[Cambodia] Huot Chhengly, Shanghai Ocean University

“There is a dragon in the faraway east, and her name is China.” From this catchy Chinese song, I learned about “China,” a name that is getting louder and louder in the world. My understanding of China has changed from the warmth I felt at the beginning to the ardent love from the bottom of my heart, after I got to know China. Her stories are as bright as the stars in the sky, as shining as the pearls in the sea, and as beautiful as the water in the river... It touches foreign students like me, and also light up the road of countless young people who are interested in coming to China in the future.

In the course of world geography in middle school, I approached China, a country in the east with a vast land and beautiful mountains and rivers, like a rooster standing proudly. Since then, I’ve dreamed of one day being able to get up close with her. As the world continues to change, Chinese language is becoming more and more important, and I was fortunate to receive the Chinese Government Scholarship in 2022 to fulfill my dream of study in China.

The cordiality and friendliness of the teachers and classmates filled my heart with warmth. It ha0000000s been more than a month since I came to China, and when the initial novelty and excitement have passed, it was followed by the longing for my family day and night. Coupled with the difference in environment and culture, I didn’t know how to adapt to studying and living in China for a while. Like a headless fly all day long, everything you go through is stumbling and insecure. The teacher noticed my state and chatted with me, helped me relieve my tension, and asked other students to take care of my studies and life. As the days passed, the strangeness and discomfort gradually melted away under the care of classmates and teachers. I started to try many first-time experiences, including becoming office assistant to help teachers do what I could; Participating in volunteer activities to make more Chinese and foreign friends. Bit by bit, the care of the people around me that made me gradually become accustomed to life and study in China, get out of the anxiety of powerlessness, obtain proper safety and freedom, which is like a warm current slowly flows into my heart...

China is a country with a long history and rich culture. Here I not only met mentors and friends, but also experienced the customs of China and felt the diligence and wisdom of the people of Chinese.

What I saw and heard in China made me feel more and more sympathetic to her. I often hear that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” but at first I didn’t understand the meaning of this sentence. When I followed the teachers to Wufang Village in Fengxian, I saw the fashionable and simple courtyards, the spacious and clean village roads, and the winding and clear rivers, which made me unable to imagine that this place full of modern atmosphere and vitality was actually a rural China. The countryside in our country is so different from here. Walking in the village, we saw that some of the hard-working villagers were pruning the branches of fruit trees, some were busy watering in the vegetable fields, and some were repairing their houses.

Coming to the village history museum, the tour guide introduced us to the story of the people of Wufang Village building a new countryside. From these vivid stories and touching pictures, I know that the fairyland-like environment and peaceful life here are the result of the hard work of the villagers, and I also feel the achievements of China’s green and ecological rural construction. The rapid social and economic development of many countries has come at the expense of the environment, as they traded the “Lucid waters and lush mountains” for the “gold and silver mountains.” While the achievements and progress made in China’s reform and opening-up are obvious, and Wufang Village we visited is the epitome of China’s new rural construction. It not only achieves the goal of becoming well-off for all people, but also retains the beautiful natural environment, which is really an incredible thing for us. I believe that with such wisdom, a nation will definitely dispel the darkness and shine on the world stage.

Life is like a one-way ticket with no return. I am grateful for the journey I am going through, and it will be a great part of my life. I want to bring every encounter and every emotion here back to my country for more people to see. I will also add a unique color to China’s diverse culture, share the story of our country with friends here, and practice mutual learning, communication, and integration among civilizations.