by Sudewa Diupathi Hettiarachchi
President of Sri Lanka-China Journalist Forum, Sri Lanka
I can’t exactly remember the year I heard the word “China”, but I can recall vividly that this was a word I heard frequently since my childhood.
Since the age of six, I frequently visited at least once week the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation which is Sri Lanka’s state-run broadcasting institution one of the oldest in the Asia. I was one of the presenters of children program there. While preparing for these programs, I got the privilege and rare opportunity to mingle with the veteran broadcasters of Sri Lanka at the time. They were very knowledgeable, talented and as well as very kind people who shared their knowledge with kids like us.
Through them, I heard a lot about China, it’s culture and their leaders. These discussions had a profound impact on me especially on my perspective on China.
Since my childhood, it has been one of my cherished dreams to visit China one day. But it became a reality after many decades. In 2023, I got an opportunity to visit China through the Sri Lanka China Journalists Forum. My destination was China’s capital Beijing. I flew from Katunayaka International airport in Sri Lanka, on a China Eastern airplane. I first reached Chengming. After spending two hours in Chengming, I got on board another flight to travel to Beijing. As the plane descended for landing at the Beijing airport, I got a glimpse of Beijing’s highrise buildings, parks and playgrounds. Once the plane landed, the atmosphere amazed me. The airport was so modern, vast, well cleaned and beautiful. As I came out after completing my immigration process, I was warmly welcomed by Lary who was to stay with me for the rest of my visit.
On the first encounter itself, Lary indicated to me how friendly, warm and respectful are the Chinese people. Going further, during my visit, I realised that Chinese people are very polite and amusing too.
As I was driven out of the airport, I was able to witness the China’s marvellous economic growth.
What struck me most was the China’s capability in sustaining the growth while preserving it’s cultural identity.
From then onwards, I was able to gain a lot of insight into China’s economic miracle that has transformed a farming country into a a major high-tech economic powerhouse. When I participated in the Belt and Road Journalist Forum and subsequent field visits, I was astonished over China’s development and my enthusiasm grew further to learn as to how the Chinese people had performed this miracle.
After the Journalist forum, I was given the opportunity to take part in a five-day workshop at Communication University of China along with a set of fellow journalists from different countries across the world. We took part in lectures on China’s development, culture and politics. We were able to share our views. That was really an interesting experience which widened my knowledge in journalism and as well on the China’s economic ad political process.
I was also able to realise that China’s success depends on it’s people who are necessarily entrepreneurial and hardworking and they strive to improve their lives, the lives of their family and their nation. Despite the enormous competition, the hardworking and commitment of the Chinese people are outstanding. I really salute them.
Coming from a small island nation like Sri Lanka, everything in China seemed to me very big. Roads, buildings, parks, playground, shopping complex everything were very vast and huge. So is the attitude of the Chinese people. I believe they think big and do big that has led them to success and prosperity.
Another feature that stuck me was the use of technology. I realised that technology has invaded the whole life of Chinese people. They use the modern technology for everything. It was amazing to see how the mobile phone apps have made the lives of the Chinese people much easier and comfortable.
Everything is done through the phone. You can order food inside some university restaurants and pay your bill without talking to anyone.
If you want to take a bike, for example, from the university gate to the metro station, you use the same app. When you arrive at the train station and want to enter, you use it. To buy a train ticket between cities, enter a museum, buy a water bottle or juice, or do anything else, even street vendors use the same app for scanning to pay for what you buy.
I noticed that that food bags outside the university building from students’ orders through the phone app. Each student comes to collect their order outside the university entrance, and no one touches or steals them.
I must also say a few words about famous Chinese food. In China, there is so much diversity in food options, all of it is amazingly delicious and very reasonably priced. I tasted many previously unheard foods and they were marvelous. I could not get enough of it, and I can’t wait for my next visit so I can stuff my face with all that deliciousness again!
Also, the simplicity of the Chinese people astonished me. The top government officials whom I met were very simple, humble and friendly. I heard that some of these officials use wayside bikes to travel to their offices and meetings.
On my way back, I came through Shanghai. Luckily, when I reached Shanghai, my flight to Sri Lanka has been cancelled and that provided an opportunity for me to go out from the visit Shanghai on a day visit.
With my limited insight into China on my first visit, I witnessed how China has gained an unparallel development and economic progress that has challenged the whole world. The unique feature is that China has done that while preserving their cultural identity.
As I was flying back, my heart was aching. Then, I realised that pain was due to my warm feelings towards China.
Finally, I would like to reduce my experience in China to three words amazing, camaraderie and miracle.
*The views and opinions expressed in the articles are solely those of the individual authors and do not reflect the position of the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Journalist Network.