A Quick Report on My Asia and Australia Tour

In Australia, at the Sydney Opera House


In front of the sculpture "Yellow River, Mother of China" in Lanzhou

TV interview at the Lanzhou book signing

HELLO, EVERYONE. I’m back in San Francisco after a very rewarding seven weeks in Asia and Australia. Let me share some highlights:

~ I was so gratified by the enthusiastic crowds that attended my talks and book sinings. Making connections with people was one of the best things about the trip.

~ In Singapore I had great fun with new friends and also had the thrill of seeing Daughter of the Yellow River appear on the list of Top Ten Bestselling Books in the August 27, 2006, issue of Singapore’s largest newspaper, Strait Times.

~ I flew from one side of Australia to the other, visiting Sydney, Melbourne, marveling at the flip in seasons — it was winter there, while it was summer in China and at home in San Francisco. A highlight of the visit was appearing on SBS Television’s “Insight,” a leading current affairs debate and opinion program. The producers did a special show on China’s boom, and I was a key guest for the debate. Several distinguished experts also served as panelists and it was an honor to be included in their company.

~ My media skills got polished to a shine with all the interviews I did for newspapers, magazines, TV and radio in the countries I visited.

~ It felt good to be back in China, my homeland. One city I visited was Lanzhou, where I lived from the time I was eleven until I was in my mid-twenties. I treated myself to one of my favorite dishes, the famous Lanzhou beef noodle, a spicy, hearty delight. It’s a regional specialty; nowhere else do the cooks know how to make it taste so good.

Now it’s time to catch my breath before hopping on another plane. This time I’m off to Germany and the excitement of the world’s largest trade fair for the publishing industry — the huge Frankfurt Book Fair.

My Chinese Blog

Diana with fans at book signing at the China Woman’s Forum, Beijing, Aug. 12
Speech and book signing at Shanghai Dongfang Book Building, Aug. 16
Diana with the children in Hangzhou deaf recovery center, Aug. 18

I'm happy to announce that my Chinese blog is up and running. If you read Chinese, please click here to check it out. Even if you can't read Chinese, it's worth a visit to take a look at some additional pictures from my China trip.

Flying High

Diana on stage in China.


HELLO from Australia. I'm here as part of a round-the-world book tour to promote my memoir, Daughter of the Yellow River. What a hectic, exciting, adventurous time.

I have been traveling for three weeks. On August 10 I flew to my native China. I spent ten grand days there. My first stop was Beijing, then I went to Shanghai, and finally spent time in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

From there I journeyed to Hong Kong and Singapore, where I had a fabulous time. Singapore is definitely a place where I'd like to spend more time. And for an extra thrill, I have learned that as of August 27, Daughter of the Yellow River was listed as a Top Ten bestseller in the nonfiction category in the Straits Times! This is the most widely read newspaper in Singapore and one of the most influential papers in the whole Southeast Asia region.

I'm so impressed by what I'm finding in Asia -- the hunger, desire and energy that people have to move forward. This fits right in with the message of my book and with what I'm trying to accomplish with my company, IGI. So my mood is flying high at the same time as I'm literally flying by plane from country to country.

China's Birth in the Global Market

The Hon. D'Amato, moderator Peggy Lucke, Diana Lu, Dr. Godwin Wong, Dr. George Koo

Our distinguished speakers with the IGI team.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, was an exciting day. IGI hosted our first seminar: “China’s Birth in the Global Market.”

I was deeply honored to welcome three distinguished gentlemen who joined me in speaking about their ideas, experience and information about China to a very enthusiastic audience. They were:

THE HONORABLE RICHARD D’AMATO, commissioner with the U.S.–China Economic and Security Reiew Commission, which advises Congress on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the U.S. and the China.

GODWIN WONG, PH.D., noted business strategist and consultant who advises companies worldwide on international business issues, and a faculty member of the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

GEORGE KOO, director of the Chinese Services Group of Deloitte & Touche LLP, who advises clients on strategic and tactical issues prior to their establishing a local presence in China, and he assists them with cultural communications and negotiations.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all again for sharing their wisdom and for making the event a resounding success.

Afterward all three gentlemen, along with Dr. Koo’s wife and daughter, joined me and members of the IGI team for dinner at Shanghai 1930, one of San Francisco’s best Chinese restaurant. It was a delicious meal – if you have a chance to dine there, be sure to try the firecracker chicken. Even better, the company was congenial and conversation was stimulating. An excellent way to end such an exciting day.

We are planning more seminars and special events. If you would like to learn more, please contact info@igimpact.com.

Exciting Seminar on August 5!

Are you interested in what’s going on in China? My company, Image Global Impact, is proud to present a program that will give you new ideas and insights about China’s rising economic power.

Join me this Saturday to hear from the experts about the opportunities and challenges of doing business with China. We will touch on international relations issues, cross-cultural approaches to building strong business relationships, and ways to bridge the gaps in US-China relations. It’s sure to be an exciting afternoon.

CHINA'S BIRTH IN THE GLOBAL MARKET

WHEN: Saturday, August 5, 2006, 1 – 4 pm

WHERE: Four Seasons Hotel, 747 Market Street, San Francisco

SPEAKERS:

THE HONORABLE RICHARD D’AMATO, Commissioner, US–China Commission
GEORGE KOO, Director, Chinese Services Group, Deloitte & Touche LLP
GODWIN WONG, International Business Advisor, Strategist, and Consultant
DIANA LU, Chief Executive Officer, Image Global Impact, and author of Daughter of the Yellow River

Tickets are $55. Advance registration (with payment received by 12 noon, August 4) is $45. Students with ID will be admitted free.

To register, contact Jamila Adisa, Executive Administrator of IGI, at Jamila.Adisa@igimpact.com

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog. My name is Diana Lu, and I am a daughter of the Yellow River. Its waters flow within me like the blood in my veins. I was born, raised, and educated in China, and I was shaped by the culture and traditions of that great land. I have also been polished by the currents of San Francisco Bay, as that great city is now my home. And I have been refined by the tides of the world, as I travel to many countries and live a life that takes me across cultures.

When I was three years old, my world turned upside down. During China’s Cultural Revolution, my family was relocated to an impoverished coal-mining village, where we struggled against hunger, cold, and fear. I resolved to use my passion and determination to create a better life, one based on my talents and dreams.

I graduated from medical school, explored university teaching, real estate, hotel management, and other fields before finding my niche as the youngest female executive in the Chinese optical fiber industry. In 1997 I followed my heart to the United States, where I launched my own international enterprise, melding the Western and Chinese business cultures to work with clients all over the world. Operating in a competitive, male-dominated high-tech field, I was able to achieve astounding success. Ten years earlier, I earned thirty dollars a month; now I was making sales cumulatively worth hundreds of millions of dollars for companies I represented. My life has been a miracle.

At the age of 34, I retired to pursue my love of singing and dancing and, even more, to find ways to help others create their own miracle life. My book, Daughter of the Yellow River—part memoir, part guidebook to personal and business success— tells the story of my remarkable journey. My company, Image Global Impact, has a two-fold mission: publishes books and offers seminars to help Chinese and Western companies do business together more effectively, and to help individuals achieve greater success and happiness, personally and professionally.

I look forward to getting to know you through my blog.