The 60th Anniversary of Peanuts Celebrated Around the World
Beijing, China
- Connie Mok and Jean Schulz
I am in Beijing for the launch of the Love Foundation and the release of the Chinese edition of the 60th Anniversary Peanuts book.
Raymond Mok and his wife, Connie, own RM Enterprises, our agent in Asia. The two of them have been working for many months to create a foundation to mobilize Peanuts licensees in China and elsewhere to present annual fundraising events. Snoopy, of course, will be a part of these events, and the money raised will help children and the elderly in the areas outside big cities where facilities are scarce.
Raymond explained to us that in some rural schools the children do not have desks; they must stand at tables to do their writing. The Moks have named this organization the Love Foundation, which seems appropriate as we know that Snoopy does engender love and affection.
In China, charitable organizations must have the approval of the central government, and this is what Raymond and Connie have been working on for months, going on years. They presented their ideas to United Media in New York and to Creative Associates in Santa Rosa for approval. Liz Brinkley, from United Media in New York is representing them. I, of course, represent Sparky (Charles Schulz).
So on April 23, Raymond Mok, Liz Brinkley, and I will be greeted by Madam He Luli, Vice Chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) standing committee, to kick off the foundation. Madam He Luli is a medical doctor with a long and distinguished resume, including steering many charitable works. Also traveling to Beijing from United Media in New York is Melissa Menta, Vice President of Marketing. The following day there will be a press conference announcing the launch of the Chinese Edition of the Peanuts 60th Anniversary book.
The Moks believe it is very important that the Chinese learn about Peanuts through the comic strip itself, and therefore the books displaying these strips are very important. I saw Peanuts in the English edition of China Daily, but I am guessing that it is not in any Chinese language papers. The government is interested in having citizens learn foreign languages, so the books remain in English with the Chinese characters written underneath.
This 60th Anniversary book is uniquely suited for learning about Peanuts. In addition to being divided by decade (we chose strips and story lines that we thought best represented each decade), the book has many quotes from Sparky as well as short facts about when new characters entered the scene or when a significant change occured.
My daughter Lisa has joined me on this trip, so it makes it an especially celebratory occasion for me.
—Jean Schulz
Before working we did a little sight seeing in and around Beijing. . .
![Raymond-Melissa-Lisa-at-Forbidden-City Image of Raymond Mok, Melissa Menta, Lucy Lee, & Jean's daughter, Lisa, in The Forbidden City](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Raymond-Melissa-Lisa-at-Forbidden-City.jpg)
Raymond Mok, Melissa Menta, Lucy Lee, & Jean's daughter, Lisa, in The Forbidden City
![Jeannie-and-Raymond-Mok-at-Forbidden-City Image of Jean Schulz and Raymond Mok in the Forbidden City](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Jeannie-and-Raymond-Mok-at-Forbidden-City.jpg)
Jean Schulz and Raymond Mok in the Forbidden City
![Dragon-Detail Image of Dragon detail](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Dragon-Detail.jpg)
Dragons are everywhere in the Forbidden City
![JeannieAndMelissaForbiddenCidy Image of Jean Schulz and Melissa Menta](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/JeannieAndMelissaForbiddenCidy.jpg)
Jean Schulz and Melissa Menta
![Jeannie-and-Melissa-at-Great-Wall Imagge of Jean Schulz and Melissa Menta at the Great Wall at Badaling](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Jeannie-and-Melissa-at-Great-Wall.jpg)
Jean Schulz and Melissa Menta at the Great Wall at Badaling
![HallOfThePeople Image of Connie Mok, Jean Schulz, Lisa, and Raymond Mok in front of Hall of the People](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/HallOfThePeople.jpg)
Connie Mok, Jean Schulz, Lisa, and Raymond Mok in front of Hall of the People
We also made time for some store visits. . .
