Tales of a great man

Sirin Phathanothai, author of the best-selling autobiography “The Dragon’s Pearl”, was back in Beijing last week, attending the launch of a new Chinese TV series that covers the times and politics of her childhood and adolescence in the country.

“He stars as Xi Zhongxun, the father of the Chinese president, and this man plays Deng Xiaoping,” Sirin murmured to her husband, former diplomat Anton Smitsendonk, during a preview of the series.

Under the guardianship of China’s former premier Zhou Enlai, Sirin spent from 1956 to 1970 in China and has played a key role in building ties between Thailand, and China.

Now, decades after their stay in China, the TV series “Haitang Yijiu” (“Crab Apple Still There”) features the experiences of Sirin and her brother, Warnwai.

The 41-episode series, chronicling Zhou’s life from 1949 to 1976, debuts on China Central Television last thursday, to commemorate both the 118th anniversary of Zhou’s birth and 95 years of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

Sirin is the daughter of the late Thai politician Sang Phathanothai, an intimate friend of former Thai prime minister Luang Phibunsongkhram.

A year after the Bandung Conference in 1955 greatly improved relations between China and Thailand, the eight-year-old Sirin and her 12-year-old brother were sent to China to learn more about the country and its people. The conference, held in Indonesia, was among the first major meetings of the developing world.

Crab apple trees, Zhou’s favourite plants in his house in his official compound Zhongnanhai, symbolically reflect Zhou’s noble spirit, as explained by the series producer, Hebei Film and Television Group.

Based on historical accounts, the series re-creates the milestone political events involving Zhou as well as his charisma in his personal life.

Chen Li, the director, says almost 10 per cent of the series has Thai content and shows the siblings in the care of Zhou and his wife’s care.

Much of the series focuses on Zhou’s role as the first premier of New China – from the country’s economic development to taking the early steps in diplomatic relations with the United States.

Chen says her team worked to balance history with artistic goals for the series, which was shot in Hebei province, over five years.

“I’ve known Sirin for years and am familiar with her story, since I shot the TV series ‘The Dragon’s Pearl’. So it wasn’t difficult to |re-create that piece of history,” says Chen of the earlier series, which was broadcast in 1997.

Chen, who is known for her TV series featuring Chinese politicians, says the Thai actor and actress who play the Phathanothai siblings, were selected by Sirin herself.

Sirin and her brother were given the Chinese names Chang Yuan and Chang Huai, respectively, as pronunciations similar to their Thai names. They grew up with Chinese politicians’ children and learned to speak Mandarin.

“It was of great value to me. Zhou’s guidance has been a major part of my life,” she says. “Our family may be the only such one in Thailand to have such close connections with the Zhou family for four generations.”

Sirin’s son Joe Horn-Phathanothai, agrees. “The teaching that Zhou gave |to my mother, and which she passed on to us, has been very useful.”

His mother gave him the Chinese name Chang Nianzhou, which translates as “always |miss Zhou”. Two of his sons, both toddlers, also have Chinese names involving the character zhou.