Official Visit to China - September 2005

[Lena]

Victoria will go to China at the end of September (source Aftonbladet). As I get it this will be again a trip for the Swedish trade.

[GrandDuchess]

The Crown Princess will be a trainee at the Swedish Embassy in Beijing, China, where she will also inaugurate a porcelain exhibition during the fall. This is what the Swedish media say today, but maybe there's more unknown so far.

[Gita]

How long will she train there for?

[GrandDuchess]

A press release by the Royal Court says that Crown Princess Victoria will spend her trainee time in China during the week 37-38, and she will also visit some Swedish companies and inaugurate the porcelain exhibition during that time.

[GrandDuchess]

This thread is devoted to Crown Princess Victoria's stay in China, which begins this week and will last thoughout weeks 38 and 39.

She will spend week 38 at the Swedish Embassy in Beijing as an intern, and week 39 will be spent undertaking public engagements, for example a meeting with the Chinese Minister for Culture, opening of a porcelain exhibition, and visits to Kanton and Hong Kong. She will finish her stay with a few days’ private travel.

[GrandDuchess]

My translation of an Aftonbladet article today:

The Princess has landed in Beijing for the new top job!

This morning, Crown Princess Victoria went to her new job at the Swedish Embassy in Beijing. So that Victoria would be well read, the Court tried to send forbidden literature with her.

Yesterday Victoria sat foot on Chinese ground for the first time ever. It has been 24 years since a member of the Swedish Royal Family visited China.
- It feels good to be here, said a tired Victoria after more than ten hours on a flight.

Meeting at the Embassy
For a week, she will intern and work at the Swedish Embassy in the twelve million city Beijing. Early this morning she went the Embassy to participate at the staff’s morning meeting.

After the intern week, a week of public engagements follows, among this she will meet with the Chinese Minister for Culture, open a porcelain exhibition, and visit Kanton and Hong Kong. She will finish her stay with a few days’ private travel.

According to Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg, whom accompanies her on the trip, Victoria has prepared extra well for the China trip. She has received a review by some of the Ministry for Foreign Affair’s foremost China experts, participates in seminars and visited the East Asian Museum.

Forbidden literature
She has also read a lot, among them Jung Chang’s best seller “Wild Swans” about the Cultural Revolution, which is forbidden in China.

Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg reveals that she also tried to buy Jung Chang’s even more controversial novel for Victoria, “Mao, the unknown story”. The book, which was released earlier this year, is forbidden in China and peals off Mao Tse Tung’s hero glory in his home country. The author counts that Mao has 70 million human lives on his conscious.
- I was out trying to buy it the other day, but it was sold out, says Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg.


The original article (in Swedish) can be read here.

[Gita]

Thank you GrandDuchess for taking your time posting this information with us.

[robby86]

Originally Posted by GrandDuchess

This morning, Crown Princess Victoria went to her new job at the Swedish Embassy in Beijing. So that Victoria would be well read, the Court tried to send forbidden literature with her.

Could she get in trouble for bringing forbidden literature with her? I am sure it is fine for tourist to bring stuff like that, but considering what she is doing wouldn't it be more respectful if she didn't bring that kind of stuff? Just a thought.

[Yennie]

Originally Posted by robby86

Could she get in trouble for bringing forbidden literature with her? I am sure it is fine for tourist to bring stuff like that, but considering what she is doing wouldn't it be more respectful if she didn't bring that kind of stuff? Just a thought.

I think she has read those books when she was in Sweden. And they are, as far as I know, only forbidden in China so hopefully that´s not a problem...

[GrandDuchess]

Summary of an Aftonbladet article:



Aftonbladet reports that the Crown Princess likes and has adjusted well to her stay in China. She eats with sticks and has tried several of the local restaurants around the hotel.
- She has eaten most things and likes the food, commented Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg.

During the days she has been busy with work at the Swedish Embassy, but during the evenings she has been able to move freely in Beijing.
- She is very curious at the culture and tries to test as many things as possible, says Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg.

Almost no one recognizes Victoria on the streets of Beijing.
- Is she a Princess? With those clothes? She looks just like a normal person, said a taxi driver that just saw Victoria outside the hotel.

Early on this past Tuesday morning, Victoria snuck out from the hotel together with staff from the Embassy to experience the lively Chinese mornings. They went to the Rittan park where they saw elderly couples dancing and others playing badminton.

When they passed a group who were practicing taijiquan, they offered Victoria to try.
- She thought it was exciting, comments Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg.

Victoria has only had time to see the Forbidden City and Tianmen Square from the car when they have driven past. This weekend she is resting, next week she will meet Chinese leaders. Tomorrow she is going on a little trip to visit the Chinese Wall.


The full article (in Swedish) can be found here.

I attach the picture in case the URL will become invalid.

[lucys]

Thanks for the info. Should be some great stories and images from this visit. I only became a "royal watcher" a couple of years ago and it quickly became reduced to interest in only a half dozen royals--Victoria is a charmer, but in a very unpretentious manner. I guess the royals I like are the ones who don't scream out "look at me, I'm a royal!"--and Victoria doesn't. She's a classy, responsible young lady who takes her duty seriously and will make her country a wonderful Queen one day.

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by lucys

I only became a "royal watcher" a couple of years ago and it quickly became reduced to interest in only a half dozen royals--Victoria is a charmer, but in a very unpretentious manner. I guess the royals I like are the ones who don't scream out "look at me, I'm a royal!"--and Victoria doesn't. She's a classy, responsible young lady who takes her duty seriously and will make her country a wonderful Queen one day.

I couldn't say it better, Lucys. I fully subscribe your words.

[Gita]

Back in the spring my parents went on a 21-day visit to China and loved it!

[GrandDuchess]

A few more pictures of Crown Princess Victoria doing Tai Chi in the Rittan Park in downtown Beijing this past Tuesday. The pictures are from Yahoo!

[GrandDuchess]

Yesterday, 24 September, Crown Princess Victoria attended the August Strindberg play "The Father" at the People's Art Theatre in Beijing. She also awarded The Order of the Polar Star to translator Li Zhiyi, which he received for translating Swedish authors August Strindberg and Astrid Lindgren into Chinese. Pictures from Fotomarktplatz.