I made my first trip to China at the end of August 2007. As a fresh graduate, I had never left my hometown before, let alone lived abroad. It took a big leap of faith for me to decide to go to a university in Beijing, and it ended up being one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.

In college, I majored in Chinese-Spanish translation and Sinology, but my knowledge about Chinese culture and China's reality was still very limited. I came to China to further my studies in the Chinese language, get more fluent in it, and also broaden my understanding of China overall. I had intended to stay in Beijing for only one year, but plans always fall behind changes — now I have been living in Beijing for nearly 17 years. I still wouldn't dare claim that I thoroughly understand China. However, I did manage to eliminate quite a few unfounded preconceptions and get a fuller picture of China. I have become more mature and turned into a senior translator and Sinologist.

In addition to my own changes, I have witnessed, as an outsider, China's transformations over the past 17 years. Among them is the obviously growing global influence of Chinese literature. More Chinese literary works have been published in a wider range of countries.