A 60,000-word journey of 150 years starting with a bottle of baijiu [Video]

When Yu Tantan bumped into a British businessman at a lecture in Wuhan, he had no idea of the journey he was embarking on.

Impressed by the stories told by Simon Haworth about his family’s history of connections with China, Yu, senior editor of the Yangtze River Daily, invited him to deliver a lecture at a program dedicated to fostering a learning-oriented community for people who are local residents in Wuhan.

The event was so successful that the pair opened up a bottle of baijiu. By the time it was empty, their friendship was sealed.

A journey through words

Some of the stories they shared that night had lit a flame inside Yu, and he yearned to discover more about the 150-year relationship between the Haworth family and China.

Four visits to the UK followed, allowing Yu to explore a treasure trove of photos, diaries and souvenirs at the Haworth family home in Cheshire. …