[Pakistan] Naz Ureeba, Yan’an University
“I must go to China to study,” I had frequently told myself.
In 2018, I left Pakistan and set my feet on the land of China that I had been yearning for all the time. The first city I got to was Kunming, the beautiful “Spring City”, where I spent one year on language training. In 2019, I came to Yan’an, a city full of revolution history.
Though she is not as shining and humid as Kunming, Yan’an is unique in its landscape. You must have never seen a city with so many caves, with so many old revolutionary sites and so many underground shopping malls. It doesn’t matter. Come with me and I will show you around.
If you ask me what the color of Yan’an is, I will say it is red.
Yan’an is a small city located in the north of Shaanxi province. She is well-known for her red color. She has red paper-cuts, red waist drums, red Yangge Dance, red revolutionary events and red hearts. It was said that the CPC Central Committee and Chairman Mao fought and lived here for 13 years. I am very lucky to study here, so that I got chances to visit the former residences of these great men whenever and wherever possible. I feel proud that the next door of my school is the old site of Yangjialing. The special history makes the local people “red”. If you walk in a park or amuse yourself in a square, you can hear people talk about the old days when Chairman Mao lived here. It seems that they are talking about their families as the pride is all around their faces.
And every October 1 and July 1, you will see bright red flags on every store and bridge. This is probably the red gene written in the slogan!
Yan’an is yellow too.
I remember it was March when I first got here. I was frightened by a burst of gale mixed with sand when I got off the train. Besides, the brown mountains are all in my eyes at a glance. That’s why I say Yan’an is yellow. The study in recent years has given me a deeper understanding of Yan’an. She is definitely yellow because she has the majestic Hukou waterfall of the Yellow River and the Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) Mausoleum, which is the top one mausoleum in the world. Every Qingming Festival, a sea of people come to worship their ancestors. Therefore, it is a place that all Chinese people with yellow skin long for. Don’t you agree it is yellow?
Yan’an is also green.
The strong wind and brown mountains on my first arrival have disappeared. The mountains are fully covered by trees like green umbrellas. The water of the Yanhe River is not yellow anymore. After forestation, there are pedestrian walks for people on both sides of the Yanhe River and various flowers blooming on both sides of the paths. Sometimes you can hear frogs croaking. It is quite enjoyable to go for a stroll in the afternoon by the flowing river.
It has been three years since I came to China. I have not only witnessed the development of China, but also felt the rapidness of China’s development through Yan’an. I like colorful China and colorful Yan’an. I welcome you here!
The story is from "My Beautiful Encounter with China" Essay Competition organized by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchanges (CSCSE).
