South African helps put Wenzhou on world map

After living in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province for almost nine years, Brett Lyndall Singh, known as Xin Chengle in Chinese, has integrated into local life and developed a strong attachment to the city.

"I hope Wenzhou can become an international city in the world, and I believe it has the potential," he said. "We all have to do our part to make that happen."

Born in 1993, the South African youth came to study at Wenzhou Medical University in 2011. Learning medicine was his childhood dream, and when discussing why he chose China, he said it was "because it's a rising economic giant and a great place to experience a new culture and lifestyle".

Over the past few years, Brett has witnessed the tremendous changes Wenzhou has undergone. He said the city's infrastructure has vastly improved, roads have become wider and interaction between foreigners and Chinese has grown.

"This was all done in the space of 10 years, which I think is amazing," he added.

Now, Brett has stepped beyond campus to help the city improve its image globally in a number of different ways.

To help Wenzhou gain more global recognition, Brett joined the Wenzhou Overseas Publicity Base in 2017 to serve as a publicity officer for the city. He takes photos and films videos around the city and posts them on international social media platforms, so "people around the world can see it through the eyes of a foreigner".

He has accumulated nearly 200,000 followers online. Regarded as a foreign online celebrity in Wenzhou, Brett is affectionately called A Le by local residents.

Brett also cooperates with the city's publicity department in hosting bilingual activities, starring in short videos, operating the service hotline for expats and doing volunteer work. He has helped make a handbook for foreigners in Wenzhou, telling them everything they need to know about the city.

In the future, he plans to start up his own business in the city and continue to work as an image ambassador. "Hopefully I can get a Chinese green card so I can do more work for China," the young man said.