Andersen’s influence on China remains profound

On the occasion of Danish Queen Margrethe II’s official visit to China, the Chinese have been talking about Danish cookies, Legos, and Hans Christian Andersen, which are all iconic aspects of Danish culture.

Among them, writer Andersen (1805-1875), known for his fairytales, has had the most profound influence on the Chinese, ever since his stories were first introduced and translated a century ago in 1913. Because of him, many Chinese know Denmark as the “Kingdom of Fairytales.”