The trio — staff members for Lens magazine, a slickly produced publication that resembles National Geographic with (for American eyes) indecipherable text — made a stopover in the county as part of a 10-day tour of sites in the Old Dominion. While the affair yesterday consisted of a pleasant luncheon at Molasses Grill, the subtext was all business: a chance to showcase Southside Virginia in a magazine with an affluent readership in the world’s rising economy.

“We are so happy to have them here in Halifax County,” said Jeff Reed, IDA project manager, who coordinated the visit. “We just want to be on their radar screen and want them to see what Halifax County has to offer businesses who might want to locate in the area. We want them to see our warm and beautiful community.”

For the journalists themselves, the swing through Halifax County provided abundant opportunity to snap photos and marvel at the differences between their homeland and rural America.

Lou Jun, the magazine’s editorial director, talked at length (in fairly smooth English) about the clean air and lack of smog, a world of difference from Beijing where he works. He also was wowed by the number of trees he has seen during his visit to the state — again, a sight apart from the industrial metropolis where he normally works.

Angela Zou, operations director for Lens, said she’s quite anxious to get behind the wheel and do some driving on local highways. The opportunity, alas, would have to wait: She and her co-workers were being chaffuered around the state by Roy C/ Dahlquist, Asian managing director for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, operating a state-owned vehicle.

Zou’s saving grace? The tour of Halifax County featured several stops, including the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center and Virginia International Raceway, the latter stop offering the chance, perhaps, to test her driving skills.

The journalists mingled with business and civic leaders at Molasses Grill after traveling here from Roanoke, where they had spent the night. (Their next stop was historic Williamsburg for an evening dinner.) Aiding the conversation was a local interpreter, Fei Young, an electrical engineer at ABB, who helped the English-speaking visitors decipher some of the questions put towards them. The guests were more adept at speaking English than understanding the spoken word, whether because of Southern accents or other reasons.

Reed presented each of the Chinese guests with gifts and numerous photographs of The Prizery, the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, Town Hall and the historic Halifax County Courthouse.

The contingent is due to depart the state on Sunday, headed back to China to put together upcoming issues of their magazine. While Virginia officials have no assurances of what, if anything, might be featured in a future magazine spread, they are hopeful the Commonwealth will be cast in a favorable light.

from the News & Record