A young man from South Africa, whose Chinese name is Fan Ru’an, started to live in SIP five years ago. Despite of the challenges caused by cultural differences, he quickly got used to the local life with the help of Suzhou Industrial Park One-stop Service Centre for Expats and many friendly locals.

“There are various activities for foreigners like me, such as the ‘Citywalk’ around Yangcheng Lake, which allowed me to appreciate the natural beauty and cultural charm of this place,” the man said.

Fan is now an avid dragon boat race enthusiast. Last year, he participated in the Jinji Lake Dragon Boat Race for the first time as a member of the “Mini Restaurant Team”, where he made many friends.

SIP’s multicultural and livable environment has made Fan feel at home, and he particularly enjoyed spending his leisure time at such places as Moon Harbor, Ligongdi Cultural and Creative Block and the old Xietang Street which boast a fusion of tradition and modernity and cultural diversity.

“SIP is homey. I love this place,” said the young man.

As a digital media art major at Soochow University, Fan aspires to integrate his passions for painting, games and animation into his future career. He is excited about the development of the games industry in SIP, and plans to start an internship in this sector next year.

March 11, 2025