A German writer's perspective on China's soul-touching stories

Observing China as a storyteller

Schomann deems himself to be a peer of Chinese storytellers, one who, by using a different medium, shares his experiences, thinking, and observations over the years "to create a comparatively easy access to China." he calls it a personal access.

"People are intimidated by China. It's such a big country and such a complex subject," he said, explaining how the language with its system of characters instead of an alphabet, is alien to Westerners. And that is just one factor.

His aim is to help readers "overcome this intimidation of China basically by telling people that you don't have to understand everything, just to make the first step, and the second, and the third, then you will be able to get somewhere."

To create a real-life impression of China on people, Schomann resorts to other things besides writing. While researching the Shanghai refugees, he came across some historical footage taken by German photographer Eugen Flegler (1897-1981).

Flegler went on excursions to take photos of the countryside and the peasants in and beyond Shanghai from 1936 to 1938. Very few people took pictures of China's rural areas in those years.

Schomann curated an exhibition with these historical images. The exhibition was held eight times in Germany and China.

Covering China for years, Schomann has his own understanding of the Chinese Dream. He describes it as China "becoming a well-respected member of the global community, and to increase China's importance and significance on an international level."

Within two decades, China has made great progress toward that aim, he said. "China became more international, more cosmopolitan, more respected on (the) international stage."