Sylvin matkassa – yksityiset päiväkirjat Kiinasta

Sylvin matkassa – yksityiset päiväkirjat Kiinasta
Sylvi Kekkonen, Timo Soikkanen (ed.), Henna Lohento (ed.), Pekka Lähteenkorva (ed.)
Otava, 2020

Lights of Shanghai, Wuhan marketplace, Mao’s May Day celebrations

“Travelling with Sylvi” (2020, Timo Soikkanen, Henna Lohento, Pekka Lähteenkorva) is a study about Sylvi Kekkonen and her entourages’ travels to China between April and June 1953. The travelling group consisted of 18 people from different branches of arts and culture. Mrs Kekkonen, working as a tour leader of the Finnish culture commission at the time, wrote about the trip’s events in her travel journal, which is now used as a source material in this book.

The authors have been insightful when compiling the material. Every spread has writings by Sylvi on the first page and writings by the other travelers in the second. This brings out different points of view about the given subject or event. The book also includes plenty of photographs, which creates the even more interesting authenticity of the time era.

The trip had a consequential impact on the relationship between Finland and China. During the trip, the first trade agreement between Finland and China was agreed upon. Furthermore, after the trip, the delegation of Finland in China was upgraded as the Embassy of Finland in China. Eventually, the good relations reached the science community as China and Finland begin student exchange programs. One can wonder if the trip had a ripple effect on the recently founded Chinese language program in the University of Turku.