"My ancestors were in China, and the Chinese language is the root of my language," said Destinee Hartman, 21, from Texas in the U.S. who just enjoyed her first Spring Festival holiday in Nanjing.

Destinee Hartman, Ma Xuling in her Chinese name, is a student in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at the Nanjing Normal University (NNU). Once an orphan at an orphanage in Ma'anshan of east China's Anhui province, she was adopted by American Rich Hartman and his wife Kathy Hartman in June 1995.

Ma's foster parents always told her about her origins. "My parents told me that my root was in China," said Ma. "They hoped that I came to China to learn about Chinese culture when I grew up," she added.

After graduation from middle school in the U.S. in 2012, she spent one year studying Chinese language at NNU and then decided to continue her study as an undergraduate in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature in the same university.

"It is very difficult for me to learn Chinese language, but I am happy to study hard," she said, adding, "Because I am learning my native language."

Ma Xuling (3rd from right ) with her family.[Photo/english.jschina.com.cn]