A young student from the Dominican Republic has shared her colorful journey across major Chinese cities and sites during her one-year stay in the country for a master's degree.
Rua, a 23-year-old woman from the sunny Caribbean island nation, embarked on a solo journey to China in 2025, moving from Santo Domingo to Beijing.
In her recap of her travels, she said it has been a year of firsts for her as she became an actress, learned to ride a bicycle, and enrolled in a master's degree program in directing at the Beijing Film Academy.
"For the first time, I came to Beijing to study the career of my dreams, directing at Beijing Film Academy," she said.
Arriving in a new country, she naturally faced numerous challenges, but what she felt most was the joy of exploration. She made the most of her time in China by traveling extensively, from the seashore of Qingdao to the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, and from cosmopolitan Shanghai to the ancient capital of Nanjing.
"More than ever before this year, I've had the opportunity to travel around China, and wow, what an experience it has been," she said.
Each city brought a unique charm to her journey, while all of her destinations showcased China's profound culture, which deeply fascinated her. The people, the harmony between tradition and modernity, and the country's broad development opportunities captured her heart in a short time.
Rua specially recalled her experience of celebrating the Spring Festival with a Chinese family, which left a deep and warm impression on her.
"This year, I also had the opportunity to celebrate Chinese New Year in Fujian, Fuzhou, with a family that more or less adopted me, or at least sentimentally," she said.
"I remember that on New Year's Eve, we went to their hometown in Fujian and together we cooked in the afternoon, preparing for the dinner. We watched TV, eating fruits, eating snacks. We talked and then when the night came, everyone in the family sat together in round tables enjoying a drink, eating the specialty seafood, laughing. And later on in the night, the young people assembled and we went to set off fireworks in the street. It was a really fun experience and also a very memorable day for me," Rua recalled.
With many adventures ahead of her, the young woman said she has made up her mind that China is where she wants to stay for many years.
Student from Dominican Republic shares colorful experience traveling around China
