Just over three years of Chinese learning, the Belgian post-00s young man Benjamin Herman won the global championship of the “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students. Now he has come to Liaoning University to further his studies in Chinese and has even mastered the northeastern dialect with ease. From being a Chinese “expert” to becoming a Liaoning “local”, Herman said, “Liaoning Province is fantastic! I hope you can join me in embracing the rich human connections of Northeast China!”

Herman’s connection with Chinese began with curiosity and blossomed into deep love. “I came across Chinese characters. I discovered that they have flexible intonations and variant forms, evolving over thousands of years. They can reflect Chinese history and culture, which sparked my deep interest in Chinese.” In 2021, Herman started learning Chinese. In September 2024, through the “Chinese Semester” cooperation exchange program between Ghent University in Belgium and Liaoning University in Northeast China, he obtained the opportunity to come to Liaoning to further his studies in Chinese.

“In Belgium, ancient Chinese and Chinese literature are taught in Dutch. After coming to Liaoning University, I studied Chinese in a fully Chinese-speaking environment for the first time, and my Chinese proficiency has improved greatly during this period,” said Herman. At the Institute of International Education of Liaoning University, Herman not only studied specialized courses such as Chinese Intensive Reading, Modern and Contemporary Literature, and Ancient Chinese, but also experienced a variety of cultural classes such as paper cutting, calligraphy, Tai Chi, and Peking Opera art. “Also, there are diverse extracurricular activities at Liaoning University. Events like Chinese performance competitions, Ginkgo festival, and food festival have allowed me to make many new friends and appreciate the profoundness and extensiveness of Chinese culture.”

“During my visit to the Chinese Character Theme Study in the Laobeishi of Shenyang City, I learned about the origin and evolution of Chinese characters, experienced Chinese calligraphy, which deepened my understanding of Chinese characters, and made me discover many Chinese stories behind them,” said Herman. “Each Chinese character has multiple meanings, and there are many synonyms in Chinese. Deciding which word to use in a specific situation is what I find most challenging when learning Chinese.” Herman expressed his deep gratitude to the teachers and classmates at Liaoning University for their help. “They provided me with a lot of learning materials, and answered all my questions patiently.”

The “top learner” Herman also shared his tips for learning Chinese: “Create and immerse yourself in a Chinese-speaking environment. I often play football and eat with my Chinese friends to experience the local culture.” Being accustomed to going Dutch for meals, he has adapted to the local customs by taking turns to treat friends, integrating into the Liaoning “local friend circle” seamlessly. He said, “Here, I’ve started to truly understand China and have fallen in love with Liaoning Province. I also experienced rich human warmth in Northeast China!”

As the short but rich “Chinese Semester” draws to a close, Herman expresses his reluctance to leave Liaoning Province. “I will definitely come back to Liaoning if I have a chance. If foreign friends want to understand China and learn Chinese, I highly recommend them to visit Liaoning!”