Living the China dream in Qingpu's Huaxin town

Ti Gong

When Jean-Pierre Mallard and his wife took the stage at a speech competition in Huaxin Town, Qingpu District, on Friday, they captivated the crowd with their calming guitar music and simple words expressing their love for the town and city.

Mallard, from Canada, was a pilot for Air Canada for 42 years. He's been in Shanghai since February of this year.

"Throughout those years, I traveled the world and was always fascinated by China," he said. "That was always my favorite destination to fly."

He typically flew between Toronto, Beijing, and Shanghai, as well as between Vancouver and the two cities.

The couple relocated to China after Mallard retired in 2021.

"We both fell in love with this area (Huaxin) and bought a house," Mallard said. "We thoroughly enjoy living in Shanghai, and Qingpu is our home. Life here is so convenient and safe. Everything we could possibly need is a short distance away, and I love the way the local government does everything in their power to make life comfortable for the population."

Ti Gong

The 2023 Huaxin Speech Competition final was held on Friday.

The competition had ten groups of contestants in the final. They did recitation, played musical instruments, kuaiban (clapper talk), and musical plays to relate their lives in the town and assist others in developing a better understanding of it.

Contestants discussed the town's substantial changes over the past decade, as well as the development of local communities. There were people from all walks of life, including students, express delivery drivers, and urban management officials.

"As for the subject of our lecture, it was all from the heart, simply based on actual experiences from living here in Huaxin and how we are happy and proud to be members of this great community," Mallard said.

The couple won the bronze award.

"We really enjoy our lives here in China, and we are living the Chinese dream!" added Mallard.

Ti Gong