----By Herr Detlef Boldt, Consul-General of Germany to Guangzhou

　　Nearly half a year, I have been very glad to take Guangzhou as my new home. I am very surprised to this.

　　Several months ago, I was living in New York which is called the center of the world. I didn't know anything about the place I would live in for several years called Guangzhou. So I didn't know the many advantages of Guangzhou. On the map published in the western world, the city is named Kanton. I heard that it was a place crowed with factories and full of dust. And the dishes were very special. So I didn't have much hope to it.

　　When I arrived at the Baiyun Airport, my imaginary Guangzhou was approved: an old airport, an old and low waiting building, no world famous airplanes on the ground, but the unknown Chinese airplanes. When the airplane I got on from Beijing to Guangzhou stopped on the ground, I had to get off the airplane, in an old manner, stepping down through a ladder¡ªI felt very out-of-date. The only pleasant thing is that it was a sunny day, and a clerk from Guangdong Foreign Affairs Office came to the dragging way waiting for me, and expressed a warmly welcome to me. My feeling was getting better on the way from the airport to the downtown. I found that Guangzhou has as many high buildings as New York does. They are exactly as good as those in New York.

　　Now I have been living in Guangzhou for five months, and I have been being very glad all the time. Soon, I learned that Guangzhou is a metropolis full of energies, with a great number of historical ancient remains, old city district co-existing with modern and full of traditional tone, modern public basic facilities, parks, museums, musical halls, modern sports buildings, exhibition halls, luxurious hotels, etc. Guangzhou has a general basic facilities and a modernization industry.

　　Obviously, these achievements have been made all in the last 20 years. Yet, it still keeps fast developing day by day. Cranes seen everywhere in the central districts is telling that. The ancient Guangzhou is disappearing continuously. Today's Guangzhou is a modern metropolis. Tomorrow's Guangzhou will be an ultra-modern metropolis with modern airport, modern harbor, modern communications. In one word, Guangzhou will be a proud city of China.

　　Guangzhou people like to present with foreigners. My wife and I have been asked many times to be taken photos with the citizens in the streets. Guangzhou people are working hard, the whole city full of an atmosphere action. All the people know that they are better than before, and they also know that they will absolutely have a hope for a much better future than today.

　　In Guangzhou, people not only work happily but also enjoy their lives as much as they like. Guangzhou is still a city full of creation. I feel very happy living in Guangzhou. I once had a badge painted with "I love New York". If anyone in Guangzhou who makes a badge painted "I love Guangzhou", I will certainly buy it and keep it on my chest.