A Vincentian student in China has shared her experience there with One News SVG. The following is an article where she details her stint so far in the Asian country where she has been a student for several weeks.
My China Venture Is An Adventure
By Omega Laura Dublin
What is China? Who are Chinese? What makes China different?
I left home with these and other questions in mind on my first visit to Beijing, where I was reminded that the nation’s full name is The People’s Republic of China (PRC).
From my early research, I found that China is a major country located East Asia, specifically on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean and the original China was a single integrated country that started under Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di (221 BC), who united seven Chinese kingdoms and conquered many adjacent territories.
China, as we know it now, was established in 1949 under the leadership of Mao Tse Tung and is home to 1.42 billion people and is divided into 34 province-level administrative divisions consisting 23 provinces, 4 municipalities, 5 autonomous regions and 2 special administrative regions (SARs).
China’s name speaks for itself: When you think the country, you think technology, culture, art, history and ancient wonders. But China’s rapid economic development is not something that many countries can accomplish in the time it took the PRC.
China went through many trials, but there were more wins than there were failures, as we can tell, and that is all because of good leadership, a sense of peace, knowledge and — most of all — cooperation and understanding between its people.
Chinese don’t just think solely on the present. Instead, they think about the past, present and the future. And I do believe this is one of the reasons China is as we know it today, but that is merely just my position, as others have speculated otherwise. But it’s not a secret that is hidden, as China has stretched out its hand to many other countries into promote partnership and development.
After a couple weeks in Beijing with other Caribbean friends and others from around the world, I’ve started to better understand what the real China is and why its government and people are so confident.
With thousands of years of history building their own civilization, the Chinese have developed society that can depend on itself while working with and assisting other nations, big and small.
I am also understanding the difference between China and the small island of Taiwan, which, in the case of St. Vincent & The Grenadines where I am from, it’s like the difference between the mainland and the smallest island in the Grenadines.
But, also from a small and developing island in the Caribbean, I have also been able to see and feel the difference of living, studying and working in a society that truly reaches out to ensuring its people are happy and its friends are assisted.
I am glad to be among the Caribbean students on this special training program for journalists in Beijing and look forward to learning more about China.
I’ve already learned to use chopsticks, but not yet much about the Chinese cuisine.
However, from what I’ve seen, there’s much to learn and I am ready and open to learn as much as I can to share with colleagues, friends and family when I return home.
My China adventure continues.
END
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