[Vietnam] Phạm Thị Thanh Nhàn, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology
Energetic, vigorous and daring to fight – these are the phrases that my friends depict me. As a girl from Vietnam, I like exploring new things and prefer discovering the beautiful things around me. I cannot remember since when Chinese culture “sneaked” into my life like the spring drizzle sneaks into the night. Perhaps it started when I first read a Chinese book, or maybe it was a Chinese martial arts movie I watched one afternoon. Since then, I have been longing to come to China and my curiosity and the longing have made my aspiration of studying in China stronger and stronger.
In the summer of 2019, I arrived in China as a freshman in Zhejiang University of Science & Technology with my passion on Chinese culture and language. In the beginning I thought that I would spend my four-year college life in Hangzhou, so I felt uneasy when I learned that I would spend my freshman year in the campus in Anji as this place is totally new to me. Without tall buildings nor busy traffic Anji is a peaceful and serene city. After living here for six months, I gradually found its charm, and I can say that Anji is really a role model in practicing the slogan of “Clear waters and green mountains are equal to mountains of silver and gold.”
Strolling along the streets in Anji in Autumn, you will see the neatly lined houses and green plants, and the serene and clean town is especially delicate and lovely surrounded by mountains and rivers. Wide and well-planned road, combination of unique green bus and natural scenery, and the beautiful pastoral landscape accompanied by the gurgling music of birds and streams, all these beautiful scenes will unload the burdens in your mind. This is also my first impression on this city.
Not only is the scenery here beautiful, but the houses are also designed ingeniously. The plain white walls are decorated with colorful artistic paintings, highlighting Anji’s local features and the rural atmosphere. The decoration styles, appearances and colors include both Western modernism and traditional Chinese elements, adding infinite charm to the vibrant town.
Under the blue sky and white clouds of Anji, there is no hustle and bustle of big cities, but people here are enjoying their leisure and slow-paced lifestyle, where aged people playing chess, sipping a cup of tea, listening to operas or playing mahjong and naughty children playing in the small parks in the community. The leisure and purity of country life has never been impacted by modern life, and the rapidly developed city didn’t erase people’s original aspiration and human touch in Anji.
Anji used to be a small county with backward economy supported by agriculture and traditional manufacturing, without participating in the trend of modernization. In August 2005, when the then Party Secretary of CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee Xi Jinping visited Yucun village of Anji, he proposed the slogan of “Clear waters and green mountains are equal to mountains of silver and gold.”
With the aim to build a “China’s beautiful countryside,” Anji has taken the lead to achieve the goal, and has become a role model of China’s countryside construction. Because of its good governance and adherence to green ecology, Anji has become China’s first county that won the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honor Award.
Surrounded by lush trees, people live and work in peace and contentment in such a new countryside with blue tiles and white walls while enjoying the tranquil beauty. My trips to Taizhou and Jiaxing allowed me cruise through the towns surrourded by mountains and rivers, experience local cultures and enjoy the unique beautiful scenery in the countryside of Zhejiang. Villages in Zhejiang not only have picturesque natural landscape, but also have delicacies that rare to taste.
When many tourist attractions are built based on local conditions, downstream business such as homestays are also boosting. The popularization of public facilities and the upgrade of smart services are adding more color to the countryside culture. I also travelled to many special villages in Vietnam, and they are well preserved, making people linger. Only after coming to Zhejiang, I really experienced the power of rural revitalization and construction. China’s countryside construction, especially the revitalization and construction of rural villages in Zhejiang, has combined modern development and traditional customs, bringing the countryside back to the spotlight.
The story is from "My Beautiful Encounter with China" Essay Competition organized by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchanges (CSCSE).
