长江水岸边的相思

我来自老挝。在我的国家，水是圣洁的化身。因为水，我们有了一个盛大的节日。在一年一度的泼水活动中，我们以水代情，泼出我们的愿望、祝福、快乐和幸福。湄公河流经我的家乡，她为老挝经济和生活提供重要的水资源。

和湄公河一样，长江是中国的母亲河，灌溉沃野，对当地人民的生活和文化产生了深远的影响。长江因其辽阔的流域和众多人口，拥有悠久灿烂的历史文化；湄公河则联结了许多国家，其流域内部也孕育了丰富的多种族多文化群体。小时候学习汉语，老师常会让我们朗诵文人墨客关于长江的诗词，也会翻看一幅幅不同底色的长江图谱。长江造就中华民族的千年文脉，它们是“大江东去，浪淘尽，千古风流人物”的豪情，是“星垂平野阔，月涌大江流”的辽阔，是送别时“孤帆远影碧空尽，唯见长江天际流”的友谊，更是“我住长江头，君住长江尾。日日思君不见君，共饮长江水”的柔情。这流淌着相思、迷人的语言啊，让长江水在我的心头生了颤。

直至六年前，我来到中国，来到位于长江中下游流域荆州城的一座美丽的高等学府——长江大学学习生活。第一次见到长江的浩渺壮阔，澎湃奔流，古城依江欣欣向荣，大学伴江朝气蓬勃，充满水的灵动与活力。一条大河波浪宽，我住在长江岸的愿景变得如此真实。

在水边长大的我，对大江大河有天然的亲近感。说也奇怪，思乡的时候去江边走一走，掬一捧江水，就会心安。长江水磅礴大气，又可静谧沉稳，润泽万物。特别是夏日黄昏，我常来到长江边，静静地欣赏着夕阳西下的美景。那一刻，极目远望，长江碧水东流，波光粼粼，宛如一条金色的绸带，江面船只繁忙，仿佛在诉说着无尽的故事。防汛抗洪是夏季汛期最重要的事，我脚下的荆江大堤束起肆虐的洪水，默默守护着江汉平原。在长江大保护的契机下，“万里长江，险在荆江”已变成“万里长江，美在荆江”。长江岸线正打造成以生态保护、文化旅游、休闲娱乐、工业遗址、港口物流为主要功能的“荆江风情带”，岸边是一幅荆江城水相亲、人水和谐的生态美景。

这几年，我去过重庆、宜昌、武汉、南京、上海等沿江的城市，每座城市或古老或时尚，但它们有一个共同的特点，就是拥江水为伴，对长江情深绵长。长江，为中国人民美好生活赋予了更多的想象力。

2021年12月3日，中老铁路正式开通，我激动地打电话给老挝的亲人，告诉他们这是一个崛起的大国至柔至善的胸怀，我们更要饮水思源。因为我这异乡的游子哟，也是被长江水哺育滋养过的人，和长江两岸热情好客的老百姓一样，长江水以海纳百川的姿态接纳我、包容我。

2023年7月初，正当我在参加比赛奋笔书写这篇征文的时候，传来一个好消息。中国文化和旅游部、国家文物局、国家发展改革委联合印发了《长江文化保护传承弘扬规划》，七个方面的内容都围绕着保护传承和弘扬长江文化，助力长江经济带高质量发展。特别是第六部分：加强长江文化国际交流传播，提高长江文化走出去水平，向世界讲好长江故事，使长江文化成为展示中华文明的亮丽名片。

我这个外国人可以为长江做点什么呢？这六年我了解了中国的南水北调工程，知道了荆江大堤的修筑史是人类与洪水的波澜壮阔的奋斗抗争史，抗洪精神和军民鱼水情，目睹了习近平主席为长江经济带发展谋篇布局，中国政府对长江流域生态修复保护的决心和行动……每每都充满敬意，感叹大自然的力量、中国人民无穷的创造力。

说不尽的长江，道不尽的相思。我想告诉每一位相遇的人，上善若水，水利万物，向你们讲述长江的魅力和胸怀、长江岸边的美景风光和勤劳的人们。相信你也会和我一样被长江水打动，来保护她、讲述她，把长江的故事传下去，如同江水一样生生不息。

（本文选自人民日报出版社《我与中国的美丽邂逅：2023年来华留学生征文大赛优秀作品集》）

I am from Laos. In my country， water is considered sacred. Because of water， we have a grand festival. During the annual Water Splashing Festival， we use water to represent love and pour out our wishes， blessings， happiness， and joy. The Mekong River flows through my hometown and provides essential water resources for Laos’ economy and daily life.

