2019 was a year that marked a great number of big events. This year, the first image of a black hole was released to the world. We celebrated the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area gained great momentum. Solid progress was made in supporting Shenzhen by building a demonstration pilot zone for China’ s development strategies, which brought a lot of opportunities to the city we live in.
2019 was also an important year for us, the English Team of the Nanyan News Agency. Vitality and vibrancy flooded in as we started a lot of new projects in the year of 2019! A special task force was established for putting our articles on the WeChat platform so that students, staff and other followers would have easier access to our publications. So far, the views for our English WeChat articles are booming, which has exceeded our estimates. Moreover, we thought that a small column focusing on the brief introduction of each school in PKU Shenzhen would also be something nice to have, so that’s been included in our monthly newspaper. As ideas are bubbling up with new members joining us, the crossword also found its own place in the newspaper. One reader each issue who successfully completes the crossword receives a small gift from us! We hope this added interactivity to the newspaper.
What have we published so far? Let’s go back to January 2nd, 2019, the day when the first article of the year was put on our official website, The Nanyan Observer. It was about a hiking event that helps PKU international students shake off the winter chill! Aside from the hiking event, our members also covered almost every memorable activity that is held on and off campus. From the Christmas Eve Party held by the ISU and the Halloween Night at Happy Valley, to the Lantern Festival as well as the Chinese New Year gathering at the Home for International Friends; from business tours at places like China’s Silicon Valley, to cultural explorations including the tea house, dim sum, etc., you can always find a piece on our website to recall these Kodak moments.
Aside from that, our journalists were out there recording the heartening successes, such as winning the championship for eight years at the Peking University Sports Games, the PHBS team’s success in a Sustainable Investing Challenge and the victory of the Nanyan Debate Team. What’s more? Voices from legendary figures, professors, visiting speakers, alumni and students in PKU were also spread via our official website and newspapers. Incisive opinions on entrepreneurship, speaking and leadership skills, brand building strategies, feminist legal theory and so forth were shared with readers from all over the world.
In order to enrich our life in PKU Shenzhen, we also offered advice on food trends, day trips, tourist spots as well as live houses. Our food reviews are diverse and refreshing. They consisted of a Friends-themed restaurant, street vendors and local eateries, Cantonese food, Hunan old style cuisines, etc. You can always find something interesting to try no matter if you’re a new comer or a senior student. For weekend and holiday trips, our members’ previous explorations in Shenzhen’s most picturesque places and cities around like Chaoshan and Shunde were also featured. They will surely give you some inspiration.
Furthermore, in 2019, PKU Shenzhen welcomed the largest group of international students in history, so we wanted to prepare some practical articles that help to facilitate intercultural communication. For instance, introduction to both Chinese and English slang, recommendation for best gifts in China for your friends and family, as well as interviews about what international students brought to China from their hometown.
We went further and broader on the content of our publications in 2019 thanks to our current and previous members who are always enthusiastic, dedicated and creative. You can find most all of it published here at thenanyan.com!
After going through our publications this year, I couldn’t help but wonder what attracted you, our dearest reader! Here is a list of the most popular articles from 2019:
1. Most Picturesque Places in Shenzhen
The top ranking article of last year was the “Most Picturesque Places in Shenzhen“, which gave our readers a list of the places featuring the beauty of this modern city.
2. A Global Entrepreneur, Queen Ndlovu
The second popular article was “Going Global: A Drone Business Takes Flight for Former Exchange Student” that told a story about how our former exchange student from South Africa, Queen Ndlovu, seized the opportunities in Shenzhen and became a global entrepreneur.
3. A Friendly Cat Cafe
The third most-welcomed article was a Restaurant Review of Smelly Cat Café & Bar, a Friends-themed restaurant which reproduces the setting of Central Perk. Guess we are all foodies who love this classic American sit-com as well.
4. New Faces Arrive in Shenzhen
Then it came to “After Many Long Journeys, International Students Ready to Begin Studies at PKU Shenzhen”, which was a lovely piece introducing the new arrivals and the relevant activities. See if you can find yourself in the picture below!
5. Visiting a Chinese Tea House
The last popular article belonged to “Steeped in Culture, a Vibrant Trip to a Local Tea House for PKUSZ Int’l Students”. This memorable trip was a cultural exploration held by Professor Huang Haifeng from the course China Studies.
By Luo Jiechunyi
The Nanyan Observer 