In 1972, there was a major turning point in Sino-US relations, and Nixon decided to visit China, which attracted the attention of the world. ** Chinese leaders took this very seriously and carefully prepared for Nixon's arrival. In diplomacy, however, a gift made waves. Nixon specially brought a precious porcelain swan to give to ***, but only in exchange for four taels of tea, which made him feel that there was too little tea and was very dissatisfied. However, **'s words resolved the embarrassment. So, why did *** give such a "light" gift?What did you say specifically?How did Nixon express his attitude?First of all, the porcelain swan brought by Nixon can be described as "ingenious". After deciding to visit China, he made a lot of preparations, reading books about China, learning simple Chinese, and even learning to use chopsticks, which shows how much he attached importance to this visit.
And in all the preparations, the selection of national gifts is obviously the most crucial part. After much deliberation, Nixon finally settled on the porcelain swan. In American culture, the swan symbolizes auspiciousness and beauty and is loved by people. The porcelain swan selected by Nixon is even more precious, it is the masterpiece of the famous American art master Mr. Bohm, it took 11 artists two years to complete, only two, the first was made in May 1971, and is currently stored in the National Museum of New York, and Nixon personally brought the second piece to China. This work shows a warm, tranquil and harmonious atmosphere, and the swan family above lives in harmony and exquisite craftsmanship. In February 1972, this "swan" flew across the Pacific Ocean and came to Zhongnanhai to witness a historic moment. Nixon said: "This porcelain sculpture is called the 'Bird of Peace,' and the swan on it symbolizes peace and friendship, and I hope it will bring good signs to Sino-American relations." ”。
** Expressing deep gratitude for this, he said: "This gift is very precious, and the meaning contained in it is also our common pursuit, and our country will definitely preserve it carefully." Under the instructions of ***, this porcelain swan will be exhibited in the reception hall of the Great Hall of the People for two weeks to show its attention. Due to the overwhelming response, the extension had to be extended. Today, the porcelain swan has become the treasure of the China International Friendship Museum. Nixon was sincere, and although he didn't care about the value of the gift, he still had expectations for the gift that *** would give. However, he was given four taels of tea, not on the tea itself, but on "four taels", or 200 grams, which is equivalent to the weight of four eggs. Next, we want to *** why we would give such a "light" gift. Nixon held the 4 taels of "ordinary" tea in his hand, feeling quite uneasy in his heart, thinking that *** did not attach special importance to this diplomatic meeting, and the gifts he gave were also stingy. However, this is not the case.
"Da Hong Pao" can be described as the business card of Wuyi Mountain, known as the "King of Tea", * and Wuyi Mountain has a affectionate red bond, and has a soft spot for Da Hong Pao. What he gifted to Nixon was actually the best of the big red robes. The Nine Dragons of Wuyi Mountain is pregnant with 6 big red robe mother trees, only 8 taels of tea are produced every year, as we all know, "treasures are only rare", these 6 mother trees can be described as "jewels", the tea produced in ancient times is used to dedicate tribute to the imperial court, ** to Nixon can be described as a real royal tribute. Nixon did not understand the origin of this, and complained privately: "* is too stingy, and the tea sent is only 200 grams, is this reluctant?"* When he learned of this, he was not angry, but told Nixon with a smile: "The chairman has given you half of the country." "I gave 4 taels at one time, and the annual output was only 8 taels, wouldn't I give away half of the country?
Subsequently, ** patiently explained the preciousness and allusions of the big red robe for Nixon, and solved his confusion. After hearing this, Nixon's attitude immediately changed and he exclaimed: "This gift is so precious!.""The atmosphere of the meeting has become relaxed and harmonious again. Tea culture is an extremely important part of Chinese culture, and has become a "bridge" for diplomacy many times, and "meeting friends with tea" has been a tradition in China since ancient times. ** It has been said: "The value of a gift does not depend on the quantity, but on whether it represents the country." "The process of diplomacy is also the process of disseminating Chinese culture, so the level of consideration when choosing gifts is more profound. In addition, ** also presented jade pots, Su embroidery screens, etc., full of strong Chinese style, but also inscribed a three-party banner to Nixon, ** presented Longjing tea. What surprised Nixon even more was that China also gifted two giant pandas to the United States, which can be described as a "national treasure" that conquered every country in the world. Summary.
In their diplomatic interactions, our leaders have shown extraordinary wisdom in not only inheriting Chinese culture, but also giving a unique and precious meaning to seemingly ordinary gifts.