Ruwanthi Abeyakoon in Daily News, 2 Oct. 2010
It was love at first sight. Love was born with the pleasure of looking at the beauty. She found her heart attracted by the splendour and touched by the warmth. A necessity of seeing and experiencing the spell binding beauty concluded with the impossibility of separation. They say love is blind but can love be so blind to make someone leave her comfortable life in her motherland? 
Youngqui Liu on top of Sigiriya
This is exactly what Youngqui Liu decided when she stepped on Sri Lankan soil for the first time. Falling in love with the tiny blessed island, she made up her mind to leave behind her occupation and start her life all over again.
Five years ago, Youngqui Liu arrived in Sri Lanka for a short vacation. Escaping the cold winds that blew across the Northern China during the winter season in mind, Liu boarded the plane from Beijing. She thought spending some time with her husband who was employed in a warm South Asian island would be the best option. Holding the return air tickets in one hand, Liu walked through the doors of the Bandaranaike International Airport into the sunny island. “I never thought that I would spend so many years of my life in Sri Lanka when I stepped into the ‘bright and fertile island’ five years ago. On January 25, 2005 I arrived in Sri Lanka. It was my first visit to the South Asian island. Holding my son’s little hand and the envelope containing two return tickets between Beijing and Colombo, I came to visit my husband Zhanjie Chen who is the chief correspondent of Xinhua News Agency, Colombo Office,” she recalled.
“At that time, Sri Lanka was just recovering from the shock of the massive tsunami which washed the shores of the island. People were in deep sorrow because of the devastation which occurred just one month before my arrival. The Colombo Office of Xinhua News Agency was extremely busy with tsunami reporting,” Liu reminisced the devastating moment, the nation was going through when she arrived.
While the people in the Southern coastal area were in torment due to tsunami, people in North were displaced and were in anguish because of the conflict. At such a time, when the society was seized by anxiety, uncertainity and misery, anyone would think of fleeing to a safer place. Liu’s thoughts were not the same, instead she decided to settle down in Sri Lanka.
“But it did not matter for us. We fell in love with Sri Lanka immediately, especially my seven-year-old son. He was born in Beijing which is a forest of concrete. Suddenly, he was free to run barefoot on the sandy beaches and watch the squirrels, monitors, butterflies and many other lovely creatures. So we decided to settle here with his father,” she explained.
“For me, it was a new beginning. I had to abandon my job in Beijing as an editor, and learn everything in the new environment – driving, English and then photography. In March 2008, I joined Xinhua as a correspondent,” Liu said. 
Since then her keen eyes has followed every face around her. Equipped with her camera she has walked through the streets all over the country capturing the thoughts on faces, fleeting moments of the nature and the flashes of rich cultural events.
Since then, the charms of Sri Lanka have kept Liu rooted in the island. “I was deeply indulged in the rich culture and history, the fascinating gifts of nature and the friendly people of the country,” she said. Distilling precious moments in life and eternally preserving them on a photograph is more than a profession of Liu. It was her passion. She wanted the world to share the happiness she experienced in Sri Lanka.
“I began to write a lot of stories about Sri Lanka which were either published in Chinese magazines and newspapers, or posted on my blog. One of my friends once said to me that she is discovering Sri Lanka through my articles,” Liu said. An affectionate smile, a dancer full of energy, tranquility of a temple, the silent prayer of a worshiper or an animal in the wilderness were recorded on her camera and in her heart. “I shot pictures at different occasions as much as possible. Every moment that urged me capture a picture whether it is an expression on some person’s face, an image in a certain occasion, or a cloud flying across the sky or a monkey staring at me, always touched my heart deeply. These are not just photographs for me but are the most meaningful memories in my life,” she said.
The time has now dawn for this enthusiastic photographer to say goodbye to this wonderful country and its people. “Five years is too short for me to understand Sri Lanka. My husband and I will leave the country for Greece to start the next period of work. We have to say goodbye to Sri Lanka in November,’ Liu said.
an old man aftermath of a bomb attack
Liu’s parting is indeed a sad moment but will open up another leaf of a wonderful experience in her life. She will hold her maiden photographic exhibition unfolding the memories she bagged during her five year stay in Sri Lanka.
The exhibition titled ‘Sri Lanka My Love’ will display the sense of mystery and the beauty of life, nature, and special moments that were captured on Liu’s camera.
The sixty photographs that will be exhibited will bring back memories buried in our lives. Liu’s exhibition will also include her experiences of another devastation that was battering Sri Lanka. It was the last phase of the three decade long conflict which stole away many precious lives of Sri Lankans.
Even though uncertainty clouded every nook and corner of the country, Liu did not entertain any thoughts of leaving the island. The cruelty of war, the suffering of the innocent and the destruction were recorded both on her camera and her heart.
“The experience of the last phase of the war that pained Sri Lanka for nearly 30 years is unforgettable. I was shocked. I cried when innocent civilians were killed in such a nice country. I always kept asking ‘why’. I remember how I threw up after returning from the scene where a LTTE suicide bomber blew him up, targeting the Secretary of Defence,” she explained.
Inviting all patriotic Lankans to view her exhibition and enjoy the moments of pleasure Liu said even though I say goodbye, my love for this country will be forever.”
‘Sri Lanka My Love’ the photographic exhibition will take place today (October 2) at the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo. The exhibition will remain open for the public until October 4. Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa will be the Chief Guest at this event while the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yang Xiuping will grace the occasion as the Guest of Honour.
