Page 9 - YunnanTourismCultureTimes (111)

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FOCUS | 焦点

Finding fulfillment in Yunnan

在云南收获精彩

Yang Kangsen, originally from Penang, Ma- your work with a calm mind,” he said.
laysia, came to China in 2015 and pursued further Such a “place where the heart feels at peace”
studies at Peking University and Jinan University. is increasingly attracting Malaysian students
He is now a lecturer at Yunnan Minzu University. to study in Yunnan. Zheng Jingwen, a Malay-
As one of the first universities in Yunnan sian international student pursuing a master’s
Province to offer a Malay language major, Yun- degree in International Business at the School
nan Minzu University actively collaborates with of Economics, Yunnan University, shared her
Malaysian universities through initiatives such as experience: “Here, diverse cultures blend, and
student exchanges and academic partnerships. Its the natural scenery is beautiful. Yunnan’s rice
annual South Asia and Southeast Asia Cultural noodles remind me of the rice vermicelli from
Festival allows students to experience diverse my hometown, and the sweet flower cakes
cultures immersively. According to Yang, “The evoke memories of Malaysian fragrant biscuits.
China (Yunnan)-Malaysia Higher Education Di- The festive atmosphere in Yunnan also makes
alogue, co-organized by Yunnan Minzu Univer- me feel very much at home.” She added that
sity, has established a platform for professional Yunnan University’s strong reputation in South-
exchange among faculty from universities in both east Asia, coupled with Yunnan’s geographical
countries.” proximity to Malaysia and vibrant cultural
Yang often incorporates innovative teaching exchanges, are significant reasons why many
methods into his daily instruction. For example, Malaysian students choose to study there.
he simulates a “China-ASEAN Youth Summit” “In my daily life, I’ve encountered many
in class, encouraging students to move beyond heartwarming things,” Zheng said happily.
textbooks and consider issues from diverse per- “When I first enrolled, Chinese classmates
spectives. He also frequently encourages students showed me around campus and played badmin-
to engage in practical social activities, such as ton with me. I also participated in a ‘watch Thai
recommending them to tourist attractions to share dramas to learn Thai’ activity, which allowed
local stories in Malay, which are then posted on me to not only learn a new language but also
social media. “I learned about Yunnan through make many friends. My study life in Yunnan
books since I was little, and having spent almost has been rich and vibrant; I’ve gained a great
ten years in China, I’ve found Yunnan to be a deal and look forward to more wonderful experi-
place where you can settle down and focus on ences in the future.”

Short videos convey friendship

短视频传递友谊

“It turns out Vietnamese and Chinese have a and Chinese stories and experience Vietnam-
lot in common,” remarked Vietnamese girl Bui ese-Chinese friendship.” Her “Yunnan daily life”
Thi Tuyen laughingly in fluent Chinese, as “bullet videos—showcasing everything from celebrating
comments” streamed across her phone screen. the Water Splashing Festival in Xishuangbanna and
“That’s exactly what I want to convey—Vietnam- her 30-yuan flower-buying adventure at Dounan
ese and Chinese cultures inherently have intricate Flower Market, to university students bravely navi-
connections.” Originally from Lao Cai, Vietnam, gating job fairs and taking her mother on a memora-
Bui spent a decade establishing roots in Yunnan. ble tourist trip to Lijiang—quickly sparked heated
She then began using short videos as a bridge to discussions across social media platforms.
connect netizens from both countries, allowing Among the various videos filmed over the
them to experience the warmth of each other’s years, one that left a deep impression on Bui
daily lives. was her visit to Nghe An, Vietnam, to trace the
In 2015, after graduating from high school, footsteps of Wang Bo, a Tang Dynasty (618-907)
Bui chose to study Chinese abroad, enrolling at Chinese poet.
Hekou Vocational High School in Yunnan. “They “In 2022, my friends and I traveled from Lao
had Chinese language classes specifically for Vi- Cai Province to Nghi Xuan Commune in Nghe
etnamese people here, and I believed that learn- An Province,” Bui recalled. “We pieced together
ing Chinese would make finding a job easier,” fragmented online clues and navigated our way
she explained. A year later, her excellent HSK by walking and asking for directions. After the
(Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi—Chinese Proficiency video went online, many Chinese netizens com-
Test) scores earned her admission to Honghe Uni- mented, ‘So the author of ‘Preface to the Pavilion
versity, where she majored in Chinese Language of Prince Teng’ also left his footprints in Viet-
and Literature. Upon completing her bachelor’s nam.’ At that moment, I truly felt how the camera
degree, she continued her academic journey at could connect history.”
Yunnan University, pursuing a master’s program This summer, as Bui approaches graduation,
in Journalism and Communication. she plans to remain in China and pursue a career
Bui made this choice because she saw the as a Vietnamese language teacher. “It’s been ten
significant potential of short videos. As she ex- years, and Yunnan has long become my second
plained, “When filming short videos, I found that home,” she said. “In the future, I want to use my
the camera could break down language barriers. camera to help more people understand the stories
I wanted more people to understand Vietnamese of Vietnamese-Chinese friendship.”