades, and its development encapsulates how China gradually integrated into the world.

"Though there have been obstacles to the establishment of Sino-Germany friendship and relations, more and more Germans have a friendly and positive view of China, with more and more German tourists visiting China, and increasing trade and business cooperation between the two countries," Egger said.

(China Daily 02/29/2016 page12)