The letter of thanks from Italian President Sergio Mattarella to sinologist Bonino Gabriella. [Photo/tmuyun.com]
Rui'an Intangible Cultural Heritage, a book written by Italian sinologist Bonino Gabriella featuring 64 kinds of intangible cultural heritage items preserved in Rui'an, a county-level city administered by East China's Wenzhou, recently won praise from Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
Simone Guerrini, director of the Secretariat of the President of Italy, stated in a letter that the president was grateful to have received the book and praised the sinologist.
"I never imagined that President Mattarella would read my book and even write a letter of thanks," Gabriella said.
Her book also won praise from Stefano Lo Russo, mayor of Turin, the sinologist's hometown and an international sister city of Wenzhou.
The book will be promoted at Italian senior high schools and book fairs and be published as e-books soon.
"As this year marks the China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism, I hope that more Italians and Rui'an natives living in Italy can get a better understanding of the city's intangible cultural heritage items through my book," Gabriella said.
Gabriella first came to China in 1987 to further her studies due to her love for Chinese culture and art. Over the past 35 years, she has visited many parts of China as well as Central and Western Asia. As an author of several books about Chinese culture, Gabriella has been dubbed by Chinese people the "modern female Marco Polo" due to her extensive travels.
