Building Bridges and Sporting Centres

View some images of the Celebrations of this Sino-Scottish success.

After spending thirty-one years with the Fire Service, Jim Smith first retired and then, bored and wishing a fresh challenge, went back to work. He joined the Scottish Government as a security manager in Edinburgh in the late 1990's. It was about that time, and through links developed by his son, that Jim first came into contact with Scotland's Chinese community and particularly with Chinese students from the city's Heriot-Watt University. Conversation led to shared meals, visits to Jim's home and an enduring friendship that continued even after the students returned home to China. The traditional Scottish kindness shown by Jim was much appreciated. So much so that Jim and his family were invited to visit the ancient city of Jining as guests of Kong Ran – once a Heriot-Watt student but now Managing Director of the municipal leisure centre.

Working with Global Friends of Scotland and through the generous assistance of the Scottish Book Trust (SBT), Jim took a consignment of booklets with him to China last October. The SBT print in fourteen languages, including Mandarin and the organisation's Chief Executive Marc Lambert suggested that copies of ‘Beginning with Books' might go down well in Jining.

"We were delighted to help, and chose this book as it is designed for parents with very young children. We thought that was very appropriate. The aim is to reinforce early learning skills and, crucially to encourage parents to read to their children." The gesture was widely welcomed and Marc Lambert says the Scottish Book Trust would be delighted to do more.

But Jim Smith's trip to Jining was not just about giving. He also received a quite unexpected offer. His host, Kong Ran, asked if the city's new sports centre could be named after their Scottish friend. "I suppose it was a bit out of the ordinary" was how Jim modestly summed up the question. "But as soon as I heard about it I wanted to use the opportunity to promote Scotland in China, and hopefully to spread the knowledge about Scotland's contribution internationally."

The centre was officially opened at the end of March, and with badminton courts, gyms, exercise bikes and other sports facilities, plus a British style café it is already proving to be a much needed, and a much used, facility.

Jim was proud to be the special guest of honour at the ceremony. But he wasn't the only Scot there. His former colleagues at the Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service organised sponsorship to pay for two pipers and a fire officer to travel to China and make the event even more colourful. The skirl of the pipes, as they played ‘Scotland the Brave' and the majesty of tartan kilts brightened up Shandong and made a real impact. But Jim wanted to use the occasion to show that there was much more to Scotland than this. "Here was a golden opportunity. People often think of just whisky and Braveheart when you mention Scotland. But our greatest contribution historically and today has been innovation – from the television to the telephone, logarithms and so on. The punch we've had for our size doesn't always get the push it should and that's what I wanted to say at the ceremony."

And while Scotland is being showcased through the Jim Smith Leisure Centre in a huge city in China, the contribution of the Chinese community in this country is being marked in a spectacular year long festival. Edinburgh University, just across the city from Heriot-Watt University where Jim first became involved with Chinese students, boasts a Confucius Institute. One of 200 such centres around the world, the Institute's primary aim of developing and celebrating Sino-Scottish links chimes very well with the aspirations of Jim Smith and Kong Ran. And the Confucius Institute is taking that message out of the lecture room and into the streets through co-ordinating China Now in Scotland, part of a wider event taking place all over the United Kingdom. But the Scottish segment celebrates contemporary China in a very special way. There are cultural, business, educational and scientific themes spanning the year and also, perhaps almost inevitably given the Scots love affair with the beautiful game, even a football programme.

From the start of Chinese New Year in February to the last blast of the pipes on St Andrew's Night in late November, dozens of events will showcase China to all parts of Scotland. Through entertainment, education and the simple fun of seeing and doing new things, China Now in Scotland will help cement what are already firm foundations of friendship.

Official support for the festival has come from both the Scottish and the UK governments, with the British Prime Minister calling China Now "A valuable and exciting idea to help bring our countries closer together and further develop our relationship." The Premier of the People's Republic has been equally supportive. "China Now will strengthen the understanding and friendship between China and the UK. We must work together to make the festival a success".

That success seems assured, particularly given the interest in China that will soar this summer through the profile of the Beijing Olympics. So, wherever you might be in Scotland this year you won't have far to look to see exhibitions on Chinese culture, both contemporary and historic, art demonstrations and theatre workshops, concerts of Chinese music and dance and, quite probably, some fire-eating dragons. Be careful though if you see one on the banks of Loch Ness. It could be a real Scottish monster and not a papier mâché Chinese model!

Interest in China, stirred because of the Olympic Games and the recent tragedy of the Sichuan earthquake, has rarely been higher. There are, of course, real issues over human rights and political freedom. But Jim Smith has found the people of China to be warm, welcoming and extremely keen to find out more about Scotland and the Scottish way of life. "There have been big improvements in China even over the last few years", he says. "Though I can see why some people want to use the Olympics to protest, I think sport should be about removing barriers rather than creating them."

If the China Now in Scotland festival can add to this interest and leave an enduring legacy of understanding then it will have been more than worthwhile. Perhaps it might even lead to a series of sports centres in far-away China being given Scottish names.

The last word on this has to go to Jim. "I had a very eventful career as a fireman. I never thought that after I retired from the Brigade that life would continue to be so eventful, and I certainly never dreamed I would have a Chinese leisure centre named after me."