In 2014, at the recommendation of a teacher at a Confucius Institute in Italy, Buttarello was admitted by Chongqing University, giving him a long-wanted opportunity to visit China.

Chongqing is part of a group of Chinese cities known as the "Four Furnaces" due to their hot weather. Besides the high temperatures, the hospitality of Chongqing locals also left a deep impression on Buttarello.

"After coming to Chongqing, I got to know the Chongqing people, who are direct and passionate," he said. "Since then, I gradually fell in love with the city."

Buttarello said his Chinese was not that good at first, but gradually, he not only learned to speak standard Chinese well, but also picked up the local dialect. He started by reading Chinese textbooks and then managed to finish the long Chinese novel "To Live" by Yu Hua. He was previously a diehard fan of spaghetti, but now has turned into a big fan of Chongqing street noodles.

"Chongqing is both a modern and an ancient city in my eyes," he said. "Here in Chongqing, you can see many high-rises and bustling city views like Manhattan, and historical small towns."

The ever-changing Chongqing is just "amazing," he said.