China through an Italian journalist's eyes: Childhood dream come true

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Europe

02:40

The story begins with a children's book.

When Adriano Madaro was 5 years old, his mother gave him a book telling about an Italian child's adventures in China. It would be Madaro's first contact with a country he soon grew to love.

Ten years later, he used the money he could have spent on 10 popsicles on another Chinese book: "The True Story of Ah Q," an episodic novella written by Lu Xun, a leading figure in modern Chinese literature.

It was that book that sparked his growing fascination with China, from a passing fling to a full-blown love affair.

In 1976, Madaro got his first Chinese visa and became a Western journalist. He travelled to China at a time when few other foreigners could.

An actor in costume plays Ah Q, a character in a novella by Lu Xun, in an exhibition in Chongqing, December 2011. /VCG Photo

"At that time, there was only one plane that traveled from Paris to China per week. At the terminal, I took my first picture of China," said Madaro.

Since then, Madaro visited China 209 times. He has taken more than 75-thousands photographs of China, published 15 books on the country and reported from China to a number of Italian media. He said he was very proud of being a witness of China's change.

"When I was looking out the window of the Shanghai Peace Hotel in 1979, I saw ordinary countryside, not many buildings. But now, there is the Pudong New Area."

In his autobiography "A China Dream in Childhood," Madaro said the time has come for the West to understand China.

"I was thinking about how to broaden the Italian people's vision of China. Let not only the Italians but also the Europeans know about China. Before 1978, It took me five hours to go to Tianjin by train from Beijing. But now it only takes 40 minutes by high-speed rail. If you ask me what has changed in China, that's a good example," He noted.

Now Madaro is busy writing a new book about the Chinese capital, Beijing. He is also planning his 210th trip to the country. After a lifetime of meaningful exchanges, it is unlikely to be his last.