When I first set my foot in China, in Haikou to be precise in late 2018, it was a week after the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation(FOCAC). I was like many individuals who knew nothing much about China except Guangzhou as a result of the fact that most people from the eastern part of Nigeria where I came from usually travel to Guangzhou for business. In Nigeria, people from the eastern part of the country are usually called the “Chinese of Nigeria” because they are business inclined, just like the Chinese people. Also, I knew China was getting wealthy as a result of the nation’s four decades of economic transformation. I knew they had a 5,000 year-long history as well, nothing of which I knew anything about, – one I wanted to fathom, to understand in my life time. But I went anyway, plunging deep-down into my newest adventure at the time. Certainly, learning Chinese and trying to use chopsticks were challenges initially, but I started to integrate into Chinese society, imitate, and later, I started to learn.

However, the real reason why I moved to China was to pursue my academic dream of studying a master’s degree program in teaching Chinese language to foreigners at Hainan Normal University. Now, about to graduate, it is so clear that the benefits of studying in China were so much greater than I ever could have imagined. Whether it is learning to enjoy the food, acquiring valuable academic knowledge, mastering the Chinese language, or making new friends, studying in China is making a profound impact in my life. Studying in China is empowering me and bringing me closer to prosperity; what began as a little work is becoming a pivotal keystone in my life. China is a nation where I am experiencing the real glory of the world. As the day goes by, the love for the country increases for numerous reasons: Diversified culture, beautiful scenery, mouth-watering food and incredible people. With that said, the people I met during my less-than-a-year stay in China have been very helpful. My Chinese teachers gave me a platform to share my Nigerian culture with them, especially the Chinese kids. Today, they see Africa from a different perspective, which in turn has contributed to mental development from both sides; this is what the people-to-people relationship can bring to Africa-China cooperation, which also is one of the purposes for establishing the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013.

All through my less-thanayear in China, the Chinese people have given me a reason to smile again because of their warm reception during this period. The new relationships I made in China have changed my life for good, and it’s scary to think that I nearly missed out on them. I have grown so much since I came to China, and I also realized that you can get more of an education from experiencing diverse culture than you get in a classroom. Looking back at my first day in China, I can say it opened my mind to new ways of looking at the world. It has been a time of growth and maturity for both my mind and character; above all, it has been the most thrilling, inspiring and fulfilling period of my life. Chinese society has taught me how to take life as it comes and to seize each opportunity to develop myself. During my stay in China I witnessed a vast change and huge pivot and development at close distance. This can be a good for me to take home because Nigeria needs to learn some lessons from China on how the nation has been implementing its development plans in the past four decades.

Recently, I discovered another part of rural China where the Li ethnic minority group lives in Wanning county in South China’s Hainan province. The Li ethnic minority group has inhabited Hainan Island since ancient times. This county might not be as famous as other towns in China but today, the place and the small farming community in the southern part of China enjoy comparative serenity. With that said, I will conclude by saying, during my time in China, what I have learned about dreams is that “a great dream can only be fulfilled through hard work and perseverance” ; China is a good example. Also, dreams are malleable, not set in stone; they are beacons of light to point people towards the right direction. Meaning, my coming to China was the right decision and has pointed me towards the right direction of attaining my academic dream.

The author is from Nigeria and is a student at Hainan Normal University. She came to China in September 2018 through the Hainan Government Scholarship Award to study in the master’s program on Teaching Chinese to Foreigners.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.