Image» 17 People: Tourists who visit Shichahai may see a foreigner wearing a red armband. The foreigner is American Terry Crossman, a safety volunteer at the Lotus Market in Beijing.
American Terry Crossman, 63, whose Chinese name is Gao Tianrui, is a safety volunteer in Xicheng district
People who visit Shichahai may see a foreigner wearing a “red armband.”
A tall foreigner, wearing a red armband and a red vest at a volunteer kiosk in front of the Lotus Market every day.
The foreigner, 63, is American Terry Crossman. His Chinese name is Gao Tianrui. Gao is a safety volunteer at the Lotus Market in the Shichahai area, Xicheng district. The majority of the volunteer team are aged between 58 and 65 years old, and 70 percent of them are women.
Gao Tianrui has been living in Beijing for the past 23 years.
Fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, he frequently helps tourists.
Gao, who speaks the Beijing dialect, also updates information boards about nearby attractions in English.
Gao, who now lives in a hutong, was first exposed to Chinese culture when he was 12 years old, and then read his first classic, Tao Te Ching. When he was 13, he read the translated version of Zhuangzi.
Gao is still learning Chinese. And the American who loves to eat Lanzhou beef noodles uses a second-hand electric motorbike for transport.
As for the future, Gao, who is optimistic and easy-going, says: “I like Beijing and I want to do something to help others.
“This is where I live, where my friends are. This is my home.”