BISHKEK — Initially a fan of Chinese TV series, 19-year-old Zuura Zakirova is now a student of the Chinese language.

Recently, the third-year Confucius Institute student at Kyrgyzstan's Osh State University performed a modern Chinese song and played guzheng, a traditional Chinese zither, earning thunderous applause at an institute event — one of her accomplishments after two years of learning Chinese.

She loves watching Chinese fantasy TV series. "I am particularly fascinated by the actors' period costumes," a tiny part of her obsession with Chinese culture, according to her.

Respecting the elders and valuing family ties, as highlighted by Chinese culture, particularly resonates with the Kyrgyz student.

"Our culture has similar concepts. I love it when my family gathers around the festive table and everyone chats happily. I feel happy in that warm atmosphere," she said.

Zakirova said she wants to be a teacher, just like her parents, and "I hope to teach the Chinese language to people in Kyrgyzstan and help with their personal growth through this language".

As Kyrgyzstan's ties with China have deepened, learning Chinese has become increasingly popular among young people in the Central Asian country.

The Confucius Institute where Zakirova studies has provided Chinese language courses for about 17,000 people since its establishment in 2013. Nearly 600 in total have won scholarships to study in China, according to Xinhua.

Some graduates have returned to join the institute. Among them is Gulperi Kadyrbekova.

As one of the institute's first students, she became a teacher there in 2019.

In her early days of teaching Chinese, what frustrated her most was the failure to immediately answer the students' questions about such broader topics as Chinese society or economy, she said.

Her extensive preparations for each class — invaluable training and experience — have brought her to career success today.

Earning opportunities

Kadyrbekova takes pride in her students' successes, such as passing language examinations and earning overseas study opportunities.

"This year, the first group of students I taught graduated from Chinese universities. Some have already found good jobs. I am so happy for them," she said.

For Baikazak Sultanbekov, who studies at the foreign languages college of Jalal-Abad State University, the dream now is to get a chance as soon as possible to study in China.

"My older cousin studied at a university in Shanghai. He told me that Chinese is a difficult but interesting language, and that China is a rapidly developing country," he said.

Vowing to improve his linguistic proficiency as quickly as possible, Sultanbekov dedicates nearly six hours a day to studying Chinese.

"An increasing number of Chinese companies are operating in Kyrgyzstan … This means I'll have a wide range of career options."

XINHUA