Iranian youth's journey from Chinese learner to cultural ambassador

A young Iranian, Fereshteh Mokhtari, also known as Su Mengjie, began learning Chinese in 2017. Her Chinese name was given by a friend – it means a person with pure and beautiful dreams, and it suits her personality perfectly. At first, she found Chinese very challenging; the tones and characters led many of her classmates to give up. But she persevered and expanded her scope into Chinese culture, forging a lasting connection with China. 

Her first job was as an interpreter at an international expo, where she met kind and enthusiastic Chinese partners, further fueling her passion for the language and culture. Later, she began creating short videos introducing Chinese culture to Iranians, quickly gaining 70,000 followers and becoming an internet celebrity in Iran. Eventually, Mengjie became a tour guide, leading Chinese tourists around Iran and sharing her country's history and culture. Seeing their curiosity and enthusiasm, and hearing that they would recommend Iran to others when they returned home, brought her great joy and pride. For her, learning Chinese was not just an academic choice – it opened a new path to success in her life.