Editor's Note
On the afternoon of February 23, the 16th Great Wall Friendship Award Ceremony and Symposium was held at the Shougang Park. A total of 15 foreign nationals representing diverse sectors including economy, finance, science and technology, education, medical and healthcare, culture, and sports, won the award.
The Great Wall Friendship Award stands as the only and most prestigious honor bestowed by Beijing Municipality upon foreign nationals in the city. During its 16 sessions, a total of 221 individuals from 32 countries have received this accolade.
Who are they? What outstanding contributions have they made to Beijing? What do they think about Beijing? What advice do they have for Beijing's high-quality development? Let's have a look.
Providing memorable tours for everyone
"I met 'Lao Jiu' by chance at the entrance. He is so hospitable." "It was a huge surprise to receive a small gift from 'Lao Jiu'." "'Lao Jiu' speaks excellent Chinese." On social media, many netizens like to share photos with a foreigner nicknamed "Lao Jiu" when visiting the Universal Beijing Resort.
"Lao Jiu" is Joe Hoskin, whose Chinese name is Kang Zhaoning. He has been working and living in China for more than 30 years and speaks fluent Mandarin. He joined the Universal Beijing Resort in 2016 and was appointed Executive Vice President and General Manager in 2021. Hoskin actively promotes the resort's role in driving consumption growth and creating jobs. He considers it to be a great honor to receive the 16th Beijing Great Wall Friendship Award.
Hoskin witnessed the development of the Universal Beijing Resort as he participated in its design, construction, and operation. "It’s miraculous to see how this place evolve into a dream paradise full of novel experiences. We brought the best facilities and technologies here, and Beijing provided us with robust support. It is remarkable to have jointly created such a world-class theme park."
In 2023, China saw a full recovery of the tourism industry, and the Universal Beijing Resort also experienced its busiest year since inauguration. With a large tourist market and strong spending power in Beijing, the resort has achieved excellent performance as a new landmark in Beijing's cultural and tourism industry. Hoskin said, "We have organized a series of seasonal activities and launched thematic activities such as 'Universal's Chinese New Year' during the Spring Festival to attract more visitors."
"Strolling around the park" is almost a daily routine for Hoskin. Whenever he has free time, he walks among the tourists and chats with them to know about their real experience in the park and identify areas for improvement. He likes the affectionate title of "Lao Jiu", saying, "Chinese tourists are lovely, and I can feel their enthusiasm."
"Many Chinese tourists are visiting the theme park for the first time, and we hope that we can ensure everyone has a wonderful and unforgettable tour by providing them with an immersive experience. So, I always take note of the issues raised by tourists during our conversations and discuss with my team to gradually improve on them."
The development of the park would not have been possible without urban infrastructure and the surrounding environment. He is pleased to see that “new changes are happening every year in the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center (BMC). Facilities around the park, such as subways, expressways, and shopping malls, are becoming increasingly convenient. Beijing and Tongzhou District have adopted a series of policies to improve the business environment and boost consumption, which has greatly facilitated the resort’s operation and development."
"China is a vast country. We wish to welcome more and more tourists to the Universal Beijing Resort." At the end of the interview, Hoskin put on a red scarf and wished everyone a happy new year and prosperous Year of the Dragon in Chinese.
