Experiencing visible and invisible glory of China

Being an India-based Chinese Scholar for the past eight years, visiting China had been a dream that came into reality in 2017. The Chinese Embassy in New Delhi organized a delegation of think-tank researchers to pay a 10-day visit to Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. China has greatly improved through reform and opening-up. The first thing that I admired was about green infrastructure in cities. The visit opened a door to a new world and provided a comprehensive profound understanding of China. Later in the same year, through the opportunity provided by the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC), I joined the doctoral research program at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei. As an encouragement for my academic excellence, it's a great honour to receive the "USTC Excellent International Student Award for Academic Excellence" for the year 2020 and also received the prestigious "2020 Chinese Government Outstanding International Student Scholarship" at the University of Science and Technology of China. As a part of my studies, till now, I have visited nearby counties in Anhui and further visited cities in provinces such as Henan, Hubei, Nanjing, Guangdong, Yunnan and Zhejiang. This offered me the opportunity to learn the cultural, tradition and scientific progress of China.

China's digitals economy is modest innovation transition and transforming towards a cashless society. Online payments using Wechat and Alipay are making life comfortable. China is harnessing wind and solar energy in mountains as an alternative energy source. Solar panels can also be seen on the rooftops of many buildings. During the internal flight journeys in China, the window seat view always showed a glimpse of large solar farms reflecting the sunlight. The windmills can also be seen lining up on the remote mountains. Shared battery-powered bikes can be seen all over the city which is a convenient and innovative model for future transportation. Hopefully, it also helps in reducing carbon emissions. China's plantation methodology involves tremendous research, technologies and manpower. The planned cultivation of plants and trees along the roadside of cities and highways for reducing pollution can be seen. Plantation, monitoring and relocating procedures are notable outstanding processes. China takes incredible efforts in maintaining a harmonious environment. It is remarkably green and the city has a sufficient open space which was perfectly formulated based on 风水 (Feng Shui). It is trying to build clean, green and pollution-free cities. Yes, China is going green. China has not only become a model of industrial revolution development but also it is transforming itself by its green development plans.

China's infrastructure is incredibly convenient. Social progress includes effective drainage systems, roads, railways, abundant food supplies and air quality control. Convenient public transport facilities, advanced infrastructure and the use of freshwater resources have become the development policies in China. High-speed train journeys are purely a marvel. It reduces pollution and saves time for travelers. China's modernization process is rapid, which benefit from the rapid development of science and technology. China's scientific progress such as quantum computing, artificial sun, digital economy, solar society, has largely guided the development of the nation. Even in the process of infrastructure construction and social modernization, China has kept its indigenous culture and traditions. With the advanced digital security system which is regulated using cameras, living in China brings joy and comfort to people.

Since I got married in early 2019 during my visit to India, on our return, we began staying outside the university campus. Living in a harmonious Chinese community provided a wider understanding of Chinese culture and traditions. I can feel greater care and protection from Chinese society. Wherever you go, Chinese people are hospitable and willing to help foreigners reach their destination. China provides a foreigner-friendly environment and improves itself through reforms and opening-up. Through interaction and cultural exchanges, Chinese people have become increasingly intelligent.

We are enjoying our pleasant stay and exploring the greenery environment, lakes and parks around our colonies. Meanwhile, for my wife's pregnancy, we choose to consult at "The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine" (安徽中医药大学第一附属医院) for checkups and delivery. The experience in the hospital was memorable. The technologies of the hospital are outstanding. The amount of care and affection that we received from the hospital is tremendous. Doctors and nurse in hospitals have provided their heart and soul for the successful delivery. Yes, we were blessed with a baby girl born in China. Chinese traditional medicines have also helped the post-pregnancy recovery of my wife. Remarkably, the advanced post-pregnancy checkups and modern Child health care systems are marvellous to experience. From living in Chinese society, we learnt that the Chinese government is providing a green and healthy environment with the best health care system that increases the livelihood of the people.

With the modern health care system, China has mastered the strategy even to fight virus outbreaks. During the epidemic, it's my life experience to visualize China's health strategies to identify the COVID-19 cases through large-scale surveillance methodologies. China becomes a unique example of how to prepare, detect and respond to the potential spread of the virus. It mastered the mitigation strategies to slow down virus transmission. It also ensured to increase the mask, test kits, medical equipment and vaccination production to fight the COVID-19 epidemic through its swift response and modern health infrastructure. With this expertise in dealing with the outbreak, China is increasing its ability to provide vaccines and medical services to the countries around the world through its Health Silk Road. As a result, China is not only developing the livelihood of its people but also raising the standards of people around the world through its culture, tradition and by its unique indigenous science and technological developments. Due to successful 100 years of strong leadership of the Chinese communist party along with the well-cultured society of China to attain its dream.

Vithiyapathy Purushothaman 李拯 is presently a PhD Research Scholar at the School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei, China. Associate Member at Chennai Centre for China Studies. He was a former Research Officer at Chennai Centre for China Studies and Centre for Asia Studies. He has completed his engineering in Computer Science and did Masters in Defence and Strategic studies, further M. Phil in Center for South and Southeast Asian studies from the University of Madras, Chennai. He has presented papers in various national and international conferences across India and China. He has published numerous articles on China's geopolitics and its space prowess. He recently authored his book on "Brahmaputra: The Strategic water resource of India" and "IRNSS: India's Strategic Guardian of the Sky".

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