Some managed to return, with a renewed sense of identity, while those who chose to stay assist local communities in tackling the pandemic, Cheng Yuezhu reports.
Postgraduate Wu Peng still stays in Britain during the COVID-19 outbreak. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Students, far from home, face dilemmas every day. Coursework and how to stretch limited budgets, naturally, play a central role in daily concerns. But now a new quandary befalls students. Picture this: You are ensconced in a flat in London, having arrived in the city five months ago to pursue a master's degree. On this fine spring day, however, rather than enjoying an idyllic rest, your head is spinning, taunted by this question: "Should I go or should I stay?"
This is the conundrum that is facing 1.6 million Chinese students abroad as COVID-19 hits the world. Students have to decide whether to shelve their studies for the time being and head home or to hunker down and wait until the pandemic has finally run its course.
Every time I post my charts, the immediate comments let me know that many are paying close attention to the statistics, and my charts can help them view the data in a clearer way
Wu Peng, a postgraduate student at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom
Cao Yuanyuan, a student from Shanghai studying at the University of the Arts London, is among those who face this difficult choice. Due to the outbreak, the university suspended classes and Cao's family insisted on her coming back.
The actual return journey presented obstacles unimaginable under usual circumstances, requiring the skills of an explorer or navigator. When searching for flights, Cao found that not a single direct flight was available, nor were there any interline tickets－those which allow for seamless, multi-airline travel with checked bags.
She therefore had to buy two separate flights on March 16 transferring in Singapore, on a journey that took her 26 hours. A nonstop flight takes around 11.
Homecoming revelations
Fortunately, Cao did not have trouble transferring. After landing in Shanghai at midnight, she was amazed to find the airport was bustling with workers, all wearing medical protective suits.
Cao Yuanyuan, another postgraduate in Britain, records her homecoming trip in a video that has moved many Chinese people. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
It was 1 am when she completed entry formalities and was directed to the distribution desk for Shanghai residents.
"I was very touched when I arrived in the distribution zone. Because it was already very late, the health inspection workers were resting. As soon as I went in, they immediately sat up. They were so exhausted," Cao says.
She and two other passengers were then picked up by a bus, accompanied by a doctor and a police officer, to a hotel to rest for the night, and await nucleic acid tests the next day.
Despite their intense workload, the inspection officers kept asking Cao if the journey went well and whether she needed anything. Moved by their meticulous care, she recorded a video that night expressing her respect, in which she could not hold back her tears.
The video quickly climbed onto the trending list, winning 16,000 likes. What she said resonated with many: "I feel like everyone is contributing to this country... I really feel so proud that I am Chinese."
On the second day, when her test result came out as negative, she was driven home on a bus accompanied by a police officer. During her 14-day quarantine at home, she continued to be moved by the community workers who came daily to take her temperature, and volunteers who helped bring deliveries to her doorstep.
Cao says in an interview with China Daily that her views changed. "At first when the virus had just broken out, I felt conflicted. In the news, there were some touching stories, but also a lot of negative incidents that worried me greatly," she says.
"But I gradually believed that things would change for the better, and, after this personal experience, I now truly know that our country is doing so much to control the virus. We cannot please everyone, but we are already so awesome."
A screenshot of Cao Yuanyuan’s video, in which one person works at a hotel late at night. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Recording the changes
Some Chinese students managed to come back home to meet worried parents and families, but many others, for various reasons, opted to stay overseas, and, despite the challenges, are living full lives, under the circumstances.
Studying graphic design at Italy's Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli, Luan Xinyu has more than 100,000 followers on micro-blogging platform Sina Weibo, where his photography skills are much admired. Since going to Italy in 2018, he has been posting vlogs that vividly capture the stunning scenic beauty of Naples.
As the virus broke out and Italy went into lockdown, Luan's videos faithfully recorded how the city gradually lost its boisterous jollity and fell into silence.
His posts highlight an uneasy undertow. For instance, on one occasion, when people saw Luan and his friend, they pinched their noses and quickly ran past.
Just when he started thinking the virus was no longer spreading in Italy, on Feb 21, he read that 18 new cases were confirmed in the country, and the number began to escalate alarmingly.
