Anna Stelmakh (right) in a video shoot in Wenzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province in January 2023 Photo: Courtesy of Anna Stelmakh

Anna Stelmakh, an English teacher from Russia and mother of two children visited a mountain area in Yongjia county of Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province to experience the local residents' life at the beginning of this year. She was surprised by the fast development in the mountain area, with senior residents able to press a button to connect with relevant staff if they face any emergency electricity problems.

Stelmakh's trip to Yongjia county was part of a short video which won an award in the Wenzhou 2022 "Tell China's Stories" International Creative Communication Contest. The contest is an important event encouraging participants to tell stories of China and Chinese culture in the new era.

This year's contest just kicked off in Wenzhou on June 12, and it is set to run from June to the end of the year. It was organized by the China International Communications Group and the publicity department of the Zhejiang provincial committee of the Communist Party of China.

'Our life is the best Chinese story'

In the Wenzhou Overseas Media Center, there is a team of more than 300 people including foreigners who work in various fields, and they wanted to introduce Chinese local customs and what they have seen in China to overseas viewers. Stelmakh is one of them.

As well as being an English teacher, Stelmakh is a social media influencer with more than 20,000 fans on overseas social media platforms. She was interested in sharing what she has seen and experienced in China to overseas friends, especially those related to Chinese traditional culture such as the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival.

In Stelmakh's eyes, Chinese people are "friendly" and full of "wisdom." She also said she feels safe in China. Stelmakh plans to participate in the 2023 "Tell China's Stories" contest, and she wants to introduce the art education in the city to more people abroad.

Thanks to Stelmakh's warm enthusiasm for Chinese traditional culture, she and her family came to China in December 2018 and began their life in North China's Shanxi Province. Now they live in Wenzhou. "I like to learn different languages and feel the beauty of different cultural exchanges through language," Stelmakh told the Global Times.

"My mother was a little worried to come to China at the beginning, as she had been told about something bad in the country," Stelmakh said. "When she saw the ancient and modern buildings in China with her own eyes, she was shocked. She marveled at how modern and clean China is, not only in large cities, but also in smaller cities."

Just like the local Chinese, "we go to the park in the morning to exercise, while my mother and other Chinese people dance in the square in the evening," she said. On the weekends, they normally go to a restaurant to eat Chinese food together.

"My husband, my two children and my parents are all living in Wenzhou. My kids go to the local public primary school, and I think this is where we're going to live," Stelmakh said with a smile. "Our life is the best Chinese story."

People-to-people exchange

The director of Wenzhou Overseas Media Center, surnamed Xu, told the Global Times that they have opened the first comprehensive service hotline for foreigners in Zhejiang Province, which has operated for five years, providing help for foreigners living in the city.

The center also built a forum for foreigners to negotiate and communicate with them about common concerns in the city and they also compiled a service manual to make their life in Wenzhou easier, according to Xu.

These foreigners have been acting as a bridge to strengthen people-to-people exchanges, Xu noted.

Sato Yuki came to Wenzhou in 2018 to work on microbiology research and development. During recent years in China, he has visited many cities, such as Hangzhou, Fuzhou, Shanghai and Xianyang. A visit to Southwest China's Yunnan Province about four years ago gave him a deep impression, which made him feel the changes in China during recent years.

"When I go back to Japan, I will tell my friends what I have seen in China," Yuki told the Global Times.

In his eyes, China's "speed, power and development" are impressive. Yuki felt the people's enthusiasm in Wenzhou and experienced the fast development of the city.

"I feel very happy to live here," Yuki said.