China——A Highly-Civilized Country
Since People's Republic of China was founded, China has been making big progress all the time. People in other nations begin to look at this outstanding country in a new way. Now China has got the chance opportunity of hosting 2008 Olympic Games. More and more international friends are storming into China in order to fulfill their curiosity about this mysterious country. I am so proud to be one of citizenry of China and I would like to depict a glorious picture of my fast-developing motherland. I dare say China is a vigorous nation with both old and modern civilization.
Many of my foreign friends are amazed about China's 5,000-year history and the heritage that are left during this long period. These interests of places and relics bring about the influx of visitors at home and abroad which make China one of the most attractive places in the world. Since 1995, the number of foreign tourists is over 100 million. China's tourism has reached a new height. Let me show you the reasons. Beijing, its capital, is an epitome of the old civilization. For instance, when you first enter the Summer Palace, you will be impressed by the tranquility and picturesque scenery. The limpid river, the whispering of little lovely birds and the fragrance from various kinds of flowers, in my eyes, reflect the comfortable living conditions of ancient aristocrats and the wisdom of artists and gardeners. Walking along the gravel road which leads to the further area, you will at times find some houses beside you. They are a bit abrasive because of the time. But you can still catch a glimpse of the calligraphy and paintings inside them. Summer Palace gives us not only the beauty, but also the life of monarchists at that time. Despite the Summer Palace, we can also take a visit to other famous places, like the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Yuanmingyuan, etc. Taking our steps out of the capital, we can still have a lot of choices in other cities. Xi'an is well-known for the starting point of the Silk Road and the splendid terracotta warriors which represent the army of Qinshihuang——the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty. Clinton, the former president of the United States, even made a speech in welcoming ceremonies in to pre-commemorate his trip in Xi'an. Suzhou and Hangzhou are known to Chinese as "the paradise on earth", as Suzhou has the most fabulous and large amount of gardens while Hangzhou is praised by its West Lake. During the recent two decades, Xinjiang and Tibet have become two potential touring districts where special and local civilization stands out. In spite of the cultural heritage, success achieved on the literature is also leading among the top ranks. Confucius's theory is often studied by western institutions. The famous four novels——Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Pilgrimage to the West and A Dream of Red Mansions receive high fame in world literary field. They are translated into different languages and published in other countries.
Silk Market
Though a lot of people show great interest in China's old civilization, most of them pay more attention to its current state. As a newly growing-up nation, China's impact cannot be ignored. On one hand, its power is the representative of Asia; on the other hand, what it is doing plays a crucial role among so many big countries, especially the super nation USA. As a consequence, more and more foreign newspapers report various aspects about China everyday. In fact, as I put it, China now is a melting pot. Since China built relationship with several powerful nations, we can see the incoming rate increases each year. I still remember that experience very well.
At the beginning of this semester, my friend and I went to one of the biggest markets in Beijing——Silk Market. I heard foreigners love shopping there. It was true that people of different races and ethnics lingered over every stand. But what surprised me was the sellers there. When I was passing by a jewelry stand, I overheard the discount given by the seller in English. She spoke English so fluently, quickly and standard that some of the top students in my grade could not reach her level. Then in other stands, I noticed some foreigners speak Chinese as well as that seller spoke English. I suddenly knew the deep meaning of this sentence——Language has no boundary. It can only serve to this fact that China now is respectable. China’s progress and improvement are accepted by foreign countries. Out of admiration, they would like to come and observe its advancement in their own way. But first of all, Chinese language is indispensable. Only through language, they can communicate with local people and understand the life in China. After this, they can create their own business here. You can see nowadays countless cross-country companies are founded in China. Foreigners and Chinese people cooperate and earned both money and credibility. For example, Microsoft cannot be better without Chinese IT elites Li Kaifu and Zhang Yaqin who contributed a lot to artificial intelligence of computer. Commercial opportunities also give graduate students more jobs. Besides, China has also joined WTO and has one seat in other international institutions and organizations. This melting pot is expanding all the time. In 2008, its capacity will be the biggest. In the pre-propagandizing film about the 29th Olympics, we can see a clear-cut picture about ancient and modern civilization in China. Volunteers from different parts of the world will gather together to ensure a high-quality competition. At that time, Chinese people will try their best to give an air of civilized friendliness. Carrying the motto "One World, One Dream", this melting pot will welcome the distinguished guests no matter where you come from.
China is developing; China is going toward its best future; China has its old and modern civilization woven into the history tapestry. Unbelievable tough times have once happened to Chinese people. But these optimistic and hardy fighters got over them and even pushed this nation to a new era. With the united strength, China will go further and further in the future.
作者：北京林業大學通訊員 胡亦明