He says that at that time, one of the problems faced by Chinese students was whether to wear masks on the streets. As much as they wanted to protect themselves, they were also concerned about causing more fear among the locals.
A screenshot of Cao Yuanyuan’s video, in which two people lead her to the hotel for quarantine. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
The option of going home also crossed his mind, but like most Chinese students around him, he chose to stay. "I think it's safer if I stay here and avoid going out," Luan says.
As the pandemic spread, what was supposed to be a matter of choice has turned into an ongoing public debate on Chinese social media, in which a lot of people object to students returning to the country.
"I felt quite upset reading this, because China is after all our country, our home, but then I thought, there's no point arguing with them. Nobody would ever intentionally bring the virus back home. We'll protect ourselves all the same," Luan says.
His lockdown vlogs, so far 15, registered the transformation in the locals' attitudes toward the virus.
On March 5, when a total of nearly 4,000 cases were confirmed in Italy and Naples had 17 cases, the city was bustling as usual and Chinese students were the only ones wearing masks. Only after March 10, when the lockdown measures were enforced throughout Italy, did more people wear masks on the street.
"The mindset of the locals changed quite fast. As soon as the lockdown was announced, a lot of them started wearing masks," Luan says. "They are also quite optimistic, singing and playing instruments on the balconies."
The guideline measures became strict rules. At first, pedestrians needed to carry a personal information form. Later, only those doing grocery shopping or walking their dogs were allowed out.
Luan is only one example of many Chinese students in Italy. In a recent video call with China Central Television, the Chinese ambassador to Italy, Li Junhua, says that there are 26,000 Chinese students now studying in Italy.
On March 26, dozens of Chinese students and bloggers living in Italy, including Luan, together filmed a video, assuring those back home that they are doing fine and expressing their belief that, by fighting together, Italy will get through this difficult time soon.
Luan Xinyu, a student in Naples, Italy, is a popular vlogger recording the crisis. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Taking actions
Although most overseas Chinese students have no alternative other than taking protective measures and studying at home in a foreign country, some are trying in their own way to make a difference.
Wu Peng, a postgraduate student of international corporate law at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, proved that actions, that may be considered small by themselves, can be meaningful to others.
Since March 5, he has been voluntarily updating the COVID-19 line charts under the Twitter feed of the UK's Department of Health and Social Care. He has over 12,000 followers with his daily updates and lucid presentation of the statistics.
"The department publishes the statistics daily," Wu says, in a modest manner. "When I get a Twitter update notification from their account, I will simply input the official data into my already set-up data analysis software. It takes less than five minutes."
When asked why he started doing this, he confesses that there was not much planning.
"On March 5 when I was checking the COVID-19 statistics on Twitter, I found the official updates only contain the figures," Wu says. "I wanted to know the trend, so I produced a line chart and commented below."
Luan Xinyu, a student in Naples, Italy, is a popular vlogger recording the crisis. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
With his comments gaining popularity, he kept on updating and modifying his charts according to followers' feedback.
Wu says that he simply wants to help more people, even confined at home. "Every time I post my charts, the immediate comments let me know that many are paying close attention to the statistics, and my charts can help them view the data in a clearer way," he says.
Wu also received questions about both his charts and general pandemic prevention from professionals in different walks of life. A few Twitter users have even started a hashtag "Peng for PM", to which he laughs and says that British people have a noted sense of humor.
He will continue his twice-a-day updates until the pandemic is under control and the number of confirmed cases stops increasing in the UK.
On a personal level, he is not particularly worried about himself or his fellow Chinese classmates, for they were among the first to prepare against the virus.
Support from the Chinese embassy is also helpful, with hotlines set up for those in need. Like many other Chinese embassies worldwide, the embassy in Britain also announced on March 23 that it would distribute 100,000 pandemic prevention kits for free to Chinese students studying in the UK. These include masks, antiseptic wipes, a handbook on self-protection and some traditional Chinese medicine.
In the meantime, he still attends classes online, writes term essays and prepares for the dissertation. Life goes on as usual.
Contact the writer at chengyuezhu@chinadaily.com.cn
