May 19, 2007
Xiong Linping
The Japanese Esperanto Institute is issuing a special invitation to 23 Asian Esperanto activists to take part in this year's World Esperanto Congress in Yokohama. In the April issue of the Japanese magazine La Revuo Orienta JEI has published statements by each of these people. I am reproducing them here, in English translation, one by one.
The next listed activist is XIONG Linping of China. Xiong is a 46-year-old teacher of the Chinese language. He is also known as "Minosun".
Esperanto and I
In 1979, by chance I read an article about Esperanto in a newspaper. In it was written that Esperanto is the easiest language to learn in the world, and that it is a bridge among various nations for understanding ... Those charming words drastically attracted me. The young heart dreamed of knowing the outside world, traveling through the world, becoming friends with people in different places. I fell in love with Esperanto and began to seek a textbook and teacher everywhere. A few months later I received the first textbook for beginners and a small dictionary from the Xinhua Esperanto Correspondence School. But I did not succeed, because there was no Esperanto near me. In 1991 I had a chance to learn Esperanto in Beijing during one year, but after that I did nothing again for almost ten years under the pressure of keeping myself alive. After that, I learned that the 89th World Esperanto Congress was to be held in Beijing. Excellent information that saved me. From the beginning of 2004 until now I have never stopped on the Esperanto road. Everyday I get on-line to read, write, translate and chat. Because of my internet activity in 2006 I was elected as vice-president of the Jianĝi Esperanto Association.
World Esperanto Congress and After
In Japan many exotic things are waiting for me. I believe that I will be happy in Japan.
After returning from Japan, I will continue my writing and translating (mainly into Chinese from Esperanto) for web sites and local magazines and newspaper.
I now have plans: 1) after the 92nd World Esperanto Congress I will travel around to give talks about my experience and thought-discoveries from Japan in the congress, in Esperanto clubs or associations of our region and perhaps in other places; I will published the experience and thought-discoveries in our local newspaper or magazine; 2) I will found first an Esperanto course in my college and then a club in it.