[France] Leret Bonnie, Wuhan University
Life is marvelous, one thing leading to another. It was fate that brought me here in China. My father travelled around the world by bicycle when he was 25, visiting 50 countries in four years. In Guilin, he got separated from his brother in the street because he was tying his shoelaces, and by chance they met in a small local hotel, where he happened to meet my mother, who was very beautiful at that time. He brought the love of his life back to France, and I, half Chinese and half French, was born. Later, my travel-loving father once again embarked on a new journey to the East, driving his family from France via the Silk Road to Guilin, Guangxi. Thus began my connection with China.
Meeting Guilin
Before I set foot on this land, China was a mysterious country to me, and my impression of it remained in the dragon dance performance in Paris when celebrating the Chinese New Year, in the small French store selling the White Rabbit candies, and in the exquisite Chinese accessories my parents bought back when I was a child.
It was not until I came to Guilin that I seemed to understand why my father missed the Chinese landscape so much. “The winding flow of the river is like a green silk sash; the beautiful mountains are like turquoise jade hairpins” and the steep cliffs of the karst landscape contrast with the tininess of human beings. “A small boat sailing on the turquoise river, and people feel as if they are in a painting.”
The cool and clear river seems like a flawless emerald, carrying the story of the bamboo raft and the fisherman. For me, the famous saying “Guilin’s landscape is the best in the world” – is never just a reputation, but a true reflection of Guilin’s natural beauty.
Living in Guangxi over the past few years, I have witnessed the incredible changes here. When I first set foot on this land, I felt the hard work and unpretentiousness of the local people. My grandmother lived in a small village nearby, so I had more opportunities to experience the rural life there: herding cattle, growing peanuts, picking kumquats, making braised pork, planting banana trees, fishing, climbing mountains, collecting firewood, etc. This close-to-nature lifestyle has touched me deeply.
More than a decade has passed, and technological advances have led to decisive developments in rural revitalization. My grandmother’s family have not only built a cement house, but the Internet has also become popular in their lives. But even so, at the age of ninety, my grandmother can still work in the farmland for the sake of her inner peace. Perhaps this is the Chinese people’s simplicity that I admire.
Meeting Wuhan
I left my small city and came to the more developed city of Wuhan for my education. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to study at the Wuhan University, where I could be immersed in its long history and feel the rich humanistic atmosphere. This liberal, diverse, open and inclusive university has given me the opportunity to communicate with and learn from friends from all over the world, and to see the demeanor of eminent scholars. As a journalist, I would like to record the beauty of life with my pen and to show the moving moments with my camera. So, I have presented the stories by videos and have written them down in my books.
I remember that once I attended a warming-up live broadcast of the Tencent Digital Ecology Conference and experienced the wisdom of the city of Wuhan with the journalists from HBTV. I felt the bustle of the food market in Wuhan’s old streets; I made reservations and purchased tickets via the “Travelling in Hubei” APP at the exhibition hall of Tourism & Investment Development Co. Ltd. of Hubei; I learned about the history of the Chinese traditional painting from the curator at the Wuhan Art Museum.
The city seems to have some kind of magic, allowing people not only to be in the busy and thriving city with tall buildings, but also to wander through the lively alleys old-aged. Living in such a prosperous and time-honored city gave me the opportunity to enjoy the fashionable life of young people and to trace the great history of this city at the same time.
To adapt to the life here in China, I have learnt to use various “essential life skills”: ordering deliveries, online shopping, buying travel tickets, making payments by scanning QR code, using shared bikes, presenting health codes and travel codes, making medical appointments, etc. All these seem to be related to the Internet.
The “internet+” is being integrated with other fields, such as retailing, catering, healthcare, education, etc., providing people with a completely new lifestyle. At the same time, the sharing economy has shown great resilience and development potential under the impact of the sudden epidemic. It is believed that the sharing economy will also play an important role in the future, with the supports of the guidance of governmental policies and the new technological advances of the internet.
Living in China, I have learnt to adapt to and understand different cultures as well as to be aware of the cultural differences among different regions. While staying in Guangxi with the unpretentiousness local people, I witnessed countless changes and developments in this place. After going to my university, I had the opportunity to communicate with friends from all over the world and felt more and more the importance of mutual understanding and respect.
Because of fate, I met China. Wherever I am in China, this encounter will be beautiful and unforgettable. There is an old Chinese saying, “There is a long way to go.” And that is true. Ahead, I have numerous mysteries waiting for me to probe. Time in the future is ample, and my love connection with China will not be declined. It is, I am sure, an encounter beautiful and fated.
The story is from "My Beautiful Encounter with China" Essay Competition organized by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchanges (CSCSE).
