Special bond

In 2022, she and a partner opened the African Culture and Tourism Center, a coffee shop with an exhibition space showcasing products from the continent, with the idea of promoting African cuisine, art and culture.

Feng, a native of Jinan, Shandong province, said she developed a special bond with Namibia, which she described as untypical of West African nations, during her time there. The country has the world's oldest desert, the Namib, which is located next to the coast.

"People generally think that places where you can see the ocean are far away from deserts," she said. "But it's only in Namibia where you can see a road with the Atlantic Ocean on one side, and the Namib Desert on the other side with giant red sand dunes," she said. "Over there you can also find indigenous groups, such as the Himba."

Feng said compared with Beijing's urban cultural environment, the Southwest African country, where she spent most of her youth, offers a lifestyle she finds more conducive to an enjoyable life.

"Even the heat in Africa is very pure," she said. "Kids who grow up there tend to develop relatively optimistic and open-minded personalities more easily.

"If I hadn't married and had my baby, I might have lived in Africa my whole life," said Feng, who took her 5-month-old son and husband with her to visit Namibia in October.

Feng said her initial reason for opening the African Culture and Tourism Center was to showcase positive aspects about Africa to members of the public, many of whom might have misconceptions about the continent.

"If these handicrafts spark visitors' interest, that's a win," said Feng, who added she needed to cultivate a new life in Beijing.

More than 40 pieces of art from Africa, including wood and egg carvings, stone sculptures, and paintings, are on display in the center's exhibition hall.

Feng said at the venue visitors can have a full visual and tactile experience with African elements.

African artworks are earthy and naturalistic in their approach, Feng said.

Various kinds of crafts are produced on whatever is at hand, such as wood, stone and egg carvings. Many African artists and artisans are not formally trained, which gives them more freedom to be creative, she said.