Stéphane: I’d open Yunnan ethnic library in Benin

It was at the table tennis hall of Tuodong Gymnasium in Kunming, Yunnan province. Viainon Stéphane-sessi, a young man from west Africa, was pondering over the technical moves after finishing a spectacular table tennis match. He was in a red and black jersey.

Viainon Stéphane-sessi is at an interview. Photo by Zi Jianfei (Yunnan Daily)

When in his home country Benin, Stéphane got to know about China through the Chinese Cultural Center. In his eyes, China is a diverse country. In 2018, Stéphane came to Yunnan for study, and now he is pursuing a PhD in ethnology at Yunnan University.

"I like the cultures of Yunnan ethnic minorities a lot. I’ve been to many places in the province and found local ethnic cultures really lively and interesting. On my way to other places in China, I noticed the differences between them and Yunnan, so I want to learn more about it," Stéphane said.

"My table-tennis adventure in Yunnan started at Tuodong Gymnasium." In the gym, Stéphane met table-tennis fans from all walks of life and participated in many table-tennis competitions together. "My classmates and I went to Tianjin for competitions, and we’ll visit Yiliang county for a taste of the roast duck."

"The French Union, French Corner and other activities in the university served as a bridge for international cultural exchanges." Over the years in Kunming, Stéphane has taken part in similar activities, presenting the Beninese cultural traditions to international students through videos and words.

"The weather in Yunnan is fine, just like that in my country." Affected by the Covid epidemic, Stéphane and his family haven't seen each other for a long time. "Luckily, I have many Chinese friends, with whom I can communicate and have dinner together. I feel as if I were in my hometown, and I’d take my family to Yunnan when possible. Life is enjoyable here! "

Having studied and lived in Yunnan for four years, Stéphane has a clear future plan. "Based on my major, I plan to open a small library in my hometown, in which books about the cultural traditions of Yunnan ethnic minorities will be displayed, so that more Beninese can know about Yunnan without visiting China."

Reporting by Fuzhang Mingyue (Yunnan Daily); Trans-editing by Wang Shixue