Yuka, the Young Mammoth – Continued…
In May 2024, the president of the Xuan Yuan Group and the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha announced an ambitious project: to organize an exceptional exhibition in China dedicated to Yuka, a woolly mammoth perfectly preserved in the eternal ice of Siberian permafrost.
However, despite a series of meetings in Harbin and Yakutsk, administrative and legal challenges temporarily delayed the initiative. But in December 2024, the project was revived.
A Promising Revival
On 1 December 2024, during the inauguration of the Chamber of Commerce for exchanges between Heilongjiang and the Republic of Sakha, I quietly witnessed the revival of discussions about Yuka. The project is now under review by the governments of both regions.
The exhibition, planned for winter 2025, will be held at Harbin Museum. While the museum’s new galleries will showcase a collection of prehistoric tools and weapons, Yuka will be displayed in a specially designed tent located in an inner courtyard spanning over 1,000 m². Early negotiations, initiated with museum officials and local tourism stakeholders, quickly escalated to the governmental level, raising hopes for a positive outcome.
Background and Key Players
Xuan Yuan Group
- President: Xue Xing Fa
- General Director: Xue Hailong (whose first name means “sea” and “dragon“)
- First Vice President: Jiao Jian
This company, specializing in railway infrastructure, is a major player in Eurasia. Notable achievements have been realized in Iraq, Russia, Ukraine, and the Caucasus. It also spearheaded the creation of this Chamber of Commerce, which brings together more than 200 leading industrialists from Northeast China.
Heilongjiang: A Province at the Crossroads of History
- Vice Governor: Han Shenjiag
Heilongjiang, a province located in the northeast of China, derives its name from the Heilongjiang River (Black Dragon River), known in Russia as the Amur. This region, the heart of historic Manchuria, is also the birthplace of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), the last imperial rulers of China.
Two major periods mark the history of the Qing:
- The Golden Age of the 17th and 18th centuries, under the enlightened reigns of emperors Kangxi and Qianlong, marked by technological advancements and literary masterpieces such as Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin (1710–1765).
- The decline of the 19th century, characterized by social unrest, conflicts, and the fall of the dynasty in 1911 in favor of the Republic of China.
The Qing legacy, although seen as “foreign” by some Han, was elevated by figures like Cao Xueqin or Lao She (1899–1966), Manchu writers who enriched Chinese cultural heritage. Lao She left a significant mark on contemporary literature with Four Generations Under One Roof, depicting the remnants of Manchu grandeur and the suffering of a China under occupation.
Harbin : A Cross roads of Influences
- Director of Harbin Museum: Zhang Jianxin
- Head of Harbin Tourism and Culture Department: Li Chengyun
With nearly 10 million residents, the city is nicknamed the “Paris of the Orient” due to its unique architecture and history.
The construction of the Trans-Manchurian Railway, undertaken by the Russians in the 19th century, and the arrival of Tsarist refugees after the October Revolution deeply influenced its identity. Among its iconic landmarks are :
- Saint Sophia Cathedral: Though modest compared to its namesake in Constantinople, it stands as a striking testament to Russian heritage.
- A Buddhist temple next to a significant synagogue built by Jewish refugees fleeing Nazism.
- Stalin Park, located on the banks of the Songhua River, a tributary of the Heilongjiang, recalls Sino-Soviet exchanges.
This blend of Russian, Chinese, and European influences makes Harbin a true cultural puzzle, often perplexing for outsiders. However, the city embodies coherence rooted in the millennia-old richness of Chinese culture, largely carried by its predominantly Han population.
In 2024, Harbin welcomed over 10 million visitors between January and March. Forecasts for 2025 predict 20 million, but the absence of a French presence in this city, nicknamed the “Paris of the Orient,” raises questions.
Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
- Vice President of the Republic: Dzhulstan Borissov
- President of the Academy of Sciences: Leonid Vladimirov
- Head of the Biology Department: Mikhail Tomsky
Six times the size of France, Yakutia is a land rich in natural resources: gold, diamonds, and legends. One tale recount how a sack filled with Father Christmas’s most precious treasures tore open above this region, scattering riches still waiting to be discovered.
Joint projects between Yakutia and the Xuan Yuan Group include:
- The creation of a biotechnology entity dedicated to Siberian medicinal plants.
- Research on 40,000-year-old seeds found in mammoth viscera.
- The establishment of a seed bank to preserve Siberian biodiversity.
Towards Relationships Based on “Coopetition”
The Heilongjiang province and the Republic of Sakha will play a significant role in the development of Eurasia. This region, equipped with infrastructure capable of overcoming its geographical isolation due to the lack of direct access to the seas, and bolstered by a favorable demographic dynamic, is set to emerge as a key player in the coming years, much like Kazakhstan.
To an uninitiated traveler, Harbin, Heilongjiang, and China might seem like an intricate puzzle. Yet, its coherence is deeply rooted in China’s history and the identity of its people, predominantly Han. This complex richness deserves to be explored, particularly by those aiming to establish business relations increasingly founded on “coopetition”—a subtle balance between cooperation and competition.
Éric Meyer’s lecture, “Xi Jinping: The Emperor of Silence“, organised on 12 December 2024 by the Société de Géographie, offers valuable insights into the dynamics driving Chinese stakeholders and their cultural nuances.
France enjoys genuine goodwill in this part of the world, which it could leverage to promote economic development and peace.
In 1899, Loïc de Lobel, an engineer and explorer, proposed a railway project connecting Paris to New York via the Bering Strait in a communiqué to the Société de Géographie in Paris.
Let us imagine an even more ambitious vision: a railway linking Paris, Moscow, Beijing, and New York!
“Imagine all the people
Living life in peace”
(John Lennon)
