Hehe culture is an important part of China's excellent traditional culture. Concepts such as harmony as the most precious, harmony without uniformity, and harmony and symbiosis are not only the distinctive humanistic symbols and value pursuits of Eastern civilization, but also provide important inspiration for solving the disputes in today's world.
In October this year, the 2026 Hehe Cultural Forum was held on the rooftop of Taizhou, Zhejiang. Alicia Relinque, a well-known Spanish sinologist and translator and winner of the first Orchid Award "Friendship Envoy Award", said in an exclusive interview with China News Service's "East-West Question" that civilized dialogue is inseparable from "harmony and cooperation". Only by frank communication and mutual respect can all parties work together to resolve differences.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
Reporter from China News Service: You have been associated with Chinese culture since high school. In the 1980s, you went to Peking University to study classical literature. Since then, you have been deeply involved in the translation and introduction of Chinese literature. When did you come into contact with Hehe Culture?
Alicia Relinko: As early as the stage of studying Chinese classical literature, Tiantai, a holy land of Hehe culture, and Hanshan, other iconic figures of Hehe culture, came into my sight. During many years of translation and introduction work, I gradually discovered that harmony and symbiosis are the main threads running through traditional Chinese thought.
After that, I began to systematically trace the origins and study Hehe Culture, and then I realized that it is a complete cultural system. This also made me deeply realize that Chinese traditional culture is vast, profound and vast, and it is difficult for one person to understand it all.
Fortunately, Hehe Culture is a cultural system formed by the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Over the past few decades, I have continued to study the core ideas of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. With these accumulations, it will be a matter of course for me to understand the connotation of Hehe Culture.
On October 28, 2026, Alicia Relinko (left) participated in the "Tiantai Mountain Dialogue" event. Photo by Zhang Jie
China News Service reporter: In your opinion, what value does Hehe Culture have in promoting dialogue among civilizations and handling international relations?
Alicia Relinko: Hehe culture advocates mutual respect, tolerance and mutual learning, and achieves harmonious coexistence through communication, which is particularly critical for civilized dialogue.
Human beings live in the same home planet, and differences among family members are inevitable. As long as we have good intentions and are willing to negotiate, we have a chance to build consensus. Once the dialogue channel is closed, the consequences will be disastrous. From the exchange of civilizations to the coordination of international relations, methodologies can be found in Hehe Culture.
In recent years, the international situation has become increasingly complex and turbulent. Some politicians believe that "the strong has the final say" and advocate acting arbitrarily based on strength. In this context, China, as a responsible major country, takes the initiative to promote the culture of harmony and insists on resolving differences through dialogue, which is of particularly far-reaching significance.
June 10, 2025 is the United Nations' International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations. The International Confucian Federation and the Thai-Chinese Culture Promotion Committee of Thailand jointly organized the "2025 Harmony Civilizations Forum" in Bangkok. (Information map) Photo by Li Yingmin
Reporter from China News Service: In the field of Western public opinion, "harmony" is often misunderstood, and is simply equivalent to concession and compromise. What do you think?
Alicia Relinko: "Harmony" is not a superficial harmony, but finding the greatest common denominator among contradictions. When disputes arise, consultation is necessary. If the two sides refuse to give in to each other and remain in a stalemate, they will easily fall into the dilemma of "the snipe and the clam fight, and the fisherman wins".
Frankly speaking, Western society often views ideas originating from China with preconceived ideas. Only by adhering to rational thinking can the public understand the Eastern wisdom behind Hehe Culture. As a teacher, I advocate students to listen to multiple voices, carefully screen information, distinguish rational expressions from opposing arguments, and avoid being influenced by one-sided narratives.
At the same time, we can explore the commonalities between Chinese and Western philosophy and help Western people accurately understand "harmony". For example, ancient Western thinkers attached great importance to the significance of dialogue. Plato expounded his views in the form of dialogue. This is similar to Hehe culture's use of dialogue to build consensus: wisdom is often born from discussion and speculation, and dialogue is the prerequisite for reaching consensus.
China News Service reporter: You have long been translating ancient Chinese literary theory monographs and novels, as well as the works of dramatists from the Yuan and Ming dynasties. In your eyes, what significance does "harmony" have to sinological research?
Alicia Relinko: Harmonious symbiosis is the common background of traditional Chinese philosophical thought. Relevant discussions can be found everywhere in the Analects of Confucius, the Tao Te Ching and other works, and the concept of "the unity of nature and man" runs through the core thread of Chinese philosophy. Sinology researchers can better understand China if they grasp "harmony" well.
For example, when Confucius talked about the educational role of The Book of Songs, he said, "Poems can be inspired, observed, grouped together, and complained about." I like the word "group" very much. It has something in common with Hehe culture, which means exchanges, exchanges of emotions, and the harmonious coexistence between people.
Looking at the current situation, whether it is academic research or international exchanges, communication and collaboration are not multiple-choice questions, but must-answer questions. We should see each other's complementarity, explore ways to coexist, and think about issues from the perspective of all mankind. If a person is good at accepting the intersection and collision of ideas, he will have the ability to transform thinking into practice.
On September 8, 2023, the first Orchid Awards Ceremony was held in Beijing, and Alicia Relinko won the "Friendship Envoy Award". The picture shows Ms. Lei Linke visiting Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes on September 5 of that year. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Yalong
Reporter from China News Service: As the winner of the first Orchid Award "Friendship Envoy Award", you use translation to build a bridge between people. From translation work to the Orchid Award, how are the two related to "harmony"?
Alicia Relinko: There are barriers to the cross-cultural transmission of classical documents and traditional ideas. When translating, I try to figure out the creative mood of the ancients and understand the feelings of the readers at that time. This kind of empathy is the embodiment of Hehe culture.
Because of this, even though various AI translation tools are now at their fingertips, I still encourage young people to learn foreign languages. Translation is by no means a simple conversion of words, but a patient listening and looking at each other between two civilizations, which is inseparable from people's own language learning and true perception.
The Orchid Awards brings together people from all over the world to build connections through dialogue. After winning the award, I became old friends with many people I had not interacted with before. I also further stepped out of the way of thinking in the European and American cultural circles and set my sights on Africa, South America and other regions. It can be said that the Orchid Award has transformed Hehe Culture into a practical and implementable path for civilized exchanges. (End)
Interviewee profile:
Alicia Relinko. Photo by Sun Yangyang
Alicia Relinco is a well-known Spanish sinologist and translator, professor of the Department of Philosophy and Languages at the University of Granada, and the winner of the first Orchid Award "Friendship Envoy Award". She has long been committed to translating ancient Chinese literary theory monographs and novels, as well as the works of dramatists from the Yuan and Ming dynasties, and has made fruitful academic achievements in the fields of Chinese classical literature and literary theory.
