How Taoist ideas brought a Syrian scholar to Beijing

Beijing-based Syrian scholar Firas Sawah cites Tao Te Ching when asked about his romance with China. The book not only brought him here but has also played an important role in his daily life.

Born in Homs, Sawah has been teaching at the department of Arab studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University for the past few years.

As Sawah recalls, he developed an interest in East Asian culture and philosophy in his youth. He read a book in college on Chinese philosophy, which is titled China Wisdom.