Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
In 2024, the State Immigration Administration of the People’s Republic of China issued a total of 2.597 million visas and residence permits to foreigners. One of the recipients of such a document was an Italian woman, Carolina Di Condio from Milan. Since she was responsible for working with Asian markets in the company, the girl began to study Chinese. While studying at a three-month language course in Milan, fate gave her an “international fateful meeting” – meeting a guy from Xiamen (Fujian Province). And after getting married, the girl moved to China to her husband’s small homeland.
“When I first came to Xiamen in 2019, I fell in love with the city at first sight: the sea breeze, the alleys along the streets, the harmony of nature and modernization,” she recalls. The city, in her opinion, perfectly embodies the Swedish philosophy of “lagom” – nothing more, nothing less, just right. “I like late evening walks, but in Italy I could never dare to do this. These moments of calm changed my idea of home.”
Pictured: Carolina in China (Source: personal archives)
However, Xiamen has become truly home for her not only because of her love for food or language, but because of the relationships between people: “The people here are very friendly. I have made friends who have become my family. My parents-in-law invite me to the Spring Festival, and the vendors remember my favorite fruits. These little things make me feel like part of the community.”