Bangladeshi student falls in love with classical Chinese poetry

By Chen Si and Wu Zongfang, Yichang International Communication Studio

“The way ahead is long; I see no ending, yet high and low I’ll search with my will unbending.” Md Nazrul Islam, a Bangladeshi senior student from China Three Gorges University, recited in Mandarin this ancient verse by famous Chinese poet Qu Yuan (c. 340 BC-278 BC) in the State of Chu during the Warring States period.


Md Nazrul Islam (second from left) is reciting Chinese poem Sorrow after Departure on stage with his classmates.

Going to China to study has long been Nazrul’s dream. In primary school, he was fascinated by Chinese culture. Later he applied for Chinese Government Scholarship and embarked on a new life in China in 2018.

“I traveled across the sea to China, to explore knowledge and truth,” he said.

At first, studying Chinese at China’s Northeast Normal University was difficult. Although Nazrul is language-savvy (he is proficient at Bengali, English, Hindi and Urdu), he found himself puzzled by Chinese. “China is a country with a long and profound history. You need to understand the country’s culture to be able to learn Chinese well,” Nazrul said. Nazrul has now passed level 5 of the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK)-the authoritative Chinese Proficiency Test-with a relatively high score (287/300).

In 2019, Nazrul came to Hubei’s Yichang City to do a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at China Three Gorges University. He soon felt at home in this city which has a pleasant climate similar to his hometown and tempting food as well as friendly and hospitable people. Nazrul has got to know Yichang City pretty well.

Studying in Yichang, the hometown of Qu Yuan, Nazrul’s interest in  classical Chinese poetry grew. He referred to the motto of China Three Gorges University, “Qiusuo”, which is extracted from one of Qu Yuan’s famous poems - Sorrow after Departure.

“‘Qiusuo’ can’t be understood just by looking in the dictionary. It represents a quality of self-discipline, social commitment and courage that never gives up. When I struggle to understand the full meaning of ‘Qiusuo’, I feel I’m already on the way to it-Chinese culture with its long history has embraced me,” Nazrul said.

In recent years, Yichang City has vigorously promoted Qu Yuan’s legacy by organizing activities such as the Qu Yuan Poetry Award, the Dragon Boat Competition, and the Promotion of Chu cuisine. Nazrul got involved and has won many awards, such as China’s Ancient Poetry Recitation Contest Award and the 1st Prize in China’s Calligraphy Competition.

Having studied and lived in Yichang for four years, Nazrul has developed a better understanding of Qu Yuan’s legacy. “Qu Yuan represents an indomitable, romantic, optimistic spirit and also a strong attachment to his homeland. His spirit belongs not only to China but to the world. I intend to follow the University’s motto ‘Qiusuo’ and make the exploring spirit part of my daily life, to endeavor to be a man of integrity with grand dreams,” he said.

Now in his last year of college, Nazrul intends to pursue a master's degree in civil engineering. But he is also interested in Chinese Literature. So if there's any opportunity in the future, he would like to do higher study on it. “I’m also planning to share my life in Yichang via Facebook and YouTube as well as spread the culture of ancient Chinese poetry to the world,” Nazrul said.