Hei Taojian: What happened to the China boy who was the first to drink coke at the Great Wall?

1March, 979, with beautiful spring scenery. James anderson, a French photojournalist, and his translator wandered around the Badaling Great Wall, watching the pedestrians coming and going. James kept pressing the shutter of the camera and shooting everything in front of him. This newly opened country is undoubtedly mysterious to him.

At that time, China had just carried out reform and opening up, and the entry of foreign media people was strictly controlled. James was also extremely difficult, and got a visa to China through technicians. The trip was hard-won, so he decided to take a walk in Beijing, the capital of this big country, and take some photos. After visiting Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City and other famous scenic spots, James drove to Badaling to experience the culture of China for 5,000 years.

James took several photos, but none of them were satisfactory. At this moment, a boy of seven or eight years old came into his eyes.

The boy's name is Hei Taojian. He is a real Beijing boy. At this time, he is visiting the Great Wall with his family. It's a long way from Xizhimen's home to Badaling, and Beijingers have to take the train to climb the Great Wall. What worried him about this train trip was that he was almost locked in the toilet of the train because he was naughty and active.

At this time, Hei Taojian was listlessly walking along the Great Wall with his parents. But when he saw a foreigner with a camera, he was suddenly attracted. When James saw the black pottery building, his heart beat and an idea flashed through his mind.

With the consent of his family, James decided to take a single photo of Hei Tao Jian on the Great Wall. At that time, Black Pottery was wearing a typical green military uniform in the 1970s, with two red collars on its collar. Although it looks lively and lovely, it seems that something is missing. James pondered for a long time, and suddenly he was blessed and patted his head. He remembered the Coca-Cola cans he had in his backpack before he came to China.

So James took out Coca-Cola, opened the tab, inserted a straw and handed it to Little Black Tao Jian. In the 1970s, China's market resources were not abundant. Even children in Beijing have been exposed to snacks such as orange soda, bean popsicles and wrapped in sugar. Where have they seen such high-end goods as Coca-Cola?

Black Tao Jian holds Coca-Cola in his hand and hesitates whether to drink it or not. Encouraged by his parents and the translator, he managed to take a sip. At this time, his left hand was naturally inserted in his trouser pocket. James seized this delicate moment, took such a picture, and published it in National Geographic magazine after returning to China, and named it "Red China First Coke".

Photos reappear in rivers and lakes

At that time, this photo did not stir up much waves in the international community. After all, what Mr. James didn't know was that the first batch of Coca-Cola had been shipped to Guangzhou and Beijing two months before the photo was born. So strictly speaking, the photo is not China's "first can of coke" at this time.

Therefore, Hei Taojian and his family have never seen this photo. As time went on, the meeting on the Great Wall was also forgotten by them. However, the appearance of a book made the "China boy drinking coke on the Great Wall" appear in public view again, and people talked about it.

20 18 12, Wuzhou communication publishing house published the book "the power of time-the image of 40 years of reform and opening up". This book, edited by the famous journalist Chai, has selected nearly 300 works by Chinese and foreign journalists, with a span of 1978 to 20 18, which objectively shows the basic necessities of life of the people in China since the reform and opening up. On the cover of this book is James's photo "The First Coke of Red China".

At this point, the little boy in the photo has become a middle-aged uncle and a successful person. After studying in Beijing from elementary school to high school, Hei Taojian was successfully admitted to Southeast University. After graduation, he came to Shanghai. After years of struggle, he became the CEO of Grenada International Business Center. During this period, he also worked as a golf commentator on the sports channel of CCTV.

After the publication of The Power of Time, his relatives sent the cover photo of the book to Hei Taojian to let him know if it was himself. But he doesn't remember what happened on the Great Wall when he was eight years old. Therefore, Hei Taojian sent the photos to his mother for verification. Seeing this photo, Hei Taojian's mother couldn't help being very excited. This is her son.

Interestingly, it is said that the little boy with a coke can in the photo has a special curvature of his little finger. When Mr. Hei Taojian attended the banquet, someone mentioned this topic. He picked up a can of Coca-Cola and posed, and the radian of his fingers was exactly the same as that of the Coca-Cola boy.

Coca-Cola is in China

1979 Coca-Cola, now called "Happy Water of Fat House", is a rarity everywhere. But as early as 1920, Coca-Cola appeared in China.

1927 In Shanghai, there is already a filling company authorized by Coca-Cola Company. With the development of economy, six years later, Shanghai became the largest bottling plant outside the Coca-Cola Company. 1948, the output of Coca-Cola in Shanghai reached 1 10,000 cases. At the same time, Coca-Cola bottling plants in Tianjin and Qingdao have also been established. China has become a huge overseas market for Coca-Cola Company.

From 65438 to 0949, Coca-Cola basically disappeared in the China market. However, with the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and the United States in 1979, Coca-Cola appeared in China's public view. Subsequently, Coca-Cola Company actively contacted relevant departments in China and gradually entered the China market.

Before Coca-Cola entered the China market, the beverage industry in China was in a very underdeveloped stage. People drink tea or boiled water and seldom drink canned drinks. The arrival of Coca-Cola brought advanced production concepts, which objectively promoted the development of beverages in China. Some traditional teas in China, such as tea drinks, began to be filled.

At the same time, the development of Coca-Cola in China has promoted the country's economic prosperity and brought huge tax revenue and employment opportunities to the government. According to one data, Coca-Cola Company has brought 4 1 000 jobs in China, amounting to RMB 654,380+600 million. As a global leader in soft drinks, Coca-Cola has shown a strong brand influence since it returned to the China market, and now ranks first in the soft drinks industry in China.

A small photo of the past 40 years has witnessed the development of Coca-Cola in China for 40 years and the reform and opening up in China for 40 years. As Mr. Hei Taojian lamented after learning that the boy in this photo was really himself: "Everyone is a witness of history, but he didn't care at that time."