A young and brilliant Friend of China
Meeting with Jérémy Bricq
President of Wallonia Belgium Tourism (WBT)
Jérémy Bricq is the president of Wallonie Belgique Tourisme (WBT); the alderman for culture of the city of Saint-Ghislain and coordinator of the Belgian Delegation to the European Committee of the Regions. LHCH International, during a filming at La Villa Lorraine, met this young 27-year-old politician, a great friend of China, who came to congratulate the Walloon part of the team of this restaurant selected to represent Belgium within the framework of the 50 years of friendly relations between the Kingdom and China.
LHCH: Could you introduce the WBT first?
Jérémy Bricq: The asbl ( association) Wallonie Belgique Tourisme, abbreviated as WBT, has been using all its expertise to promote Walloon tourism in Belgium and abroad for 30 years. Composed of around sixty people, WBT is responsible for promoting tourism in Wallonia in Belgium and abroad. Its priority markets are Europe but also China.
LHCH: To start this beautiful cultural dialogue, you have started, in particular, to bring China to you!
Jérémy Bricq: Yes, 4 years ago, as alderman for culture in my city, Saint-Ghislain, I invited the Hubei Song and Dance Ensemble to our World Folklore Festival. This artistic training, which originates from the city of Wuhan, is very well known in China. This ensemble is made up of a hundred dancers and musicians, the best of which came to our festival. 17,000 people cheered them on here!
LHCH: You discovered China from a different perspective than that of the media during this event.
Jérémy Bricq: Indeed. I understood how proud the Chinese are of their past. They insist that their civilization is more than a thousand years older than the duration of the other oldest known empires in the world (about 4000 years). They also insist on the unity, precocious and evolved character of this civilization. By opening up to the world today, this empire is showing its desire to make the richness of its traditions known to as many people as possible. This Ensemble took us through the various traditions of the People’s Republic of China: the celebration of the harvest, the dragon boat or the dance of the Tang dynasty, a typical dance of the imperial court, numbers of rare beauty. We were also fortunate to receive Yang Jun, an opera singer from Huangmei, a famous place in Hubei.
The Belgian Wuyishan !
LHCH: When Chinese tourists pass through Belgium, on their European tour often, they stop mostly in Brussels. How to attract them to the south of the country?
Jérémy Bricq: Despite the exceptional heritage of Wallonia, including the Neolithic sites listed by UNESCO in Mons, for example, the Castles, the Cathedrals, etc., Chinese tourists do not yet really know this immense potential for discovery. But we organize thematic routes such as “The 23 charming towns of Wallonia” to make it easier for them to visit when they come.
LHCH: The Chinese here love Wallonia anyway. In particular, the small town of Dinant, real Belgian Wuyi Mountains! And the Chinese, here and there, love the kindness and simplicity of Walloons in general.
Jérémy Bricq: I have heard that the Chinese community in Belgium loves our heritage, undoubtedly its nobility, its age … The city of Liège, capital of Wallonia, has more than 1000 years of history. Did you know that the city of Mons is twinned with the city of Changsha, capital of Hunan province? And the province of Hainaut is twinned with the province of Hunan!
LHCH: Birthplace of the huge Hunan TV, which has gone international today. But this love from province to province is also the authentic side, the love of historical and cultural roots. In the opposite direction, our LHCH team made a documentary on Jean-François Maljean, the great Belgian jazz-pop pianist, great lover of Chinese minorities and their colorful folklore. The star with millions of likes for his video in tribute to the city of Wuhan hit by covid almost 2 years ago, particularly likes the songs of these minorities.
Jérémy Bricq: Jean-François Maljean is a great ambassador of Wallonia and Belgium in China, yes. This humble side in know-how, but also high quality, sincerity, love of the authentic characterizes small peoples. In this there are some fine comparisons to be made.
Wallonia and Gastronomy
LHCH: Since we are in this temple of good taste, Villa Lorraine, which has just been completely redecorated, could you tell us about the gastronomy of your region?
Jérémy Bricq: I would especially like to say that we have a very recognized hotel school in Saint-Ghislain: the Provincial High School. With that of Namur, these are the best hotel schools in Wallonia.
LHCH: Chinese tourists quickly understand that in Belgium, you eat well.
Jérémy Bricq: Even in small restaurants, the most ordinary restaurants, we eat well in Belgium, yes. It is still one of our traditions. Our Chinese friends will also discover that we have the largest number of starred restaurants (relative to the number of inhabitants) in the world! The Michelin star awards for Belgium take place at an event in Mons. And The Michelin Guide and the province of Hainaut launched the Festifood festival in Mons, again. Chefs, restaurants and caterers come to present their dishes, their recipes, in a sort of gastronomic fair open to the general public.
LHCH: Mons was European capital in 2015. Today, it is gradually finishing its sublime station designed by the great architect Calatrava. His university is open to Chinese culture, too.
Jérémy Bricq: The city of Mons is growing. We have an excellent Chinese learning section at Mons University, « Umons », with former professors from the Confucius Institute. I’ve even heard that our pharmacology section is open to Chinese herbs. To confirm !
LHCH: For Chinese people new to Wallonia, what would you advise them to taste first?
Jérémy Bricq: There are the essential Boulet with rabbit sauce in Liège. But also we have excellent chicory in our region, prepared au gratin with ham, it is a delight. There are many other “pure land” specialties, such as our beers, of course, and all of our cheeses.
