绝美之地《英文版序言》

Foreword to the English Edition

It was meant to be my casual travel notes. To have it published in Chinese is already beyond my expectation. To bother the English readers is truly overwhelming and I must seriously think about the value of reading this book.

I seldom go abroad. Neither have I been to the USA England and Japan even up to now nor have I been to the land of Africa and that of America. Nevertheless my self-esteem never suffers from my lack of travelling experiences abroad. Anyway I shall definitely defend and cherish to my passion and love for Santorini.

When I first started to write this book I just wanted to cheer up a Chinese girl named Yuhong to encourage her to live happily to face life and future with dignity. Anything beyond all this including my description of Santorini doesn’t matter.

As a matter of fact I stayed on that remote island for just two days. I only took my point-and-click auto focus camera for I was not in the mood. I did not take any note not even a word which was quite abnormal for me as a professional journalist.

From the moment I stepped on that island Santorini nondescriptly became my dream land. It seemed to have become the homeland for my long wondering soul. Although my feeling was abstract it was so real. I had never believed that there is Heaven but Santorini is so close to it; and I had never believed that something could help us shake off the shadow of fear but Santorini relieved me ultimately.

As eternity goes in the scope of human understanding it is but ignorable transiency in the scope of the universe or even shorter than that. The changing alternating world of mulberry fields and seas might as well be the romantic imagination of geologists and archaeologists out of their professional habits. And it is nothing strange. It is only natural. Our limited life span one generation for man’s lifetime and one year for grass’ lifetime determines our imagination of eternity.

Man is becoming extremely fragile for their over developed ration and emotions especially in times of life threat. Here please forgive me for avoiding the word death. In a different circumstance when you think someone else’s life and happiness is more important than your own existence her pain and sorrow immediately turn into the endless darkness of deep night.

However Santorini showed me the true scenery of life. The pure sky and the clean water around the island together with its people are the enlightenment on life and the most profound philosophical classics. Take the grapevines on the island for example. They must be the ugliest plant of the kind in the world. But meanwhile you couldn’t help feeling that they are the most vigorous branches and vines that produce the sweetest fruits in the world.

Santorini has convinced people of its being the most unfortunate place on the planet where human beings inhabit. The devastation imposed on Santorini and the consequent despairing experiences go beyond the imagination of human themselves. For this very reason Santorini represents the true color of life. This place turned scorching lava into cool waters barren and silent rocks into green sprouts. It is a place that offers life and love to a wasteland. It is a place that brings death to its real sense.

Man is destined to travel many places in his lifetime. And there must be this place that touches your heart and even becomes your love forever. Maybe Santorini is this place. Man is destined to have a true love of his lifetime. If you once didn’t know how to treasure it if you are willing to make it up with your life for feeling guilty you are still lucky.

Santorini is the right place for me to visit at the right time. It is the most amazing most incredible occurrence in my life which convinced me that any sincere wish will come true unless the wish is not sincere; that all doubts will be suddenly enlightened all sorrows will disperse unless you refuse to find the solution to relieve yourself.

In fact the Chinese edition of this book came out in March 2009. That made Yuhong very happy. This is the most important thing. It’s enough for me. I hadn’t any idea how to encourage her to live carefree like she did before or to read walk and shop undisturbed like she did before. All this is her hobbies. The publication of Chinese edition made Yuhong happy for a long time. I hope the publication of its English edition could sustain her happiness for even longer and forever.

I really didn’t anticipate loads of compliments on the Chinese edition. As far as I know anyone who has read it is touched. It sounds truly unbelievable even to myself. My story is too ordinary or over-ordinary. I can’t understand why it touches readers so much. And this is my only very source of courage to have its English edition published.

The quality of the pictures in this book is also acknowledged by photography enthusiasts even professionals. These pictures are chosen from hundreds of the pictures taken with my auto camera. As a journalist and *** photographer it confounded me to have a book of nearly 80 pictures published. For this I kept the pictures untouched un-photoshoped and uncut. Those plain pictures of their original status are no challenge or disdain on professional photographers they are just my proof that I have been to the island---this is what Santorini looks like.

May Yuhong be happy and healthy forever! May all the people devote all they can to their beloved ones! This devotion is the most beautiful feeling in the world. At least I have experienced the happiness and joy of this devotion. And this feeling is real. It is not something imagined. It is not a fool’s paradise.

Santorini will become the dream land you want to visit. If you happen to see this book on the exquisite shelf of a small store on the island I would feel most delighted no matter whether you’ll buy one and put it in your bag or just skim over it.

I insist that Santorini be the place you should not miss in your lifetime. It definitely will not let you down even if this book lets you down.

Liu Shen

5th April 2009

Xinfeng Mountains

Guangdong China