"Laowai" in China | Foreign expert fascinated by Chinese culture-Xinhua

*春色直播

"Laowai" in China | Foreign expert fascinated by Chinese culture

新华网

Editor: huaxia

2024-08-31 07:29:32

El Batoul Nejjaoui poses while experiencing a paper-cutting dress at the intangible cultural heritage exhibition center in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2024.

El Batoul Nejjaoui, a Moroccan girl, has been in China for over five years and is now an expert at a cultural communication agency in Ningxia.

Nejjaoui has been fascinated by Chinese movies, documentaries, and traditional culture since childhood. To her, China is a mysterious and beautiful country. She was intrigued by the Chinese language she saw in films.

While studying at Mohammed V University in Morocco, Nejjaoui chose Chinese as her major and even came to China's capital Beijing as an exchange student. After graduation, Nejjaoui worked in Ningxia as a translator. She and her colleagues translated many Chinese books and films into Arabic to promote them overseas.

Following the popularity of "Minning Town," a Chinese TV drama series narrating the country's poverty alleviation efforts, Nejjaoui and her colleagues facilitated the translation of the series into Arabic and promoted its broadcast in countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, and Morocco. She hopes that these "books and films, containing Chinese wisdom and solutions," can be read, seen and adopted by more people worldwide, helping them live better lives.

To better translate and present Chinese works, Nejjaoui decided to continue her studies to improve her Chinese proficiency. Speaking about her experiences living in China, Nejjaoui said, "The Chinese language is captivating, and Chinese people are warm and friendly. For me, China has already become my second home." (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

El Batoul Nejjaoui poses for a photo at her company in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)

El Batoul Nejjaoui learns about a tiger-shaped doll at the intangible cultural heritage exhibition center in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2024.(Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

El Batoul Nejjaoui makes tea for her friends in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)

El Batoul Nejjaoui views Chinese painting works at the intangible cultural heritage exhibition center in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)

El Batoul Nejjaoui (R) takes photos of paper-cutting works at the intangible cultural heritage exhibition center in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2024.(Xinhua/Wang Peng)

El Batoul Nejjaoui takes an Arabic book about China, in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2024.(Xinhua/Wang Peng)

A drone photo shows El Batoul Nejjaoui visiting the intangible cultural heritage exhibition center in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

El Batoul Nejjaoui (C) takes a group photo with colleagues at the signing ceremony of the first batch of overseas broadcasts of "Minning Town" Arabic version on Nov. 8, 2022. (Xinhua)

El Batoul Nejjaoui and colleagues proofread a Chinese textbook for Arab countries in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

El Batoul Nejjaoui poses while experiencing a paper-cutting dress at the intangible cultural heritage exhibition center in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

El Batoul Nejjaoui writes Chinese characters on a board at her company in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)

El Batoul Nejjaoui reads a book that she and her colleagues have translated into Arabic, in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2024.

(Xinhua/Wang Peng)

This undated file photo shows El Batoul Nejjaoui wearing traditional Chinese costumes. (Xinhua)

This undated file photo shows El Batoul Nejjaoui (L) and her friend wearing traditional Chinese costumes. (Xinhua)

El Batoul Nejjaoui teaches Chinese language to young people at a book fair in Abu Dhabi, May 1, 2024. (Xinhua)

El Batoul Nejjaoui (3rd R) has a meal with her friends at a scenic spot in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Jan. 12, 2024. (Xinhua)