Shanghai Through Our Eyes: Lucine Magand

It is unusual to see a foreign flight attendant in a China Eastern Airlines uniform. It is even more unusual to see such an individual speak near perfect Mandarin.

But Lucine Magand fits both descriptions. The French arrived in Shanghai seven years ago when she started learning Chinese at Jiao Tong University. She joined China Eastern as a flight attendant in 2017.

Magand was among the 100 foreigners living in Shanghai featured in the "Shanghai Through Our Eyes" video series which was produced by Xinmin Evening News. The Information Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government launched the series in early April as part of efforts to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China this year.

In the video, Magand described Shanghai as an inclusive city that is open to foreigners and other cultures. She also praised the city's transportation system, saying it is more convenient compared to the one in Paris.

Life in the city is also convenient, she added, pointing out that payments can easily be made with a quick scan of a QR code. She also lauded the facial recognition technology utilized at airports, saying it has made the boarding process much more efficient.

Magand also spoke about how lucky she has been to experience the pandemic in China. She attributed the quick return to normality in Shanghai to the local government's effective management of the crisis, and said she was grateful to be able to head out to celebrate Christmas last year even though Europe was still largely under lockdown.

Jin Xinyi contributed to this story.