Up close and personal

Lived reality

For William Vickery, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research at Peking University, getting to know China went far beyond campus walls.

Drawn by a long-standing interest in Marxist theory, Vickery sought to connect his academic background with the everyday lives of working people. "Seeing the real life of workers in China meant a lot," he said. "Their effort and survival are what's shaping history right now."

Through friendships with university staff and service workers, Vickery received invitations to visit their rural hometowns, including in Inner Mongolia, Hubei, Shaanxi and Hebei.

"These journeys revealed how workers balanced earning wages in cities with sending money home to build houses or educate their children," he said.

In Yuanchu village in Jinyun county, Zhejiang, he met a farmer in his 60s who had spent years working in a factory in Wuhan, Hubei province. Despite his modest circumstances, the man spent his days walking around the neighborhood helping others build house foundations and tend farmland.

"He invited me to his self-styled small farmhouse, and he recounted many vivid stories to me," said Vickery. "He kept large ceramic jars for storing potatoes and corn, and the residence was well arranged. He often moved around the village to offer help to others."

During his travels, Vickery also observed the complex choices facing changing rural areas. While infrastructure like roads and electricity had improved, some villages still faced challenges such as limited water supplies, leading younger generations to consider buying homes in county seats.

"The people had complicated feelings," Vickery noted. "They care deeply about their spiritual hometown, but they are also navigating what transformation means for their future."

These ground-level realities and cross-cultural journeys resonate deeply with Han Shenghong, 27, a Chinese American PhD student in historical theory at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences who researches the history of China-US relations.

Having taken part in volunteer projects in remote mountain communities, including in Sichuan province and Medog county in Nyingchi, Xizang autonomous region, Han has witnessed firsthand the changes taking place in rural China.

He recalled that some mountain villages he visited once required a 90-minute hike to reach. Today, many such communities are connected by paved roads and have access to electricity and tap water. Local industries have also developed as part of broader rural vitalization efforts.

From his perspective as a Chinese American studying in Beijing, grassroots interactions and student exchanges remain essential tools for bridging perceptual divides.

"Visiting students and scholars can better understand local culture, customs and ways of thinking on a human level," he said.

Han said that while Chinese scholars continue to study abroad, more American students should be encouraged to experience China firsthand. "It allows people to engage in dialogue based on a shared level of awareness," he said.

For Han, fostering this mutual empathy is crucial to shaping the future of international relations.

"China and the US are not enemies or adversaries; they share a relationship of healthy competition," Han said.

"Enhancing mutual understanding through lived experiences is one of the most important endeavors today. By helping both sides truly understand one another, we can build a foundation for long-term respect and cooperation."

For Vickery, an invitation to someone's home required that same mutual respect and trust, creating enduring personal bonds that reflect Han's vision of shared understanding.

"To develop deep relationships and deep knowledge of a place," Vickery said, "that's the greatest joy."