Students serve as bridge for cultural ties

Guilin, which is known for its untouched natural scenery and abundant cultural heritage, has gradually become a preferred destination for Russian students.

"There is not only traditional culture, but also high-speed economic development, as well as beautiful landscapes," said Izabella Kuanchalieva, a Russian student from the Guilin University of Technology.

She added she was deeply attracted by the profound cultural heritage and beautiful scenery in Guilin.

"The traditional Chinese culture courses, such as calligraphy, paper-cutting and traditional Chinese painting, are also very attractive to me."

"I like Chinese painting best,"Kuanchalieva said, adding that she appreciates its artistic conception, which is different from oil painting and makes people feel its profound charm.

Ehsonjon Sanginov has been studying in China for seven years and can speak fluent Mandarin.

Sanginov said COVID-19 has affected many of his classmates, forcing some of them to even go back home. The Russians students were pleasantly surprised with China's response to the outbreak in a way they felt was fast and effective.

"I think many countries should learn from China in terms of epidemic prevention and control," said another Russian student Alexey Moryzhenkov.

He was more impressed by the strong self-discipline of Chinese people. To prevent and control the epidemic, Chinese people were willing to abide by the regulations and stay at home.

To Moryzhenkov and Kuanchalieva, Guilin is a special city that witnessed their love story. As classmates studying in Guilin together, they gradually fell in love and were married at the consulate.

Most Russians still interpret China based on the kungfu movies of the 1990s, Kuanchalieva said, though the number of Russian students coming to China is increasing each year.

Kuanchalieva set up online courses for teaching the Chinese language in hopes of attracting more Russian people to study the language and learn about Chinese culture.

They hope China-Russia relations will improve in the future and want to become envoys between the two countries, the students said.

Tianyuan travel service is an established travel agency in Guilin. Founded in 2005, it is the only travel agency in Guilin providing Russian-language service.

Luo Yiyun, a staff member at the agency, said the number of Russian tourists traveling to China increased in recent years. Affected by the outbreak, fewer overseas tourists are coming. But they are still keeping an eye on the status of the border to prepare for the recovery of business when the virus is controlled.