by Xiaoyun Huang, Neil Hrab
OTTAWA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- When China recently announced it would bestow Approved Destination Status (ADS) on Canada, paving the way for more visits by Chinese tourists here, the news brought a huge smile to the face of Scott Davidson.
Indeed, you would be hard-pressed to find a Canadian happier with the decision than Davidson. He is the site manager for Bethune Memorial House, a museum located in Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada, which documents the life of late Dr. Norman Bethune. The facility received 2.5 million Canadian dollars (about 2.3 million U.S. dollars) from the government of Canada in October to fund an expansion.
Exactly 70 years after his death in 1939, the memory of Canadian-born Bethune continues to serve as a living link between Canada and China. And as Canada and China look forward to the new calendar year, there are signs that Bethune's posthumous role as a symbol of friendly Canadian-Chinese ties will become more important in 2010 -- and beyond.
Growing up in the town of Gravenhurst, Bethune became a physician during the WWI. In the 1930s, his political sympathies led him to work as a battlefield doctor on the side of the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War. Bethune later traveled to China, where his efforts to save the lives of Chinese soldiers during the anti-Japanese war earned him the gratitude of the late Chairman Mao Zedong.
At the news of Bethune's death in 1939, Mao mourned over the loss of the great doctor and internationalist by saying: This foreigner made light of traveling thousands of miles to help us, selflessly adopted the liberation cause of the Chinese people as his own. No one failed to express admiration for Dr. Bethune whenever his name was mentioned.
After the founding of new China in 1949, this article was included in high school textbooks and has since been read by generations upon generations of Chinese students.
A SHRINE FOR CHINESE VISITORS
Davidson can not wait to see the expected increase in Chinese visitors making their way to Bethune House, which he has managed for eight years. "We're working hard to provide an even (richer) experience to visitors," the 39-year-old site manager told Xinhua in a telephone interview.
Almost 90 percent of Bethune Memorial House's 10,000 annual visitors are ethnically Chinese -- 45 percent are of mainland China origin, and another 45 percent are Chinese Canadians, Davidson said. Many visitors hail from Toronto, often second- or third-generation Chinese-Canadian immigrants.
"They want to introduce their children and grand-children to (apiece of history) that connects China and Canada together," said Davidson.
Davidson said that in the past, visitors from mainland China at Bethune House have been mostly business groups participating in officially approved trips.
Though Bethune Memorial House, which has been recognized as a symbolic bridge between Chinese-Canadian friendships, is mainly open from June to October, it still receives tourist groups from mainland China in the winter.
"After ADS, we're expecting to see more Chinese from mainland China visiting -- not only Bethune Memorial House but also Gravenhurst," said Davidson. Davidson knows more than 60 words in Chinese, and says he learned them from speaking with tourists. He has visited China three times to attend events commemorating aspects of Bethune's life.
"Bethune's life story has come to embody, to epitomize the friendship between the two countries," said Davidson while commenting on Bethune's significance for Canada-Chinese relations.
Bethune Memorial House was created in 1972, just as the two countries were establishing bilateral relations. "Our site has grown up the friendship between the two countries."
According to a Conference Board of Canada survey, ADS is expected to boost the yearly rate of travel to Canada from China by up to 50 percent by 2015.
TO ACCOMMODATE MORE VISITORS AFTER EXPANSION
The fund from the Canadian government will be used to greatly enlarge Bethune House's visitor center, which currently measures 800 square feet. Bethune House as a whole is expected to increase in size from 2,800 square feet to 7,000 square feet. The overall goal is to offer more exhibits to tell the story of Bethune's life and explain why he remains a well-known figure in both Canada and China.
The expansion project will be finished in March, 2011 -- in about 15 months time. Bethune House's management team hopes to unveil some of its new building plans during the G8 summit, which will be hosted by Canada in the Muskoka area in June, 2010. By doing so, Bethune House believes it can attract world-wide media attention.
"Hopefully we'll get some world leaders to participate in our special unveiling ceremonies," Davidson said.
