"My family has traveled to many places in China. Everywhere we went, we could feel the profound history, and splendid culture, of the country. China's seamless blend of traditional culture and modernity is intriguing," Gensini Chiara, from Italy, says.

Chiara has a beautiful Chinese name, Zhang Jiali. She and her husband, Cantarutti Stefano, live in Beijing with their three daughters. With a passion for both China and Chinese culture, the family has participated in various international activities in Beijing, to promote cultural exchanges between China and Italy. The family was honored as one of the Most Beautiful Families in the capital during the first quarter of 2020.

"All of my daughters were born in Beijing. They are Beijingers. We feel happy living in Beijing, and we love China," Chiara says, proudly. In 2017, she took her first daughter, Alice, then 9, to the welcome banquet for the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Alice sang with children from other countries during the banquet's entertainment. Two years later, Chiara's second daughter, Emma, then 7, attended the welcome banquet for the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

Chiara's family likes traveling. They have visited numerous places in China. "Many of my Chinese friends haven't visited as many places as we have," Chiara says.

As many Italians don't know much about China, Chiara often shares her China-related stories and experiences with her friends and family members in Italy. She enjoys explaining what her life is like in Beijing. "I always like to invite my friends and family members in Italy to visit China. We love to do our part to promote friendship between people from the two countries," Chiara says.

Chiara has been impressed by the high-quality development of China, and by China's pursuit of modernization, in recent years. "Compared with some of the countries we have visited, China has a higher level of modernization. I feel the rapid development of the country, in many fields. For example, there are more electric cars on the streets, city management is more intelligent, and digital technology has been increasingly embedded in people's lives," she says.

"I believe China will continue to surge ahead, in pursuing development, and it will advance toward a great future of modernization. I also believe Chinese people's lives will be healthier and more comfortable, and society will be more open and intelligent," she concludes.

Photos from Interviewee

(Women of China English Monthly October 2024)

Editor: Wang Shasha