My second homeland

After working and living in China for almost six years by now, I call Xi'an my second hometown and China my second homeland. I love the natural beauty, the culture, the people, the food and the modern infrastructure.

China is a large country with diverse landscapes. It has many unique geological formations awaiting adventurers to explore. Thanks to the modern transportation networks, it was easy to travel to many places with my wife and younger daughter in various provinces. China's natural beauty keeps on pleasantly surprising me, from the wild west of Zhangye Seven Colors Danxia Geological Park to the southern mystic Zhangjiajie National Park (a.k.a Avatar Mountains), from the majestic Huashan to the equally cliffy Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), from the sandy beach of Sanya to the rocky seaside of Laoshan, from the pure blue waterfall in Jiuzhaigou to the snowcapped mountains of Yading… China is such a beautiful country!

Because I work in Xi'an, the Qinling mountain range becomes my favorite place to go on weekends. It has diverse vegetation and wild animals, and a vast network of hiking trails, as well as very kind genuine villagers. I've made friends with local villagers and outdoor enthusiasts.

China is one of the oldest civilization on the planet. It has many minority groups and autonomous regions. Being able to live and travel in China to experience the long history and the rich culture as well as various kinds of delicious food, I call myself the "lucky one".

My family travelled to Shangri-La, Yunnan, the Tibetan plateau in Sichuan province and Miao minority group village. Besides the beautiful landscapes in those regions, what also impressed us were the happy people, colorful clothing of the ethnic groups, and unique local food and architectures.

Being the capital city of thirteen dynasties in the past, Xi'an needless to say is a cultural magnet. The well-maintained city wall and the marvelous Bing Ma Yong (Terra Cotta Warriors) reveal the glory of the past. The ancient village Hongcun, implemented Fengshui design to let people live in harmony with nature for centuries. The porcelain capital Jingdezhen provided me the glimpse of the secret pottery making. And of course, the Chinese New Year celebrations keep the traditions of bright colorful lanterns and lights, family gathering and feast, and daily rituals of the first fifteen days of the New Year.

Being a professor and PhD advisor, teaching students is my duty. I don't just teach them engineering knowledge, I also coach them life lessons such as how to be resilient and how to challenge themselves in order to achieve higher goals. It's a happy feeling when I successfully sent students off to their next life journey.

Making local friends in Xi'an was also fun. One villager in the Qinling Dasi village, Mr. Stone, is the most genuine and simple person I've met. He was excited to see a rare guest from a foreign country at the first time I reached his house, and we became friend ever since. He cooks noodles for me and my students whenever we hike to his house in the mountain, and every time he doesn't take the payment of his service from me because he says "no money business between friends" — something you don't hear often anymore nowadays. He is just happy to see us and help us to enjoy the hiking in Qinling.

China has been developing at such a fast speed that many old school westerners simply cannot believe until they see it themselves. I have invited quite a few colleagues and students to come to China for scientific research collaboration and exchange. Every one of them was deeply impressed by how modern China is, and how convenient and safe it is to live here. No wonder everywhere you go, you often see groups of people happily dancing in community parks and on the shopping plaza.

The well-run public transportation system including city buses, subways, high speed train network, and airports, as well as a vast highway network connected by many bridges. These make travel convenient and efficient and affordable and allow me to go to many places to immerse in the scenery and culture.

Shopping malls are integrated into the communities which make life and entertainment lively. There are many high-rises and skyscrapers in many cities to show the booming development. Communication network 4G/5G is already widely deployed throughout China, including remote villages. The infrastructure of China is one of the best in the world, if not THE best by now.

This is a country that has transformed itself in the past 50-plus years. This is a piece of land filled with new hope of resurgence and long lasting prosperity.

I joined the School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) in October, 2015 as one of the international high level talents. I have been a full-time professor and PhD advisor at NPU since then. I have been teaching engineering classes, and coaching PhD and Master's students to conduct scientific research. I'm an expert in the field of micro & nano systems and microfluidics lab-on-a-chip systems. My Chinese wife and I have enjoyed living in Xi'an where I call my second hometown.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.