Lanzhou, December 12 (Wang Muyu) "She gave me a warm family, because because of my wife, China has become my second hometown. Mi Du, a graduate student majoring in teaching Chinese to speakers of other languages at the School of Arts and Humanities of Lanzhou University from Yemen, said in a recent interview with reporters from China News Service and Chinanews.com that he not only gained a wealth of knowledge while studying in China, but also became acquainted with his wife because of Lanzhou.

In October 2023, Mi Du, who is studying at Lanzhou University, is studying Xi class. Photo by Wang Muyu

Midu, 24, from the Yemeni city of Ibb, told reporters his story about China in fluent standard Chinese.

Midu's father, an engineer, began to deal with Chinese at an early age, and often mentioned China to Midu as a child. Mi Du has seen a lot of Chinese movies, and he said that he likes to watch the movies of Jackie Chan and Wu Jing, two Chinese actors, and is also very interested in Chinese kung fu and culture.

"I have always had a good impression of China since I was a child, and I think this country is amazing, and we have always said that 'knowledge, even if it is far away in China, it should be sought'. ”

"At present, many primary and secondary schools in Arab countries have offered Chinese courses, which gave me the idea of learning Xi." Midu said.

In 2017, after graduating from high school, Midu embarked on the dream road to study in China and came to Lanzhou University to study Xi Chinese language and literature.

When he first arrived in China, he was an extrovert who quickly settled into local life. Midu is often "accosted" by the people around him because of his "foreigner" face, and he is very willing to introduce his country and culture, and becomes a "diplomatic envoy".

"When I first came to China, I noticed that people sometimes greeted people with 'Have you eaten?'. Later, after learning about Chinese culture, I realized that this was a way to say hello. Midu said.

During his Xi studies in Lanzhou, the Reader magazine became his most enthusiastic after-school reading. He said that the magazine not only allowed him to learn Xi Chinese, but also to learn a lot about Chinese stories. He said that there are many commonalities between Arab and Chinese folk literature, such as "Aladdin's Magic Lamp" and the Chinese story "Cornucopia" have many similarities in the storyline.

In October 2023, Midu tasted Lanzhou beef noodles in Lanzhou. Photo by Wang Muyu

For Midu, who has lived in Lanzhou for six years, beef noodles have become his favorite. Today, like many locals, he starts his day with a bowl of "beef big" and has a beef noodle restaurant he frequents.

In addition to learning and love, Midu used his spare time to travel to many beautiful places in China, Chongqing, Yunnan, Dunhuang and other places, these travel experiences allowed Midu to witness China's great rivers and mountains, and experience China's colorful culture and different customs and customs.

Midu took photos while traveling in Dunhuang. (Data map) Photo provided by the interviewee

"When I travel, I choose high-speed rail, which is different from trains, which are fast, smooth and comfortable." Midu said that in China, he experienced many fast and convenient modes of transportation, which made him feel the modern development of China. Midu said that Yemen and China have a lot of cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, mainly in the areas of infrastructure improvement, port construction and energy. Midu hopes to be able to take the high-speed rail built by China in Yemen in the future.

In the future, Midu's dream is to return to China to become a Chinese teacher, and at the same time translate the literature of the two countries, so that the people of the two countries can better understand each other's culture. (ENDS)