The United Nations Chinese Language Day is observed every year on or around April 20, highlighting the contribution of Chinese literature, poetry, and language to world culture. Aligned with the traditional Chinese solar term Guyu ("Grain Rain"), which marks sowing season in traditional farming, the date also symbolically links to the legend of Cangjie, the mythical creator of Chinese characters, whose innovation was said to trigger a celestial "rain of millet" from heaven.

Heena Rathore (Xina), a Pakistani student, shares her journey of exploring Chinese language and culture at Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU). Through immersive learning, she realized that language transcends grammar, serving as a bridge to understand the emotional depth embedded in Chinese characters. Join her inspiring journey and see how Chinese language can connect hearts across cultures.

Dream down to SYSU

Xina’s fascination with China began with curiosity about its abundant culture, history and modern development. Over the years, questions have persistently lingered in her mind: “Why am I so fascinated by this neighboring country’s culture?What does it really look like?”

Driven by this quest, Xina decided to study at SYSU, where an immediate sense of belonging emerged upon stepping into its serene campus. The university soon became a pivotal anchor in her cultural odyssey. During a literature class dissecting Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai's iconic verse, “舉頭望明月，低頭思故鄉(xiāng)" (“Looking up, I find the moon bright; Bowing, in homesickness I'm drowned.”), she discovered shared human sentiments transcending time and geography. "My Pakistani heart and Li Bai's words became neighbors," she reflects, realizing that classical Chinese study extends far beyond syntax — it illuminates how the concept of "home" lives through the silent dialogues between characters.

Deepened understanding of Chinese

Since her heart began to resonate with the soul of Chinese language, Xina feels she has found her answer — a deepened understanding of its cultural essence. She now regards Chinese as a treasure box of culture, discovering joy in idioms and proverbs derived from millennia of wisdom. For example, while the phrase “心想事成” (xīn xiǎng shì chéng) literally represents "dreams come true", it implies ancient philosophical beliefs in the power of human will.

Beyond idioms, Xina is fascinated by how characters encode layered meanings. For example, the character“愁” (chóu, sorrow), combining “autumn” (秋) and “heart” (心), reveals poetic connections between emotion and nature. Similarly, the common confusion among foreign learners, like confusing “突然” (tū rán) and “忽然” (hū rán), showcase the language's playful complexity. Once, attempting to describe a “突如其來的暴雨” (sudden rainstorm), Xina misused “糖突奇來”(táng tū qí lái, "sugar-sudden-strange”) — a phrase her classmates humorously reimagined as milk tea blown away by a typhoon.

For Xina, the moon now evokes not just Chinese symbolism of reunion, but also memories of Li Bai’s verses. She also likens Chinese to Guangzhou's dim sum: "simple at first glance, but revealing layers of heritage and vitality upon closer taste." To her, learning the language is not just absorbing culture, but savoring its living evolution.

Such intercultural interactions align with the UN's mission to foster inclusive education and global solidarity. On the occasion of the Chinese Language Day, Xina urges aspiring learners: “Step put of your comfort zone, embrace the unknown, and open your heart to new adventures.”

Video: Xia Wenhui, Yu Andong, Ju Lingfeng