![Charlie-Brown-Cafe-02 Image of the Outside one of the two Charlie Brown Cafes in Beijing](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Charlie-Brown-Cafe-02.jpg)
Outside one of the two Charlie Brown Cafes we visited in Beijing
![Charlie-Brown-Cafe Image of Inside the Charlie Brown Cafe in Mitsukoshi Department Store in Shinkong Place Mall](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Charlie-Brown-Cafe.jpg)
Inside the Charlie Brown Cafe in Mitsukoshi Department Store in Shinkong Place Mall
![MangerCharlieBrownCafe-JeanSchulz-RayMok Image of Manager of the Charlie Brown Cafe with Raymond Mok and Jean Schulz](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/MangerCharlieBrownCafe-JeanSchulz-RayMok.jpg)
Manager of the Charlie Brown Cafe with Raymond Mok and Jean Schulz
![JeanSchulzAtTheCharlieBrownCafe Image of Jean Schulz at the Charlie Brown Cafe](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/JeanSchulzAtTheCharlieBrownCafe.jpg)
Jean Schulz at the Charlie Brown Cafe
![CappuccinoAtCB-Cafe Image of Cappuccinos at the Charlie Brown Cafe](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/CappuccinoAtCB-Cafe.jpg)
Cappuccinos at the Charlie Brown Cafe
![CupOfChoclate Image of Cappuccino at the Charlie Brown Cafe](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/CupOfChoclate.jpg)
Cappuccino at the Charlie Brown Cafe
![Chocolate-Snoopy Image of Four inch long solid white chocolate Snoopy](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Chocolate-Snoopy.jpg)
Four inch long solid white chocolate Snoopy
![Snoopy-Bakery-01 Image of Snoopy Bakery](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Snoopy-Bakery-01.jpg)
Snoopy Bakery
![Snoopy-Bakery-02 Imgae of the counter at the Snoopy Bakery](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Snoopy-Bakery-02.jpg)
The counter at the Snoopy Bakery
![PeanutsCake Image of Peanuts Gang train cake](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/PeanutsCake.jpg)
Peanuts Gang train cake
![Tribute-02 Image of a Tributes to Peanuts in the Snoopy Bakery](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Tribute-02.jpg)
Tribute to Peanuts in the Snoopy Bakery
![Tribute-05 Image of Tribute to Peanuts in the Snoopy Bakery](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Tribute-05.jpg)
Tribute to Peanuts in the Snoopy Bakery
![Tribute-07 Image of a tribute to Peanuts in the Snoopy Bakery](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Tribute-07.jpg)
Tribute to Peanuts in the Snoopy Bakery
![Tribute-09 Image of a tribute to Peanuts in the Snoopy Bakery](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Tribute-09.jpg)
Tribute to Peanuts in the Snoopy Bakery
![CharlieBrownNapkin Image of Lisa's tribute to Peanuts](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/CharlieBrownNapkin.jpg)
We added our own tribute to Peanuts
![LisaAndJeannieSnoopyBakery Image of Lisa and Jeannie at the Snoopy Bakery](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/LisaAndJeannieSnoopyBakery.jpg)
Lisa and Jeannie at the Snoopy Bakery
![SnoopyWomenCorner Image of Ray Mok and Jean Schulz](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/SnoopyWomenCorner.jpg)
Raymond Mok and Jean Schulz in the women's corner at the Pacific Department Store in the Chaoyang District of Beijing
![IMG00093 Image of Connie Mok in the Pacific Department Store](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/IMG00093.jpg)
Connie Mok in the Pacific Department Store
![PacificDepartmentstore-01 Image of Children's corner in the Pacific Department Store](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/PacificDepartmentstore-01.jpg)
Children's corner in the Pacific Department Store
![PacificDepartmentstore-02 Image of Children's corner in the Pacific Department Store](https://charlesmschulz.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/PacificDepartmentstore-02.jpg)
Children's corner in the Pacific Department Store
—Jean Schulz
Beijing, China