Khusravjon (R4 in the second row) is a member of the international student soccer team at XJTU.

Tajikistan is world-renowned for its unique geographical advantages and distinctive Silk Road culture. Following the ancient Silk Road, a young Tajik student named Ochilov Khusravjon chose Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) to pursue his studies, carrying with him both his drawing board and his dreams.

Before he arrived in China, the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Bund in Shanghai were only places Khusravjon had heard about from friends or seen briefly on television as symbols of prosperity.

However, when he finally stood atop the Xi'an City Wall bathed in the golden sunset, he realized that the China he was experiencing firsthand was a hundred times more fascinating than anything he had read about in books or seen.

Khusravjon has now lived and studied in China for four years. As his Chinese proficiency improves, he spends his spare time exploring the country. He has smelled the floral fragrance in the breeze at Dianchi Lake in Kunming, walked the slow-paced stone paths of Dali Ancient City, and found that the night view of the Shanghai Bund reminds him of the starry skies of his hometown, Dushanbe.

He has even compiled a bucket list of cities to visit — Chengdu, Yiwu, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Sanya — before graduation. "Everywhere I go, I try the local specialties. China's food culture is truly profound, and I am even more fascinated by the history and culture behind each dish."

As for the future, Khusravjon has his own plans. "Life in China is comfortable and safe, with many opportunities for learning and growth." As both a witness to and a participant in the friendship between the two countries, he hopes to use his personal experiences to help more people learn about China.