On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Room 300 in the BRICS Teaching Building of Irkutsk National Research Technical University was filled with warmth and festivity. Organized by Teacher Oleg, Chinese and Russian students gathered to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Traveling to China for language courses is a dream for many students. I had been studying the language since my first year, and by my fourth year, I finally got my chance: summer courses at HIT University (Harbin). I imagined beautiful campuses and new knowledge, but reality met me right at the airport.

The moment I stepped into the Irkutsk Local History Museum, it was as if I had opened a door to the soul of Siberia. This museum, which has a history of more than 200 years, unfolds a magnificent scroll spanning nature, humanity and suffering to me with silent display cabinets, mottled cultural relics and solidified light and shadow.