William N. Brown: I Have Seen the World and I Love China More

The iconic mustache, the affable smiling face, the humorous words, the witty responses, and the familiarity with Chinese culture... are the impressions that William N. Brown would leave on many people. William N. Brown, an American, is the first foreign permanent resident in Fujian Province, and one of the first foreign teachers of MBA courses introduced to Chinese universities, and has been awarded the Chinese Government Friendship Award and Meritorious Foreign Teacher. With a passion for China, Brown has been introducing a real China to the world in his own way and has so far written more than a dozen books on the history and culture of Chinese cities and regions in English.

"So Many Stories to Tell about China"

In the 1980s, driven by his yearning for China, Brown came to Xiamen with his wife and two sons. To let his friends and relatives in the United States know the real China, he wrote letters about what he had seen and heard in China. In the process, Brown became a witness and narrator of China stories, and was cordially referred to as "Old Brown who feels at home".

Having lived in China for nearly 40 years, Brown has covered half of the country. In his opinion, there are so many wonderful stories in China that are worth discovering and writing. Brown expressed that through learning local stories, he has gained a deeper understanding of China's culture and would like to share more wonderful China stories with the world. From Magic Fujian, Magic Xiamen, Off the Wall: How We Fell for China, to his recently published new book Eighteen Letters from Lao Pan to the Youth of China, he has been presenting a different China with his own perspective.

According to Brown, "All people are dreamers, and I respect and admire those Chinese people who strive for their dreams. Once the stories I tell move others, the people of the world will naturally relate to these positive feelings. When the world understands the people of China, they will understand China better."

"The Best Story is Life"

There are many China's stories that intrigue Brown, from Chinese classics, technological inventions, to the lives of ordinary people, all of which fascinate him. During his life in China, he discovered and recorded ordinary but not mediocre China stories while gaining a deeper insight into China. He said that the best stories are actually the lives of people. It is such vivid and vigorous China stories that can move the world more.

In Brown's view, to tell China story well, the prime thing is to "focus on the heart first, then logic", and to impress people with sincere stories. In addition, in cross-cultural communication, it is important to stress "harmony in diversity" and to learn to "agree to disagree". "Love of nation, love of family, love of peace" is the common pursuit of all human beings, therefore, we should share the history, present and future of China with the people of the world. It is also essential to convey the uniqueness of China and to highlight its long history of universal values and dreams that are shared by other nations.

Over the past 30 years, a young American who was curious about China has turned into an "old China hand" who is well-versed in the classics of various stories. He is both the narrator and the witness of the stories, measuring the land of China with his own footsteps and witnessing the development of China with his written words amidst the ever-changing times. He is still gathering those common moments of ordinary life, and brewing reminiscent stories of China as time goes by. He puts these stories in his letters, which are being sent to more places in the world...