According to the second Farr extract (p.50-59), how did Hergé research China for The Blue Lotus?
At first he was about to research it through newspaper extracts but when a priest wrote to him urging to avoid clichés of the Chinese, Herge decided to do his research properly. Following with the advice the priest introduced him to Chang Cheong a sculpting student whom was the same age as Herge, they instantly took a liking of each other. Through Chang, Herge got a true taste of China and was so fascinated by it he even went as far as to learn about the Chinese art. Chang’s meeting was so important to expel all the stereotypes of the Chinese that Herge decided to make Chang a character in Tintin as a special friend to the main character. Herge went as far as to expose through the scene where Tintin meets Chang, not only the stereotypes of Chinese beliefs of Western people but also the Western beliefs of the Chinese people.
Farr, Michael. (1991). The Blue Lotus. In Tintin: the complete companion (pp.50-59). London: John Murray.
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