By Pu Ning

Zhiyan Memories

By Pu Ning

When the language barrier comes down， cross-cultural communication becomes a tangible thing， as testifed by forty-fve students from nine countries including Israel， Laos and India. They arrived at Zhiyan Village in Lanxi， a county-level city in central Zhejiang Province's Jinhua City on August 10， 2016 for a 14-day cultural immersion.

One of the participants was Nimanla， director of the Foreign Affairs Offce of Buffalo， South Africa. The 45-year-old was the only female of the three from South Africa and the only government representative in the group. She is also a two-time participant in the cultural exchange program.

“It was a wonderful experience， but it ended too soon，” the lady told everyone with excitement. “The idea of ‘Home +' is truly innovative in the sense that it brings different cultures together and provides a great platform for young people to learn the value of sharing and get inspired about what they want to do in future.”

Back in South Africa， Nimanla shared her China stories with the mayor of Buffalo and contributed ideas for the city to host a similar program in the fall of 2017.

India's assistance to China's anti-Fascist war has been written into the annals of history， and the heroic deeds of Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis will be forever engraved on the mind of the Chinese people. Also known by his Chinese name Ke Dihua， he was one of the fve Indian physicians dispatched to China in 1938 to provide medical assistance for China's resistance war against Japanese aggression. Known for his dedication and perseverance， he has been regarded as an example for Sino-Indian friendship and collaboration. Along with the Canadian Dr. Norman Bethune， he continues to be revered by the Chinese people.

Sadis， a student from the University of Pune， one of the most elite academic institutions in India， responded to my mentioning of Ke Dihua with great interest. “I feel happy to know the man is still alive today in the hearts of Chinese people，” He told me， showing me a picture of the doctor from his cellphone.

The 14 days in the lovely village in Lanxi was a great time for Sadis. “I learned so many things about the Chinese culture and was bathed in friendship and hospitality every day. The rural people in my country do not live in such good natural environments； and the rural construction of China sets a good example for India to learn from.”

Civil Diplomacy

Liya， teaching Chinese in a commerce and art school in India，shared with me how rewarding she felt about taking part in the program. “My progress in the mastery of the language is by leaps and bounds，” she told me.

The speech by Liya， who is petite and shy， at the closing ceremony of the program， impressed everyone in the audience.

“We experienced the hospitality of the villagers on our frst day there， not to mention the unforgettable dragon dance and the excitement of using chopsticks for the frst time in my life. The host families treated us like we were their family members， and it is almost painful to recall the wonderful dishes we enjoyed every day during those two weeks. We had a beautiful time surveying the ancestral halls and alleys， and learning the basics of traditional Chinese shadow boxing. Every little thing we experienced was just amazing.”

Liya's touching remarks moved her “China dad” Chen Fasong to tears. “Every day when I came home from work， my four new children from India and South Africa would greet me with sizzling enthusiasm I had never experienced before，” the daddy recalled with affection.

“Liya is a chopstick expert and a huge fan of my noodles and dumplings，” he revealed.

The night before leaving was sleepless for Liya， who spent the whole night sitting in the living room. “How can I have the heart to say goodbye？” Liya confessed， making Chen and his wife tearful.

“I can't say enough thank you to the villagers and to all the people who created such a beautiful home for me when I was in China，” said Liya. “

（Photos by Huang Zezhen）