This book is both a bilingual writing model and a cultural reading material with abundant pictures, which can be divided into eight sections including My Chinese Stories, Journeys of Learning Chinese, Deep Friendships, Blood Is Thicker than Water, Cultural Exchange, The Past Guides the Present, Reflections, and Current Affairs Commentary. From the perspectives of American college students, the book describes their special experiences in China, warm and friendly Chinese friends, delicious Chinese food, the inspiration of Chinese culture to themselves, and the differences and collisions between Chinese and American cultures. These experiences and feelings are both real-life examples of American college students and a bridge for international friends to learn about China.

This book is suitable for, firstly, secondary school students, college students, or adults learning Chinese language, which can be used as both their reading materials and models for their writing and speeches, secondly, TCSL teachers, which can be used to instruct their students in reading, writing, or speaking, thirdly, international people interested in China to better recognize and understand China, and fourthly, Chinese students learning English, which can help them to look back at the people and things they are familiar with from the perspective of English.

Dr. Licheng Gu is a professor in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at Northwestern University, and serves as the East Asian Affairs Liaison Officer in the President Office of Northwestern University. Professor Gu has more than 30 years of teaching experience and rich experience in teacher training at home and abroad, and has successfully organized 21 Chinese Bridge Speech Contests in the Midwestern region of the United States. He has not only published professional papers publicly for many times, but also edited such monographs or textbooks as Learning Chinese Characters through Pictures (2006, San Francisco), Learning Chinese with Lulu and Mao Mao (2008, Chicago), Chinese Teaching in America: An Analysis of its Past, Present and Future (2019, Beijing), Language Hacking Mandarin: A Conversation Course for Beginners (2021, London).

I. Representativeness: Widely adopting the excellent works of American college students of all levels.

This book had a nationwide call for submissions, including public and state universities, liberal arts colleges, and even community colleges, as far as possible, in addition to Ivy League schools. We have selected 100 outstanding works from over 300 works from more than 60 U.S. universities. We do not follow the elitism, but strive to attract students at different levels to participate in this project, so that the final collection of essays will be more representative which can stand for the voices of college students at different levels across the United States.

II. Readability: Easy to read and understand in both Chinese and English, and delightfully illustrated.

This book, in the form of Chinese-English bilingualism, has the most authentic expression in both Chinese and English, which is convenient for students learning Chinese as a reference for reading, writing and speaking and for family members and friends who don’t know Chinese to read without any obstacles, and can be used as a reference for Chinese students learning English. The book is finely printed, nicely bound, and equipped with humorous cartoons and exquisite real scene photos.

This book is designed for secondary school students, college students and adults learning Chinese language, Chinese teachers and Chinese students learning English.