American professor devotes 15 years to spreading Chinese history and culture

Source：HICC Published：2023-11-15 11:48

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"Henan, I'm back. The profound history and culture, comfortable working environment, and hospitable people here make me feel at home!" said Gary Lee Todd on Nov.8, a 74-year-old American professor of history.

Prof. Gary worked at Sias University in Xinzheng City of Henan Province for 15 years, from 2005 to 2020, teaching British and American history to Chinese students and Chinese history and philosophy to international students. He found that he had developed a deep affection for Xinzheng City, Henan Province, and all of China, so he returned in 2022 and continued his work of spreading Chinese history and culture, writing, giving lectures, and uploading photos of Chinese museums and historic sites to his website.

Sias teachers and students think he is an outstanding professor. On the one hand, his ability to explain Chinese history and culture clearly and quickly impressed the teachers and students of the school. On the other hand, he likes to visit Chinese museums and introduce the Chinese cultural relics he photographed to the rest of the world through the Internet.

One of his earliest experiences of Chinese culture was at the World Expo in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, in 1982. It was the first time China participated in a World Expo since the Reform and Opening up in 1978. Gary was immediately fascinated by the terracotta warriors, silk products, paintings, and porcelain in the China Pavilion. "The pavilion from China was arguably the best exhibit and the highlight of the entire World’s Fair." Gary said that he then pursued a doctoral degree in Chinese and American History from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Since then, Gary's relationship with China continued to grow. In 1991, Gary first came to China and taught at a teacher's college in Chengdu City, southwest China's Sichuan Province. He later posted photos taken at the Sanxingdui Ruins site on the Internet, which drew netizens' interest in Chinese culture. He realized that many people in the world were not familiar with China; they were eager to understand China, and he could become a "bridge" to bring cultures together.

He returned to China in 2005 to teach at Sias University in Xinzheng, where he started his travels in China while also teaching. Beijing, Shanghai, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Xizang, Fujian, Hainan... His footprints are all over the country, and he took photos of the historical sites and cultural relics and uploaded these photos to his website, allowing netizens worldwide to learn about China.

Professor Gary exchanges Chinese history and culture with Chinese students at Sias University. [Photo/Wu Hao and Feng Xiaoyang]

"Prof. Gary has a large knowledge reserve and can speak about world history, using simple language and anecdotes, based on his research and analysis. He can tell the Chinese history from various aspects such as culture, architecture, art, etc," said Liu Yanni, a sophomore student at Sias.

"We have many foreign teachers who also love Chinese culture, but Gary is a real role model in disseminating the vibrant culture." Yang Yiheng, a young teacher working on international exchanges at Sias, said that Gary was the only foreign teacher who was given the "20th Anniversary Outstanding Contribution Award" by Sias University in 2019.

"My teacher once told me that scholars have a sacred responsibility--You have learned something, which means you have an obligation to share it with the rest of the world," said Gary. So, on his website, all the photos and three books he wrote are provided for free and used in many books, magazines, TV programs, etc. He said he hopes people worldwide can know the real China through his photos, books, and other writings.

Now, Gary has decided to settle in Henan. "As long as I can work, I will continue to serve as the 'bridge' to promote the exchanges of Chinese culture and cultures in other parts of the world," said Prof. Gary.