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CHENGDU, June 3 (Xinhua) — Dressed in a smart suit, Ahmed Mohammed Jaber talks to the camera in Mandarin with an accent, commencing his latest food exploration vlog. Jaber, also known by the Chinese name Wang Lixuan, hails from Iraq and has made China his home for a decade.

Born in Iraq in 1994, Jaber's childhood is a tapestry woven with the sorrows of war and displacement. From Iraq to Syria, Jaber and his family braved the devastation of conflict. In 2014, with the aid of relatives, they finally reached China.

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber records a video in the kitchen of a local restaurant in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. [Xinhua/Xue Chen]

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber records a video in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. [Xinhua/Xue Chen]

In 2018, Jaber enrolled in a short video training course. This experience taught him basic editing skills and how to navigate social media and short video platforms like Bilibili and Douyin. During a trip, he recorded himself eating and commenting on the food, which after editing, he posted online to considerable acclaim. 

Motivated by this success, Jaber continued to produce food exploration videos. This foreigner, with a love for Chinese food and a command of the language, began to gain recognition among an ever-growing audience.

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber records a video at a local restaurant in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. [Xinhua/Xue Chen]

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber records a video at a local restaurant in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. [Xinhua/Xue Chen]

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber (R) works with a video producer in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. [Xinhua/Xue Chen]

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber talks with his sister Aya about social media content performance in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. [Xinhua/Xue Chen]

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber enjoys food at a local restaurant in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. [Xinhua/Xue Chen]

"I'm a foreigner, but not an outsider. I love peaceful life and peaceful people." From Iraq to Syria and then to China, Jaber has spent ten years finding the security he longed for and his direction in life. 

Looking ahead, Jaber hopes to expand his videos to include Chinese tourism, tea culture, clothing, customs, and ethnic minorities, aiming to create more quality content to help the world better understand China.

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber records a video in the kitchen of a local restaurant in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. [Xinhua/Xue Chen]

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber (L) shakes hands with a fan in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. [Xinhua/Xue Chen]

Photographer: Xue Chen

Editors: Hu Zhixuan, Chu Jiayin, Zhou Dixiao, Wang Haijing, Wu Xia, Li Mangmang, Meng Chenguang, Mu Wenchun

China Story Studio

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Wang Shasha