Host: From 1977, you started to work on diplomatic relations between China and Iran, and between 1991 and 1995 you were the Chinese Ambassador to Iran. What are the main cultural exchanges between the two countries? What kind of changes were there as time passed by?

Ambassador Hua: The cultural exchange between China and Iran has a long history. The two were very close to each other in terms of cultural exchanges in the Han and Tang Dynasties. In the Western Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian was sent to the west by the Emperor. His vice-commissioner Gan Ying went to Persia and was warmly welcomed. He introduced peaches from China into Persia, and introduced many Persian cultural elements into China, such as the seeds from spinach, carrots, pomegranates, hami melon and watermelon. During that period, Persia sent envoys to pay tribute in Chang'an. The tribute was a lion since Persia had abundant lions. The Chinese pronunciation of lion—“shizi”—is from lion in Farsi.

In the Tang Dynasty, the two countries communicated with each other more frequently. Persian merchants often ran businesses in Chang’an through the Silk Road. In Xi’an, there are now many tombstones for Persians. After the Revolution of 1911, the two nearly cut ties with each other, and Persians know China through works written by westerners. When I first arrived in Iran, I found Iranians knew China only through two books, which is far from enough. One is Pearl Buck’s The Good Earth, and the other one is Red Star Over China by Edgar Snow. The same case happens in China. Currently, many Chinese people’s knowledge about Iran is limited to nuclear issues, America’s intention to fight Iran and so forth. For the Chinese who have been to Iran, Iran is a country totally different from the one described in newspapers. I think the two need to enhance their cultural exchanges, although Iran and China have a strong political friendship.