This is exactly what Youngqui Liu decided when she stepped on Sri Lankan soil for the first time. Falling in love with the tiny blessed island, she made up her mind to leave behind her occupation and start her life all over again.
Five years ago, Youngqui Liu arrived in Sri Lanka for a short vacation. Escaping the cold winds that blew across the Northern China during the winter season in mind, Liu boarded the plane from Beijing. She thought spending some time with her husband who was employed in a warm South Asian island would be the best option. Holding the return air tickets in one hand, Liu walked through the doors of the Bandaranaike International Airport into the sunny island.
“I never thought that I would spend so many years of my life in Sri Lanka when I stepped into the ‘bright and fertile island’ five years ago. On January 25, 2005 I arrived in Sri Lanka. It was my first visit to the South Asian island. Holding my son’s little hand and the envelope containing two return tickets between Beijing and Colombo, I came to visit my husband Zhanjie Chen who is the chief correspondent of Xinhua News Agency, Colombo Office,” she recalled.
“At that time, Sri Lanka was just recovering from the shock of the massive tsunami which washed the shores of the island. People were in deep sorrow because of the devastation which occurred just one month before my arrival. The Colombo Office of Xinhua News Agency was extremely busy with tsunami reporting,” Liu reminisced the devastating moment, the nation was going through when she arrived.
While the people in the Southern coastal area were in torment due to tsunami, people in North were displaced and were in anguish because of the conflict. At such a time, when the society was seized by anxiety, uncertainity and misery, anyone would think of fleeing to a safer place. Liu’s thoughts were not the same, instead she decided to settle down in Sri Lanka.
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“But it did not matter for us. We fell in love with Sri Lanka immediately, especially my seven-year-old son. He was born in Beijing which is a forest of concrete. Suddenly, he was free to run barefoot on the sandy beaches and watch the squirrels, monitors, butterflies and many other lovely creatures. So we decided to settle here with his father,” she explained.
“For me, it was a new beginning. I had to abandon my job in Beijing as an editor, and learn everything in the new environment – driving, English and then photography. In March 2008, I joined Xinhua as a correspondent,” Liu said.
Since then her keen eyes has followed every face around her. Equipped with her camera she has walked through the streets all over the country capturing the thoughts on faces, fleeting moments of the nature and the flashes of rich cultural events.
Since then, the charms of Sri Lanka have kept Liu rooted in the island. “I was deeply indulged in the rich culture and history, the fascinating gifts of nature and the friendly people of the country,” she said. Distilling precious moments in life and eternally preserving them on a photograph is more than a profession of Liu. It was her passion. She wanted the world to share the happiness she experienced in Sri Lanka.
“I began to write a lot of stories about Sri Lanka which were either published in Chinese magazines and newspapers, or posted on my blog. One of my friends once said to me that she is discovering Sri Lanka through my articles,” Liu said. An affectionate smile, a dancer full of energy, tranquility of a temple, the silent prayer of a worshiper or an animal in the wilderness were recorded on her camera and in her heart. “I shot pictures at different occasions as much as possible. Every moment that urged me capture a picture whether it is an expression on some person’s face, an image in a certain occasion, or a cloud flying across the sky or a monkey staring at me, always touched my heart deeply. These are not just photographs for me but are the most meaningful memories in my life,” she said.
The time has now dawn for this enthusiastic photographer to say goodbye to this wonderful country and its people. “Five years is too short for me to understand Sri Lanka. My husband and I will leave the country for Greece to start the next period of work. We have to say goodbye to Sri Lanka in November,’ Liu said.
Liu’s parting is indeed a sad moment but will open up another leaf of a wonderful experience in her life. She will hold her maiden photographic exhibition unfolding the memories she bagged during her five year stay in Sri Lanka.
The exhibition titled ‘Sri Lanka My Love’ will display the sense of mystery and the beauty of life, nature, and special moments that were captured on Liu’s camera. The sixty photographs that will be exhibited will bring back memories buried in our lives. Liu’s exhibition will also include her experiences of another devastation that was battering Sri Lanka. It was the last phase of the three decade long conflict which stole away many precious lives of Sri Lankans.
Even though uncertainty clouded every nook and corner of the country, Liu did not entertain any thoughts of leaving the island. The cruelty of war, the suffering of the innocent and the destruction were recorded both on her camera and her heart.
“The experience of the last phase of the war that pained Sri Lanka for nearly 30 years is unforgettable. I was shocked. I cried when innocent civilians were killed in such a nice country. I always kept asking ‘why’. I remember how I threw up after returning from the scene where a LTTE suicide bomber blew him up, targeting the Secretary of Defence,” she explained.
Inviting all patriotic Lankans to view her exhibition and enjoy the moments of pleasure Liu said even though I say goodbye, my love for this country will be forever.”‘Sri Lanka My Love’ the photographic exhibition will take place today (October 2) at the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo. The exhibition will remain open for the public until October 4. Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa will be the Chief Guest at this event while the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yang Xiuping will grace the occasion as the Guest of Honour.
Website coordinator’s Note: Sri Lanka is also blessed by the presence of a worldr=renowned cameraperson in Juliette Coombe, the english lass who a married a local tuk-tuk driver and took up residence in the fort of Galle. See Around the Fort in 80 Lives (London, Sri Serendipity Publishing Worldwide,ISBN 978-955-0000-00-5) and check Harper Collins for her photographic books.
