The 7th WCIFIT ｜ "Thai" Magnetism! International Students Visit the WCIFIT, Exclaiming: "Tastes Like Home" in Chongqing

When the herbal aroma of Thai balms blended with the spicy fragrance of hotpot at Chongqing International Expo Center, Thai international students Yang Peipei and Bing Zhen experienced a cross-border "spiritual homecoming" at the Thailand Pavilion of the 7^th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT). This grand event is vividly illustrating the era's theme of high-standard openness through a series of "small yet impactful" humanistic and economic stories.

On May 22, the WCIFIT kicked off. Despite Chongqing's scorching sun that day, it couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of Yang Peipei and Bing Zhen, graduate students in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (TCSOL) at Chongqing Normal University, who traveled nearly 40 kilometers from the university town to attend the WCIFIT. With Thailand serving as the Guest Country of Honor, its pavilion dazzled visitors with an array of specialty products - from cashews and fragrant rice to silverware and fish sauce - meticulously displayed, instantly transporting the two international students back to their homeland. "It felt like suddenly stepping through a dimensional door straight onto the streets of Bangkok", said Yang Peipei, a first-year graduate student, pointing at the shelves of authentic Thai goods. She added emotionally, "I used to play 'human courier' bringing these back home every trip, but now Chongqing locals can just 'overseas shop' for genuine Thai products right at their doorstep". 

The delight of "meeting an old friend in a distant land" continued to resonate throughout the exhibition hall. Yao Chong, a Thai graduate student at Southwest University wearing a volunteer vest, was promoting traditional Thai handicrafts to visitors in fluent Chinese: "This silverware features Thailand's unique engraving techniques—it's not just artwork, but a living cultural cipher". With expert familiarity, he pointed to various products like traditional Thai silver jewelry, aromatic products and herbal balms, saying "Thailand actually has many excellent products that deserve to be promoted. We need to introduce them to more people and get these products into their hands".

As core members of a four-person volunteer team that had proactively stepped forward, they leveraged their linguistic and cultural advantages to serve as the "first springboard" for Thai SMEs entering the Chinese market, while also building a grassroots bridge for the Belt and Road Initiative.

Inside the Thailand Pavilion, Yang Peipei and Bing Zhen felt completely at home, effortlessly taking on the role of docents. But when they entered the Chongqing exhibition hall and the Western China (Chongqing) Science City exhibition hall, the pair seemed to have stepped into a "Grand View Garden" of wonders. Marveling at the array of high-tech products on display, they snapped photos in front of robotic exhibits, took selfies with drones, and eagerly asked staff for detailed explanations while jotting down notes. A group of adorable miniature robots that could dance and chat particularly captivated them - they lingered for repeated viewings, unable to tear themselves away.

Bing Zhen told our reporter: "I've been studying in Chongqing since undergraduate years, so I know the city well and love its grand riverside character. If you'd asked me before to choose between Thailand and China, I'd have picked Thailand without hesitation. But after living here so long, I now prefer China - especially Chongqing. The transportation's convenient, shopping's easy, and the city perfectly blends international flair with down-to-earth vibes".

At the WCIFIT exhibition halls, these Thai international students seamlessly switched roles - one moment serving as product ambassadors enthusiastically recommending Thai cuisine, scenic spots, and specialty goods to Chinese visitors, the next transforming into tech enthusiasts utterly amazed by the scientific innovations from Western China.

Through this international platform of WCIFIT, the world witnesses not only the dynamic vitality of China's market, but also China's approach to global engagement under the new "dual circulation" development paradigm. Having evolved over seven years, the WCIFIT now stands as a testament to Chongqing's remarkable transformation from an "inland hinterland" into an "open highland".

Source: New Chongqing - Chongqing Daily