Young Chinese volunteer teacher helps deepen China-Vietnam relations

The students of Guan Li presents their calligraphy works at the Hung Vuong University in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam, Sept 16, 2015. "This is my second year of volunteering in Vietnam. I have extended my term to a second year as I do not want to leave and disappoint my students," said Guan, the 25-year-old Chinese volunteer teacher who teaches at the Hung Vuong University. [Photo/Xinhua]

 

HANOI - "This is my second year of volunteering in Vietnam. I have extended my term to a second year as I do not want to leave and disappoint my students," said a Chinese volunteer teacher in Vietnam. Guan Li is a 25-year-old Chinese volunteer teacher who is teaching Chinese language in Hung Vuong University in Vietnam's northern Phu Tho province, some 90 km northwest of the capital Hanoi.

Registered to become a volunteer teacher in 2013, Guan was set to go to the Philippines at first, and then to Mongolia.

"But in the end, I was assigned to Vietnam," Guan told Xinhua.

"I was quite courageous when I decided to come here as I knew no Vietnamese words at that time," Guan said, adding that she faced various difficulties in communication in daily life.

"Thanks to the support from colleagues and students, I could overcome the difficulties and I have been moved by their kindness," Guan said.

"My students and their family's economic situations are quite difficult as most of them are from rural areas. However, they are rich in love," Guan told Xinhua, saying that the students prepare a bottle of drinking water for her every day, or sometimes invite her to their houses for dinner on special occasions.

"Vietnamese students are also interested in Chinese culinary culture. We often gather to make Chinese dumplings," Guan told Xinhua.

Guan lives 35 km away from the university and she has to take the school bus at six o'clock in the morning to get there on time. "Though I have to travel a long distance to get to the classroom every day, such hardships are soon forgotten when I see all my students who are so eager to learn," she said.

"Occasionally, some of my former students who have graduated call me on phone to share their experiences about working life. Others told me that they were going to China for postgraduate study. I feel happy as my students can use their Chinese language skills to make a living, and contribute to strengthening exchanges between China and Vietnam," Guan said.

It has been Guan's second year in Vietnam and the girl who hails from northeastern China who arrived with no knowledge of Vietnamese, is now proud to say she can speak the language fluently.