I just had a bit of fame in Japan on Saturday (Nov. 16th). I was the topic of the prestigious “Person” column on p.2 in the nation-wide newspaper Asahi Shinbun . They featured my research on Japanese monk Ennin and continual planting of trees for what I have named the Ennin Green Road in China (trees planted along his 10 years’ route of walking) despite the tensions between the two countries. “Wherever I go local people in China are welcoming and help me to find the ancient sites and to provide saplings.” “Ennin’s example transcends time and space and his humane and tolerant outlook is something we can learn from today.” Here is the Japanese newspaper copy
(behind me is a painting of Ennin by my Chinese friend Ye Xue)