Known as a treasure exhibition among the public, A World Connected by a Shanghai Architect: Documentary Exhibition on 'Hudec' and the Academic Lineage of Modern Architects in Shanghai at Tongji University recently welcomed two special visitors: Mr. Igor Pacolák, Consul General of the Slovak Republic in Shanghai, and Mr. Füle János Róbert, Cultural and Educational Consul of the Hungarian Consulate General in Shanghai.

In recent years, László Hudec, a phenomenal internet celebrity architect in Shanghai, has gained widespread recognition. Born in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, Hudec was a Slovak-Hungarian architect who made Shanghai his home. The two consuls made a special trip to pay tribute to their fellow countryman Hudec.

Professor Wang Zhendong, Chairman of the College Council, and Professor Wang Yi, Director of the Department of Architecture, hosted and accompanied the consuls during their visit. The two main curators, Professor Hua Xiahong from the Department of Architecture at Tongji University and Ms. Chen Qing, director of the five-part documentary Hudec, also joined in the reception and provided detailed introductions to the exhibition and documentary.

The documentary Hudec is a project supported by the Documentary China communication initiative of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee (State Council Information Office). It takes the life story of the European architect László Hudec in Shanghai as its starting point, reconstructing the story of how people of different ethnicities and cultures bridged gaps and achieved mutual benefit and created classics in Shanghai, China, during the interwar period. It expresses the eternal theme that civilizations become more vibrant through exchange, and richer through mutual learning. The filming of the documentary spanned Asia, Europe, and America, taking three years and interviewing nearly a hundred guests, including experts and consuls from Hungary and Slovakia. Academicians Zheng Shiling and Professor Wu Jiang from Tongji University, along with Professor Hua Xiahong, served as academic advisors for the documentary. Decades of foundational research on modern architectural history in Shanghai conducted by the College of Architecture and Urban Planning played a crucial supporting role in the filming.

As an important witness to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary, as well as China and Slovakia, in 2024, the Chinese, English, and French versions of the documentary have been broadcast successively on China Media Group and China Global Television Network. In 2025, it will also be broadcast on the national television stations of Hungary and Slovakia.