Kazakh student captures vibrancy of life in China

BEIJING, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- With his GoPro camera rolling, Bissenov Temirlan from Kazakhstan hopped on an ice bicycle and rode on the ice-covered Shichahai lake in Beijing, recording the vibe of the Spring Festival during the just-concluded week-long holiday.

Temirlan, 20, is an international student of Beijing Language and Culture University, and this Chinese Lunar New Year of the Rabbit marks his second celebration of the traditional Chinese festival.

"Shichahai is famous for its historic spirit of the time-honored Beijing city, so I went there to experience it myself and capture this exciting moment," he said.

Traditional Beijing food such as copper hotpot, and noodles with soybean paste are two of Temirlan's favourites. During the holiday, his Kazakh friends in the city also joined him for an appetizing meal.

"Wherever you go those days, malls, restaurants, business streets, you barely miss the crowds. There is an air of exhilaration," he said.

To celebrate the Year of the Rabbit, the young man, together with some exercise pals, went for a run through the hutongs and hustling blocks, passing multiple historical spots such as Beihai Park, and ended up with a rabbit-shaped route on the map on his mobile phone.

"It's quite fun to greet the Chinese Lunar New Year by 'mapping out' a 'rabbit'," said Temirlan, adding that running in Beijing is simply a real treat for him, where he is able to be immersed in a mix of the ancient and modern.

Temirlan first came to the Chinese capital in 2007 for a short visit. "Despite a language barrier back then, I was impressed by the historical palaces and brand new skyscrapers standing together," he recalled.

Nostalgia ultimately led him back to Beijing in 2019 as a university student. And he is now fluent in Mandarin.

"China is huge and culturally diverse with countless dialects. And I'm learning Beijing's local dialect as well," he noted.

With China's continued refining of COVID-19 response in recent months, Temirlan restarted his long-anticipated exploration of the country. In early January, he traveled all the way by train down to Sanya, a coastal resort city in south China's Hainan Province.

"It was a super experience to see different cities and views passing by the window, and hear people inside talk in different dialects," said Temirlan.

Harbin, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Kunming...10 more cities spanning across China are on his to-visit list this year. "I can't wait to explore all the 10 cities and capture all the fascination with my camera," said the young man.