"Once the expansion is completed, we anticipate that it will create lots of excitement in the Chinese-Canadian community," Davidson added. "People can come here to see what Canada has done to increase awareness of Dr. Bethune's extraordinary contributions to the world."
Bethune Memorial House plans to present more materials documenting Bethune's life, including pictures of his life in China, to help tell the story of why he decided to travel abroad and go to China.
During its peak season, the house receives more than 1,000 visitors a day. The busiest time is in the fall, around Canadian Thanksgiving (the second Monday in October). Many people visit Bethune House while traveling through Muskoka to observe the changing colors of the leaves. While Bethune Memorial House expects to be able to accommodate more visitors after its expansion, it is unclear, Davidson said, whether the facility will be able to open year-round.
Some experts here suggest that Bethune Memorial House faces a challenge in its effort to capitalize on ADS-related opportunities, however -- its location. Bethune Memorial House is situated about an hour and a half drive from Toronto, Canada's largest city and home of its major international airport.
But Davidson has different perspective. He said that Gravenhurst's location actually helps make it a more attractive place to visit, because it is located close to sites sure to be of interest to tourists.
"We expect visitors who come to Gravenhurst to travel to other Bethune-related places, as well as other destinations of interest in Canada," he said. "Gravenhurst is not far from Toronto, nor is it far from Algonquin Park (a major nature preserve). Also, you can visit Gravenhurst on your way to Ottawa (Canada's capital) or Montreal."
One option being explored is to offer tours where visitors would start in Toronto, then visit Gravenhurst and then go on to Ottawa, Davidson said. Gravenhurst has been a tourist destination for almost 100 years, he noted, drawing visitors from Toronto and from the northern U.S. states.
According to Davidson, the other Bethune-related destinations that could form part of a tour include the University of Toronto. It was there that Bethune completed his medical degree." We're going to make a map and show people where these places are, so visitors know where to go."
Another place with a Bethune connection is Montreal, Quebec, Bethune worked there for eight years, from 1928 to 1936. This year, to mark the 70th anniversary of Bethune's passing, the City of Montreal has organized a year-long "Homage to Norman Bethune." "(The goal is) to teach visitors what inspired Dr. Bethune to go out and help people in the world."
AN IMPORTANT LESSON FOR CANADIAN YOUNG PEOPLE
In addition to visiting historical sites, tourists may also wish to purchase Bethune-themed souvenirs. For example, earlier this year, in March, Chinese-Canadian author Adrienne Clarkson published a book that documents Bethune's life, highlighting his work as a surgeon, political activist and humanitarian. This is the first book-length look at Bethune's life to be published in many years.
Bethune Memorial House also works with many local tourism partners. For example, it cooperates with Muskoka Steamships, which offers boat tours of the lakes where Bethune played as a young boy.
Davidson has also received many phone calls and emails from different tourism organizations across Canada, regarding what ADS means for Canada's tourism industry. "They want to know how to attract tourists from mainland China, what deals to offer, and so on."
Davidson said the people of Muskoka are eager to share the story of Bethune's life with more Chinese visitors.
"Muskoka residents are very proud of having Norman Bethune, because he is the most famous Canadian in the world. They're very excited about having a local attraction that can draw Chinese people to travel across the sea (and) explore Canada," said Davidson.
"Bethune started life as a young man who grew up in Gravenhurst, a small town in Ontario, and went on to do great things for the world," added Davidson, who has worked for Bethune Memorial House since 1994. Davidson had expected he would only work there for a year, when he started the job.
"I think (Bethune's life story) has an important lesson for our Canadian young people -- no matter where you are from, no matter what your background is, whether you are rich or poor, if you have a kind heart, you can help people around the world."
Recently in China, a 40-day long national poll called "Chinese Connection: Top 10 Foreign Friends Who Have Influenced China" was held on the internet. Bethune topped all other candidates with around 4.7 million votes. Undoubtedly, he still lives in the heart of the Chinese people.
