[Malaysia] Tai Zhan Lue, Nanjing Polytechnic Institute
In the twinkling of an eye, I have turned to be a graduate from a freshman. I still remember that when I first arrived in Nanjing in the autumn of 2018, the teachers of the school picked us up in the airport warmly, giving us the first ray of sunshine in a foreign country. At that time, my friends and I were new to the school and were unfamiliar with the surrounding environment of the school. When we arrived at the dormitory, we saw that there was only a simple bed and a table in the room. I felt at a loss. Fortunately, an amiable door lady (warden of the dormitory) resolved our concern and enthusiastically helped us apply for mobile phone cards. Therefore, we can call our family in time to let them know everything is OK. The hospitable welcome of the teacher and the cordial reception of the door lady warmed our heart. Although it was our first time to China, we didn’t feel alien at all.
The allegation that “Going to college is like stepping into the society. No one will help you if there is no benefit” is what I often heard from my friends in the past. But when I really started my wonderful campus life, I found that it was not true. My Chinese classmates are very warm-hearted and helped me with patience when I ran across any problem. Teachers guide me nicely and have no bias against me as a foreign student. Instead, they gave me more attention and care. I feel very happy to have a group of helpful students and caring teachers.
I am a person who likes travel because I believe travelling is a fun way of learning. As the saying goes, “traveling ten thousand miles is better than reading ten thousand books,” so I often go out with my roommates on weekends to broaden my horizons and increase my knowledge. During my study in Nanjing, I have visited well-known scenic places such as The Confucius Temple, Laomendong, Nanjing Presidential Palace, Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall, Xinjiekou, Xuanwu Lake and so on. Among them, the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall is the place that impressed me a lot. It records the brutal killing of 300,000 lives in more than 40 days after the Japanese soldiers invaded Nanjing. As a Chinese descendant, it was quite hard for me to calm for a long time after the visit. I feel lucky that I live in this era of peace. Wars will only bring misery, so my vision since my childhood is to hope that the world will be peaceful forever.
In recent years, China has been committed to implementing “the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).” In order to let overseas students better understand the BRI, the Education Department of Jiangsu Province launched the activity of “Silk Road Youth Tour.” Our school has the honor to be enlisted and sent 12 students to participate the event. I was lucky to be one of them and benefited a lot. During the activity, I made friends with many overseas students from all over the world. Although we spent together for only a few days, we are like brothers already. Some friendship can last for a lifetime and we still keep in touch after the event. This activity also expands my knowledge and broadens my horizons. We went to Yangzhou, Huai’an, Nanjing and other cities. The fellowship parties and other activities were held to facilitate communications with students from local universities. We also visited Heyuan, Slender West Lake, Yangzhou Museum and other places in the city of Yangzhou, and learned how to cook an authentic “Yangzhou Fried Rice” in Yangzhou University.
Recalling that after graduating from high school, I have been wondering whether I should study in China or stay in Malaysia. I was in a dilemma: either study in China, which was my childhood dream, or receive the invitation from a famous university in Malaysia. After hesitation, I decided to study in China despite my family’s opposition. I want to see the outside world, experience different cultures and explore new journeys. Soon, I received the admission notice from the Nanjing Polytechnic Institute, which kicked off my great college life.
Now, I am very grateful for my initial determination, because my study and life experience here proved that my choice is correct. Of course, I also believe that no matter where I am in the future, the learning and life in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province in China will always be my cherished memory as a beautiful encounter with China.
The story is from "My Beautiful Encounter with China" Essay Competition organized by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchanges (CSCSE).
