Peking University, December 11, 2025: Editor's note: The "Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations"  interview series highlights the stories of international students at Peking University in a year marked by key diplomatic milestones. As China and Italy celebrate 55 years of diplomatic ties, let's meet one of our Italian students and her cross-cultural journey.

Profile: Francesca Pala (方可心) is an Italian student at the School of International Studies, Peking University. She is enrolled in the LSE-PKU Double Master's Program in International Affairs. As the "2024 China Tourism Ambassador" appointed by the China National Tourist Office London, she shares her experiences and introduces the authentic culture of China to the world.

Where Struggle Turned Into Love
Francesca's first impression of China came from the kung fu films she watched as a child.The figures and movements on screen sparked a strong curiosity in this Italian girl toward the distant Eastern country.

Her true bond with China began with a linguistic challenge that felt like a kind of "cultural acclimation." Before encountering Mandarin, she was familiar with Italian and Spanish - languages with relatively gentle intonation. She never imagined that tones could become such a tremendous obstacle, causing repeated setbacks even for someone fluent in Italian, French, English and other languages. "Back then I felt Chinese was like a mountain I couldn't get around, every tone was a trap," she recalls with a laugh. Yet she persisted, and her progress culminated in second place at the UK regional round of the 23rd "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition.

A turning point was a stay in Taiwan more than two years ago. She first set out simply to tackle Mandarin, but the experience ended up making her fall in love with China. Daily conversations with native speakers made once-tricky tones feel natural and unfamiliar words come alive. She explored night-market food and enjoyed an easy, welcoming campus life. This experience convinced her to pursue further studies at Peking University, to get even closer to the depth of Chinese culture.

She also recalls one unforgettable mix-up from her student days. One evening, exhausted, she stepped into the dorm elevator. As the doors were closing, the building attendant called out with a cheerful smile, "Young lady, where are you going?" Wanting nothing more than rest, Francesca tried hard to form the Chinese sentence "I'm going to sleep (shuìjiào)." She pronounced each syllable with extra force, yet still mixed up the tone. The auntie paused for two seconds, trying to make sense of her saying "I'm going to dumplings (shuǐjiǎo)." Francesca's cheeks burned red as she hurriedly mimed sleeping. The auntie suddenly understood and burst into laughter: "It's okay, it's okay! Everyone learning Chinese goes through this. Just keep talking and you'll get it."

Last year, she visited Beijing again. There, she discovered an entirely new landscape within the Chinese language. In Taiwan, she had grown used to the soft and gentle accent. But in Beijing's hutongs, the bold northern intonation and the iconic rhotic accent ("erhua" sound) revealed another dimension of linguistic vitality. The vastness of China has cultivated a rich diversity of expression, and this deepened her passion for learning Chinese even more.

Francesca Pala winning second place in the UK Regional Round of the 23rd "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students.

Exploring China with Her Own Steps
As an officially certified  "China Tourism Ambassador", Francesca has continued exploring China and sharing its culture with the world, with food as her most trusted guide. In a small restaurant in Chengdu, the numbing and spicy flavor of mapo tofu made her sweat, yet she couldn't stop eating."I didn't know spicy food could have so many layers, much gentler than the straightforward heat of Italian chili." In Beijing, sitting around a copper hotpot, she dipped lamb into sesame sauce and listened to the lively conversations around her. In that moment she understood: "The charm of hotpot isn't the dishes themselves, it's the lively warmth of sitting around a shared table."

Compared with the simple elegance of an Italian breakfast of coffee and pastries, she felt that China's rich and varied cuisine revealed something deeper: the dining table is where people connect.


Last summer's travels added a bold new stroke to her love for China. On the Great Wall, she ran her fingers over the weathered bricks as her guide told stories of those who once guarded the frontier, and a gust of wind at the beacon tower gave her a sudden glimpse of the history behind it. Standing beside the turquoise waters of Jiuzhaigou, watching snowcapped mountains reflected clearly in the lake, she found herself blurting out a newly learned phrase:"This truly is a fairyland on earth!"

From the gentle warmth of southern China to the frank spirit of the north, from bustling cities to majestic landscapes, she found herself completely captivated by China's diversity.

Trip to the Badaling Great Wall and Xi'an.

"I want people in the West to see that China is more than the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. Its culture also lives in its food, its landscapes, and its everyday life."

Experiencing traditional attire and Jiangnan culture.

A Bridge-Builder Amid Cultural Resonance
For Francesca, Italy and China are like two old friends reunited after a long time. Despite their differences, she sees echoes between them. Both countries carry rich and enduring cultural traditions, Italy's Renaissance monuments showcase the rise of humanism, while China's Great Wall reflects centuries of history. She also notices similarities in how people connect over food. "Italians love sharing meals and conversation, and the same is true in China," she says. "The table helps relationships grow." These shared moments around the table reinforce her belief that mutual understanding lies at the heart of international exchange.

As both an international student and a Tourism Ambassador, Francesca understands her responsibility clearly. She knows that many Westerners still view China through selective media coverage, sometimes shaped by false or negative information. "That's why I'm here," she says firmly. In class, she discusses Italian opera and Tuscan wine with Chinese classmates, while also correcting foreign classmates' stereotypes, such as the idea that "all Chinese people know kung fu."

On the international stage, she consistently acts as a cultural bridge. She spoke at the 2025 Tongzhou Global Development Forum, shared travel stories in English and Chinese at Hainan Airlines events, and hosted a Chinese New Year gala at London's O2 Arena, explaining traditions like putting up spring couplets and eating dumplings. At the Four Seasons Hotel London's China Night, her talks on Shanxi's ancient towns and Sichuan cuisine sparked curiosity about China's regions. At a Jingdezhen culture and tourism event in London, she recited Su Shi's "Shui Diao Ge Tou" in Italian, sharing the timeless blessing "May we all be blessed with longevity." In all these activities, she interprets Chinese culture through a Western lens while bringing European perspectives into Chinese stories.





Now studying at Peking University, Francesca continues to build connections between cultures. As her Chinese improves and her understanding of the country deepens, she shows how people, rather than grand narratives, shape meaningful exchanges. When a young Italian student commits to mastering a new language, exploring a different culture, and fostering dialogue, she becomes part of the quiet everyday work that brings societies closer.

Source: Office of International Relations, Peking University
Editor: Wong Qian Yu
Photo: Courtesy of the interviewee