Editor's note: We have asked foreign participants of various university summer programs in Shanghai to share their stories. Chiriac George is from the 2023 Chinese Bridge Summer Camps for Youths of the Belt and Road Initiative Partner Countries.
My name is Chiriac George (宇博). I am a student from the University of Bucharest, Romania. I am currently pursuing my master's degree in East Asian Studies.
In August 2023, I had the chance to participate in a summer camp, thanks to an invitation from the Shanghai International Studies University (SISU).
I will forever remember this period in my life as this was when my dreams of being in China became reality.
While in China, I met many young people with similar interests in Chinese language and culture, and they definitely made my experiences in China more beautiful.
The visits to places like the Great Wall, Zhujiajiao water town, Guangfulin Cultural Relics Park, Shanghai Tower and Yu Garden allowed me to admire both the fascinating past of this country, as well as its incredible modern technological advances.
During my trip, I discovered that China has a genuine intention to contribute greatly to the spiritual, civilizational, and technological development of humanity.
In my eyes, the Chinese are very warm and welcoming. I have also found that Chinese society possesses profound harmony and peace, and a high level of civilization.
The experience of living among Chinese people for this period of time greatly increased my attraction and fascination to China.
I am grateful that our Chinese teachers took good care of us and guided us at every step of the way, from the moment we arrived at the airport until the moment we returned home.
I will always remember the life in the SISU campus, the delicious meals we had together, all the culturally rich places we visited and the fun interactive courses we took.
I was amazed by the size of the campus and the diversity of the architecture.
I particularly enjoyed the activities that took place in the campus, like the classes on calligraphy and the BRI, as well as a fun session in which we learned how to make mooncakes.
I especially enjoyed all the Chinese courses we had. Since they were conducted mainly in Chinese, this gave me a chance to improve my proficiency of the language.
My first time in China proved to be a life-changing experience, and I believe this culturally rich experience will have a long-lasting influence on my personal growth and professional development.
My visit to China gave me hope for the future progress of humanity, and I believe this powerful emotion is aptly reflected in a Chinese proverb I love: 阳光总在风雨后 (behind the wind and rain of hardships, happiness awaits among the bright clouds).
