Polish Sinologist bridging the cultural divide

Maciej Gaca, the culture counselor of the Polish embassy in Beijing, says he is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between the two countries. Photo provided to China Daily.

In recent years there has been an increasingly steady flow of Polish musicians, artists and composers to China, providing local audiences with a real taste of what the eastern European country has to offer.

And behind many of those visits is just one man, Maciej Gaca, the culture counselor of the Polish embassy in Beijing.

The 45-year old says he is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between the two countries.

"I have worked hard over the years to bring more people to China to study and work, and am very proud of having played my part in teaching them about the country, and showing them that many of the traditional stereotypes associated in the West with China are just not true."

Since 2010, he says more than 100 Chinese-Polish cultural and arts projects have been produced or co-produced each year.

Gaca sees his position as "a bridge" between the peoples of China and Poland.

"And from what I have seen, there is genuine interest in each other's culture, maybe more so than any other cultural relationship existing between two countries today," he says.

Of course, if you want to create a successful bridge, you have to experience the conditions on both sides, and Gaca has certainly done that.