Being river chief in Chengdu, French man’s decade-long ‘Wuxia’ dream comes true

Apr. 26 (NBD) — Hailing from France, a man with the Chinese name Luo Ang recently started to work as a “river chief” in the Tianhua Community, southwest China’s Chengdu.

On March 21, Luo Ang (Nicolas Laurent) was appointed as a volunteer “river chief”, in Tianhua Community of the High-Tech District of southwest China’s Chengdu. The first foreign river chief in the district, he would patrol the river once or twice every week, keeping the river clean.

From Paris to Chengdu, from 2008 to 2019, from social worker in organic farming promotion to river cleanup volunteer today, Luo throws himself into environmental protection just like a “martial hero” in Wuxia novels.

He opened the new chapter of his role in environmental protection in Chengdu, a city which endeavors to building itself into a global park city.

Photo/Yu Peiying (NBD)

From Paris to Chengdu: Luo’s journey of environmental protection

When meeting with NBD in Tianhua Community service center, Luo gave the impression of being very passionate about his job there and he said hello to every staff member passing by.

The center was called “Storyhouse,” where the authorities perform community service and residents carry out community activities. Locals also donated personal stuff, telling their stories.

On a table, there places a leather suitcase with “Harvard T. L. Chen” printed on it and its worn out corners witnessed the journey of a local resident’s father from New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Tokyo to Shanghai in 1948.

Pointing at the photos on the wall which record the previous river patrols, Luo said, “Being a river protector concurs with my personal values and grants me a chance to make my own contribution to the city.”

Having lived in Chengdu for ten years, he sees the city as his home. “I’d like my home to be healthy,” he expressed emotionally,” and by joining hands with the community, I feel I completely blend into the local life.”

His passion for this volunteer job sprung from his deep attachment to nature. “Humans are essentially part of nature,” he said.

Taking a major in environmental engineering at university, Luo once took charge of the Community Supported Agriculture project in France, a model dating back to Switzerland and Austria in the 1970s that directly connected the consumer organizations in communities with organic farms.

“If you ask French children, ‘where’s milk from’ or ‘what does the fish originally look like’, many might fail to give the answer,” he lamented, saying the less contact with nature due to urbanization deluded people with an illusion that they are separable from nature.

In 2008, Luo set foot on Chengdu, thousands of miles away from his hometown. “Ten years ago, the environmental awareness barely existed in Chengdu,” Luo recalled.

But now, big differences have been already made. Luo told NBD that people can learn to sort wastes and get the children a food education lecture via mini programs developed by nonprofit organizations and entrepreneurs in Chengdu.

“Breathing the freshness in Chengdu, one could take delight by wandering on the recently-built exquisite greenways and people take metro lines to anywhere at any time while not deteriorating the pollution from auto exhaust,” Luo noticed.

Photo/Provided by Tianhua Community

Luo also revealed to NBD a systematic mechanism has been set up for the river patrol on a WeChat mini program, through which, he reports untidiness, if there is any, such as sewage and litters, to professional personnel for disposal.

Chengdu is now aiming to build itself into a “park city”. Local governments, organizations and enterprises have attached more importance to environmental protection, constantly injecting more vitality into the segment.

Luo deemed the rise of environmental protection as a social phenomenon in essence. “The dominant position but a more elevated pursuit of mental prosperity, which, consequently, drives the blooming of environmental protection.”

Luo shared with NBD his observation of environmental protection in Paris, which is now honored as a “green city.”

In the 1990s, the French metropolis was overshadowed by grave pollution with little environmental awareness among its people. The French government began to support environmental protection organizations with policy stimulus and capital inflows in 2001.

The Paris-Plages scheme was initiated, which have transformed the riverfront along Seine into a beach for visitors and locals to busk in the sunshine with sweet smells of salt air, according to Luo.

Chengdu boasts more cycleways than Paris, commented Luo, as the High-tech District of Chengdu values them more than its French counterpart does.

From Tai chi to business startup: Luo’s Wuxia dream

“I had a Wuxia dream since I was a child,” Luo said. Being a martial hero, one can be healthier and also protect others, Luo believed.

Learning martial arts at the age of 15, Luo came to Chengdu, China to chase his dream to become a martial hero.

In April 2008, Luo came to Mount Qingcheng, which is the first time that he came to China. Trees throw a delicious shade, streams meet at a crystal-clear river, fog lingers in the emerald mountains, Luo Ang was playing Tai chi at the peak. “I hear a voice inside my body is calling me, ‘you are destined to live here’.” Luo told NBD, with his eyes gleaming.

Photo/Yu Peiying (NBD)

Luo unveiled another story during the interview about his keen interest in Chinese culture even before his arrival in China.

Before entering environment engineering school in France, each student shall pass the admission examination. “It is tremendously difficult and only a few people are eligible to get enrolled. Back that time suffering from an excess of stress, I studied from early morning to late night every week. It was Tai chi that released me from my heavy workload and repressed emotions during two-hour exercise every week”, shared Luo, “I would not be admitted to environment engineering school without Tai chi. It changed my life.”

In Chengdu, Luo once worked for Consulate General of France in Chengdu, hosted a program in Chengdu TV station, and sang in a bar.

Searching for the meaning of life, Luo realized that each individual can paint their own life with a unique color. He injected his passion for being a chivalrous hero into river protection in Chengdu.

He also engages himself into starting a business in Chengdu.

“I know many foreigners coming to Chengdu to start their business, mainly in IT industry. In Europe, you will find it extremely hard to start an enterprise, because the market there is so mature and has reached a state of equilibrium. It is totally different here. More opportunities, more space to explore.” Luo said to NBD.

With regard to the reason for the increasing number of overseas entrepreneurs building their business in Chengdu. Luo said, “The diversification of the entire city is accelerating and you can feel internationalization is getting better and better, and innovation appears on the stage at all times.”

“Significantly, internationalization does not mean westernization at all”, underlined he, “but a creation of new culture based on the integration other advanced culture with local culture.”

Source: National Business Daily

Email: [email protected]