National anthem heard while overseas

In April, I embarked on a journey to Serbia as part of a field trip with nine schoolmates and two professors from Tsinghua University. Throughout our trip, we were embraced by the warmth and friendliness of Serbian people, who surprised us with their deep appreciation for Chinese culture.

When strolling through Kalemegdan Citadel, where the spring colors peeked out from lush green leaves lining the road, we encountered a street artist immersed in his music with the wooden stringed instrument called a tambura.

As we hurried past, his tune suddenly shifted, blending unfamiliar Serbian lyrics with a familiar melody that left us in awe when we were in a foreign land — it was March of the Volunteers, China's national anthem.

The elderly artist who played March of the Volunteers was Josip Komljenovic. He warmly called us "Chinese brothers" in Serbian and invited us to stay for a moment to share his passion for music.

"I play 28 instruments," he said enthusiastically and took out various traditional Serbian musical instruments from his bag and showed them to us. "I hope to go to China one day to give my own recital."

Upon our leaving, he pulled out a copy of The Sun Shines Over the Sava River and presented it as a gift to us. Then, he skillfully played the tambura and sang a well-known Serbian folk song called Tamo Daleko (In That Distant Place) for us as a final farewell.

This song was performed by Serbian singer Slobodan Tegula during China Central Television's Spring Festival Gala in 2023 as part of the performance Song of Flowers Along the Belt and Road. On that night of jubilation, Tegula was seen by the audience sitting atop the Kalemegdan Citadel, with the statue of Pobednik (The Victor) standing behind him. The statue was erected in 1928 to commemorate Serbia's victories in the Balkan Wars and World War I. With one hand holding a bird symbolizing peace and the other gripping a sword symbolizing power and conquest, Pobednik guarded that rare moment of tranquility in the surging currents of history.

As we basked in the warmth of this musical exchange, our interactions with the Institute of International Politics and Economics in Belgrade solidified our belief in the depth of China-Serbia friendship. The young researchers and assistants at the institute painted a vivid picture of their perception of China, using keywords such as "friend", "civilization", "history", "tradition", "cooperation "and "industry".

When we showed them a video about Tsinghua University, we were surprised that one research fellow could fluently read the Chinese subtitles in it.

"The popularity of both the Chinese language and Chinese people in Serbia is really beyond my imagination. The infrastructure projects here with Chinese investment are highly appreciated by the Serbian people and that's why they greet East Asian faces with 'ni hao' (hello) when encountering them on the streets," said Zhou Xinyi, a member of the field trip team.

Under the Belt and Road Initiative, China has invested in many important bridges and railways in Serbia that helped connect the country with neighboring countries and improve people's well-being.

"Despite differences between European and Chinese companies in terms of operation and management, Chinese companies have adapted well to the local regulations in Serbia and achieved a high level of localization," said Nenad Stekic, a researcher with the institute who has the Chinese name "Xi Ningyi".

Zhu Jingyi talked with Mo Jingxi.