Slobodanka Bacevic in her residence Photo: Li Ying/GT 

Bacevic's mosaic work Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

After President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan visited Serbia from June 17 to 19, the Global Times was invited to the Residence of the Serbian Ambassador to China, Milan Bačević. The ambassador's wife, Slobodanka Bačević sat down for an interview. She shared her opinion on how to build cultural ties between the two countries, and her hobbies and interests in Beijing.

Walking into the residence, one immediately sees the depth of Sino-Serbian ties. Each room shows an infusion between Serbian and Chinese elements. Eclectic pieces of Serbian oil paintings and sculptures pair with traditional Chinese furniture featuring wooden carvings and vases.

Talking about Serbia, the conversation naturally drifted to tennis, a sport which has gained Serbia international acclaim over the years as some of the world's best tennis players are from Serbia.

Tennis takes years of grueling training, copious amounts of mental strength and a strong support system. Bačević believes that this is something that China and Serbia both understand.

Citing world No.1 tennis player, Novak Djokovic, who is Serbian, Bačević said, "Like other tennis players in Serbia, he has special support from all of his family, and the support is very important not just in sports, but other areas of life as well." She said this is something that China, being a family-oriented society, understands very well.

A huge fan of tennis herself, Bačević said she would love to meet the Chinese player Li Na one day. "She is a very good player, and it's a pity that she retired at such a young age," she said.

Bačević is interested in art. She loves making mosaics using Serbian techniques and has showcased a number of her works in exhibitions.

"You cut the stones into small pieces and use different color stones to make the painting by sticking the pieces on the canvas with glue," said Bačević, explaining a little bit of her method.

Very often she works on a mosaic for a whole day, and it takes her weeks or even months to finish it.

"Mosaics date back to Roman times and is now a cultural legacy for Serbia," she said. Given that mosaics are not as well-known among the Chinese people, she is thinking of opening an art exhibition to show Serbian artworks in China.

Apart from mosaics, Bačević also enjoys painting and finds Beijing's hutong and parks, like Beihai Park, inspirational. Bačević not only considers them ideal references for painters but also appreciates the living cultural atmosphere.

"I love to watch the Chinese square dancing in the parks, although dancing in the square is not our culture - Serbians often dance in clubs," she said, adding that she would like to find a Chinese teacher who could teach her how to square dance.

If square dancing is one of the symbols of the contemporary Chinese folk culture, then Peking Opera is the traditional kind. Bačević loves them both. She watched the Peking Opera show with her family and friends several times.

"I have been reading some books about Peking Opera and have tried to understand the different meanings and symbols of the roles in the opera," she said. "I understand that the colors of the costumes symbolize different things." Among the Peking Opera shows, the one Bačević loves the most is Bai Niang Zi Chuan Qi - the Legend of the White Snake. "It's a romantic love story," she said.

She hopes Chinese people can understand more about Serbia. "Although Serbia is a small country, we are very famous for our talented people, not only in sports but also in science as well," said Bačević.

From among them, Bačević singled out a Serbian-American inventor named Nikola Tesla, who is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system.

"We have been translating a book about Tesla from Serbian to Chinese; we want to let the Chinese people know more about him," she said.