Experiencing the beauty of China above the colorful clouds

[Vietnam] Nguyễn Thị Bích Ngọc, Yunnan University

Since I was a child, the neighboring country China has always appealed to me. I never thought that when I grew up, I would actually come to China because of invitation from work. It was the fall of 2018. I flew from Nanning to the prosperous Shanghai and then continued on to Changzhou and Nantong. At that time, I couldn’t speak Chinese and had no ideal of the sentence “There is Paradise above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below.” But through the introduction of the interpreter, I had felt a sense of pride the Chinese had in the picturesque Suzhou and Hangzhou, which finally made me determined out of curiosity to take a bus from Nantong to see the beautiful Suzhou. It was dusk already when I arrived in Suzhou. At this moment I can’t recollect which road it was, but I remember that as soon as I got off the bus and crossed the road, I saw a lake, along which lush willow trees were planted. The sky had not yet turned completely dark, and the lights on the road seemed to have just lit on, sparkling and reflecting themselves on the lake through the willows.

That light and shadow has left a deep impression on me.

After returning to my homeland, I hoped that one day I would be reconnected with China. Soon after, my dream came true, and I came to study in Kunming, where it’s like spring all year round. At Yunnan University, I experienced Chinese culture. I learned Chinese characters, wrote calligraphy, enjoyed the fragrant tea, recited ancient Chinese poems, and also felt the warmth of home.

For three years, although I was not able to travel to more cities because of the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to the pandemic prevention and control efforts made by the Chinese government I participated in many school events and got out of campus to appreciate China’s magnificent mountains and rivers and experience its rapid development. In Dali, I saw how the water in Erhai Lake return to clarity; in Kunming, I saw how the sewage was dealt with and returned to its natural state. I also took the high-speed train to Chengdu to visit Tencent, a leading company in the internet industry, where I learned that in Chengdu, all you had to do was to scan a code and follow “Chengdu” to get all the information on food, clothing, housing and transportation.

All these surprised me and also constantly made me think: Why is China not only developing its economy rapidly, but also doing so well in environmental protection? Why China’s economy recovered so quickly when most countries were still struggling with the epidemic? As you can see, the Chinese government is trying to do a good job in developing its economy on the one hand and protecting environment on the other. It is not easy for any country to balance these two aspects, let alone the fact that China covers a land of 9.6 million square kilometers. China faces many difficulties and challenges, but the Chinese government has withstood the great pressure and achieved great results.

During my study years in China, I have been fascinated by the beautiful natural scenery and unique ethnic customs of China, and I admire more the people who are working tirelessly to achieve the goal of “Clear waters and green mountains are as valuable as mountains of gold and silver”. I often admire the Chinese government’s governing capacity and the ever-changing life of the Chinese people. I hope to have more opportunities to travel, see more, and understand more in China in the future. I am eager to pass on what I have seen, heard and thought to more young people both in China and Vietnam. I also hope that Chinese and Vietnamese youths will continue to strengthen the cultural exchanges to further enhance understanding and deepen the traditional friendship between the two countries.

Although I have been staying in a foreign country and not been able to go home for three years due to the epidemic, I have never regretted my decision to study in China. I once heard these two sayings: The fragrance of tea is quiet but able to reach far; the nature of tea is light but able to enlighten ambition. I also hope that my life in China will be like tasting tea, and all beginning bitterness will be rewarded with sweetness afterwards. I hope that I will be able to finish my studies as soon as possible and contribute to the friendship between China and Vietnam.

The story is from "My Beautiful Encounter with China" Essay Competition organized by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchanges (CSCSE).