My name is Sun Ya'nan. Upon graduation, I have worked as a digital reporter for China Youth Daily, and currently I am working as a film director for a media company in Beijing.
WZQ: How do you come across Wu Zhi Qiao? When do you join the Wu Zhi Qiao project?
Ya'nan: One afternoon in July 2016 when I was still working with the China Youth Daily. I received a message from my working partner and stated there was an interesting topic that I should fond of. Afterwards, a series of information bombing came across my mobile phone screen, and indicated the excitement of the sender about the topic - "University students go to village to build bridges for the villagers". In fact, the topic seemed curious than like to me.
On August 13, 2016, we arrived in Guizhou and began the interview with Wu Zhi Qiao. I thought this interview would be similar to the previous ones - as a reporter, as an onlooker to report the event objectively. However, the six days of work changed my perspective and since then I became part of the Wu Zhi Qiao’s family.
This was my first encounter with Wu Zhi Qiao, and was deeply impressed with this organization and the family.
WZQ: Which projects have you participated? Please share with us your memorable stories or experiences.
Ya'nan: The first time I joined Wu Zhi Qiao project was in summer 2016 at Xiejia village, Guizhou as a reporter. A year later, I was motivated and went there again as a volunteer to build bridge in Xiejia village, Guizhou.
The first time experience was always beautiful and memorial with building stone net, carry stones, lift steel frames, pave panels...We have built a bridge for the local villagers who have never met before. I have realized my university dream of charitable acts after two years upon graduation from the university. Apart from friendship, I was most impressed by the kindness and purity of the local children. We have conducted children activity at the school and invited lots of local children to participate. During the occasion, we have played games and sang songs and had good time together. Prior to our departure, I have presented small gifts to the children and they bowed to me and kept saying thank you.
During the day of completion ceremony, children of the village came to say good-bye to us. 8-year-old Xiao Qi has accompanied his brother and sister and brought along a large bunch of beautiful wild flowers and wild fruit as picked from the mountain. When they have placed the flowers and fruit to my hands, I was moved and my tears dropped. That day I silently told myself: Xiejia village, I will come back.
Upon completion of the project, I had added on two frequently contacted WeChat chat groups, one is with Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology – Lei Hao, Xiao Ma, Hong Kong secondary school student Ah Jie, we would send message calls from time to time for update. The other was Xiao Qi's mother. Every day after school, Xiao Qi would use her mother's mobile phone to send song message to me or sometimes showed me the current situation of the bridge. The signal in the mountains was not good, sometimes the message was stuck. However, when I heard the children's footsteps and the sound of the wilderness, I was moved and touched by this cross-regional, cross-age friendship.
The following year, I heard that the Wu Zhi Qiao Xiejia village 2.0 project would commence and I signed up as volunteer without hesitation. Frankly speaking, the participation for the second time has private agenda. I intended to see the children and look at the bridge we have built last year. This time I served in the capacity of a volunteer for the Wu Zhi Qiao project with personal growth and enrichments.
WZQ: Upon participation in the Wu Zhi Qiao project, what is your experience or enhancements?
Ya'nan: Participation in the Wu Zhi Qiao project enabled me to meet lots of like-minded friends. Through the charity deeds, I have developed personal value and gained self-confident.
In the past, I was lack of self-confidence with negative approach and instinctively refused oneself. When facing the society, I have the non-existence feeling and thought that oneself was very small. However, the Wu Zhi Qiao project enabled me to feel for the first time that I was affected the life of others even though oneself was small. I was a valuable individual and the charitable acts brought me the "needed” feeling, with one’s life inspiring the others.
WZQ: Try to use one word to describe Wu Zhi Qiao and why?
Ya'nan: “Splash of fire will endure”
At the beginning, Wu Zhi Qiao brought the student teams to the Wu Zhi village of Gansu and constructed the first bridge. Currently, Wu Zhi Qiao (Bridge to China) Charitable Fund has organized over 25 university teams and successfully completed nearly 60 projects which included 52 footbridges, 3 village construction demonstration sites, 3 village center and a series of community enrichment projects. With the increase number of footbridges, it would affect increase number of volunteers and villagers, the future of Wu Zhi Qaio will surely be endured.
WZQ: Anything you like to say to the student team and volunteers of Wu Zhi Qiao?
Ya'nan: I admire your chance for participating in the Wu Zhi Qiao project. Friends always asked me whether I would like to join the project this year? However, due to the work commitment, it was really hard to fulfill. I really hope that you would cherish the opportunity to participate in the project with mindfulness and practical outcomes. Live the dream and be committed.
