During the 2022 graduation ceremony of Soochow University three days ago, Oray Chen Yiqiang from Nigeria made a speech as the student representative. Surprisingly, he also sang The Moon Stands For My Heart, a classical Chinese song, in Mandarin to show his love for the language.
Born in 2000, Oray has been a big fan for Chinese culture since he was a child. He studied Chinese and Chinese culture at the Confucius Institute in Nigeria and came to Suzhou in 2019 through the cooperative program between Soochow University and University of Lagos.
In the last three years he’s found Suzhou a genuinely special city: it is a water town full of traditional Chinese culture, but also a modern and advanced metropolis. Being in a city with endless possibilities makes him feel very lucky.
“There are so many Chinese songs to express my current state of mind. Before coming to China, I didn’t comprehend their lyrics, so I had to learn them phonetically. But after coming here, I gradually understood the emotions and cultural connotations behind these characters,” said Oray.
He will continue to study for a master’s degree at Soochow University after graduation and contribute to the development and inheritance of China-Nigeria friendship.
