45 stories to mark 45 years of China-Australia ties

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December 21 marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Australia.

To mark the occasion, the Australian Embassy in China has collected 45 stories from Australian and Chinese perspectives that speak to the breadth and depth of the friendship between the two peoples.

Alice Yang, a Chinese-born Australian, is one of the 45 storytellers.The 26-year-old is currently a Horn Fellow of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Fellowship.

Yang didn’t see her first horn up close until her family moved to Melbourne when she was 10. She said she experienced many "pinch yourself" moments, but nothing has quite compared to performing in China, her country of birth, earlier this year.

Alice Yang is pictured in front of the National Grand Theater /Photo provided by Australia Embassy

Yang considers music a good means of communication among people from different cultures.

Alice Yang's story and many others that have witnessed various exchanges between the two peoples were released on Wednesday on the website of the Australian Embassy in China.

Some of them are from Australia and say they came to China and wouldn't leave.

Shanghai-based cooking show host Heidi Dugan is one of them. She said China has refreshed her understanding of cuisine.

Heidi Dugan /Photo provided by Australia Embassy‍

The daily show "You Are the Chef" has aired for over 17 years, reaching over six million viewers. And Dugan has been awarded the Most Popular TV Host on International Channel Shanghai award for eight years running.

She even has a family in Shanghai with a local man and feels passionate about their kids learning the Chinese language.

Dugan said that without both of these two countries, the people, the cultures, the challenges, opportunities, hopes and dreams, she would not feel as fulfilled in her life.