The 2018 Visiting Program for Young Sinologists (Shanghai) began on July 9, attended by 32 young sinologists from 27 countries all over the world. [Photo/mcprc.gov.cn]

Thirty-two young sinologists from 27 countries all over the world visited Shanghai for the 2018 Visiting Program for Young Sinologists that began on July 9.

At the opening ceremony, four participants shared their stories about what China meant to them.

A Turkish sinologist whose Chinese name is Ai Guoqiang said that a book named Chinese Myths opened the door to China and Chinese culture for him, and after studying sinology at university, he took his further studies in sinology at Nankai University in Tianjin.

A Russian sinologist whose Chinese name is Ai Lihe followed his mother's footsteps to study sinology. Now, his family all learn Chinese in the hope of contributing to the cultural exchanges between China and Russia.

Mira Ahmed, a literary translator from Egypt, enjoys Chinese literary works so much that she translates them into her own language, including those written by Lu Xun, Zhang Ailing, Bing Xin, and Jia Ping'ao.

A doctoral student at the US-based University of Pennsylvania who goes by the Chinese name Hu Ruixue enjoys Chinese culture because of her friendship with some overseas Chinese. She is now studying China's internet security law in the hope of gaining a better understanding of China's cyber industry.

The sinologists will attend five academic lectures about Chinese culture, the economy, rule of law, diplomacy, and urban development, and dozens of symposiums with experts from top local institutes and universities such as the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and Fudan University during the 21-day program.  

They will also visit local sites of historical significance and companies to gain an understanding of China's achievements in the past and in the present. The Visiting Program for Young Sinologists, launched by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2014, is a platform for young sinologists worldwide to exchange ideas about Chinese studies. So far, it has attracted 360 sinologists from over 90 countries.

This year, six cities including Shanghai have been selected as host venues of the program, with the number of total attendees exceeding 200. The other five cities are Chongqing, Guangzhou, Beijing, Hangzhou and Xi'an.

A Turkish sinologist named Ai Guoqiang in Chinese speaks at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Visiting Program for Young Sinologists (Shanghai) on July 9. [Photo/mcprc.gov.cn]

Mira Ahmed, a literary translator from Egypt, tells her story about China at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Visiting Program for Young Sinologists (Shanghai) on July 9. [Photo/mcprc.gov.cn]