Like the Mekong River， the Yangtze River is considered China’s Mother River， irrigating fertile fields and exerting a profound impact on the lives and culture of local people. The Yangtze River， with its vast basin and dense population， boasts a long and splendid history and culture; the Mekong River connects many countries， and its basin has also given birth to rich multi-ethnic and multi-cultural groups. During my childhood Chinese language lessons， our teachers would often ask us to recite poems about the Yangtze River by scholars and poets， and we would also look at maps of the Yangtze River with different backgrounds. The Yangtze River represents the thousand-year cultural heritage of the Chinese nation. It embodies a spirit of passion， as depicted in the phrase “the great river goes eastward， the waves are swept away， and the romantic figures of the ages”. They are the vastness of “the stars hanging down on the plains and the fields are vast， and the moon surges on the river”. They are the friendship of “lonely sail and distant shadow in the blue sky while the Yangtze River flowing towards the sky” when saying goodbye. They are the tenderness of “I live at the head of the Yangtze River， and you live at the end of the Yangtze River. I miss you every day， but I am unable to see you， as we both drink the same water of the Yangtze River”. This charming language flowing with love makes the Yangtze River water tremble in my heart.

Six years ago， I came to China to study and live at the Yangtze University， a beautiful institution of higher learning in Jingzhou in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. For the first time， I saw the majesty of the Yangtze River. The ancient city is prosperous along the river， and the university is full of vitality along the river， full of the agility and vitality of the water. A big river with wide waves， and my vision of living on the banks of the Yangtze River became so real.

Growing up by the water， I naturally feel a deep connection to rivers. It is strange， but whenever I feel homesick， I find solace in going for a walk by the river and taking a sip of water from the river. The water of the Yangtze River is grand and majestic， yet quiet and calm， nourishing all things. Especially in summer evenings， I often come to the Yangtze River and quietly enjoy the beautiful sunset. At that moment， looking far into the distance， the clear water of the Yangtze River flows eastward， sparkling like a golden ribbon and the busy boats on the river seem to be telling endless stories. Flood control is the most important event during the summer flood season. The Jingjiang embankment under my feet restrained the raging floods and silently guarded the Jianghan Plains. Taking advantage of the great protection work of the Yangtze River，“the Jingjiang River， the most dangerous section of the ten-thousand-mile Yangtze River” now becomes “the most beauty section of the Yangtze River”. The Yangtze River coastline has been developed into the “Jingjiang Style Belt” with the main functions of ecological protection， cultural tourism， leisure and entertainment， industrial sites， and port logistics. The riverbank is an ecological beauty of the river city and water， where people and water harmoniously coexist.

In the past few years， I have been to Chongqing， Yichang， Wuhan， Nanjing， Shanghai and other cities along the Yangtze River. Each city may be ancient or fashionable， but they have one thing in common， that is， they are along the Yangtze River and have a deep and long-lasting love for the Yangtze River. The Yangtze River has given the Chinese people endless imagination for a better life.

On December 3， 2021， the China-Laos railway was officially opened. Filled with excitement， I called my relatives in Laos and told them that this is a rising big country with a gentle and kind mind.We emphasized the importance of acknowledging our roots and being grateful for the blessings we receive. As a wanderer in a foreign land， I have also been nourished by the water of the Yangtze River. Just like the hospitable people reside on both sides of the Yangtze River， the river embraces me with an openness as it gives to all tributaries.

In early July， 2023， when I was fervently writing this essay for the competition， a piece of good news came. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China， the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the National Development and Reform Commission recently jointly issued the “Plan for the Protection， Inheritance and Promotion of Yangtze River Culture”. The seven aspects of the plan focus on protecting， inheriting， and promoting Yangtze River culture， and assisting the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Especially the sixth part， which focuses on strengthening the international exchange and dissemination of the Yangtze River culture， improving the level of the Yangtze River culture going global， telling the story of the Yangtze River to the world， and making the Yangtze River culture a shining business card to showcase Chinese civilization.

What can I， a foreigner， do for the Yangtze River？ In the past six years， I have learned about China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project. I have learned that the construction history of the Jingjiang levee is a magnificent history of human struggle against floods. I have known the anti-flood spirit and the fish and water tie between the military and civilians. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plan for the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt， the Chinese government’s determination and actions in ecological restoration and protection of the Yangtze River Basin， which are always full of respect and admire of the power of the Mother Nature and the infinite creativity of the Chinese people.

The boundless Yangtze River and endless longing. I want to tell everyone I met that the best thing is water， which nurtures all things， like the charming and inclusive Yangtze River， and like the beautiful scenery and hard-working people on the banks of the Yangtze River. I believe that， like me， you will be moved by the water of the Yangtze River， and come to protect her and tell her stories， passing on the stories of the Yangtze River， just like the river flows ceaselessly.