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About us

Echowall is a collaborative research platform based at Heidelberg University born out of an increasing need in Europe for sound and in-depth knowledge about contemporary China. It recognizes that fact-based research should be informed by a wide range of experts in both Europe and China and that it should be accessible to a broad audience.

Echowall draws its inspiration from the “Echo Wall” in the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing, a circular structure with unique acoustical properties dating back to the early 15th century. The architecture allows people standing at opposite sides of the space to communicate clearly, even in whispers.

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Communication is never perfect. But as we endeavor to find the right points of correspondence between China and Europe, we become better attuned to points of dissonance and contradiction — and we also find, if we listen carefully, that our understanding is enriched by the cacophony of sounds and echoes around us. 

There has been much greater awareness in Europe in recent years of China’s growing impact in a range of areas, from trade and investment to national and regional politics, from security and technology to cultural exchange, education and basic human rights. Echowall responds to the demand for better information and greater transparency that has emerged as a result of China’s influence.