Hu Ge as Tourism Ambassador

Hu Ge is no stranger to cameras. The popular actor has starred in more than 14 TV series and two movies. Now Hu, 34 years old, has released three albums during the past two years, and has discovered a new role behind the camera. Hu’s photographs, featuring his home city, Shanghai, are being displayed in London. As Shanghai’s tourism ambassador and a passionate amateur photographer, Hu was invited to take part in the Home Town Exhibition in London. It is one of a series of initiatives to promote the image of Shanghai, London’s sister city. The exhibition showcased artworks by artists from China and abroad. “As a Shanghai native, I feel very lucky and honored to be the ambassador. It means responsibility since I am representing not only myself but also the city,” said Hu. Former NBA star Yao Ming and Olympic champion Liu Xiang, both Shanghai natives, have been the city’s faces before. “If Yao Ming is Shanghai’s Height and Liu Xiang is Shanghai’s Speed, then I am Shanghai’s Baidu (the top search engine in China),” said Hu jokingly. “Shanghai, like London, is a thriving modern metropolis. Shanghai is famous for its beautiful skyline and major global events. However, it has the deeper beauty — the openness of the people and its traditions that I am so proud of,” said Hu. Hu has been appointed as the ambassador to promote Shanghai to the world for being an example of “positive energy”. Born in Shanghai in 1982, he was admitted to Shanghai Theater Academy in 2001 and immediately hit big in 2005 after playing the lead in a popular TV show Paladin. However, a year later, Hu suffered a severe injury in a car accident, which almost took his life. In 2015, Hu had another career take-off thanks to the TV drama Nirvana in Fire, which has been exported to many countries, including South Korea and Japan.