長江水岸邊的相思

我來自老撾。在我的國家，水是圣潔的化身。因為水，我們有了一個盛大的節日。在一年一度的潑水活動中，我們以水代情，潑出我們的愿望、祝福、快樂和幸福。湄公河流經我的家鄉，她為老撾經濟和生活提供重要的水資源。

和湄公河一樣，長江是中國的母親河，灌溉沃野，對當地人民的生活和文化產生了深遠的影響。長江因其遼闊的流域和眾多人口，擁有悠久燦爛的歷史文化；湄公河則聯結了許多國家，其流域內部也孕育了豐富的多種族多文化群體。小時候學習漢語，老師常會讓我們朗誦文人墨客關于長江的詩詞，也會翻看一幅幅不同底色的長江圖譜。長江造就中華民族的千年文脈，它們是“大江東去，浪淘盡，千古風流人物”的豪情，是“星垂平野闊，月涌大江流”的遼闊，是送別時“孤帆遠影碧空盡，唯見長江天際流”的友誼，更是“我住長江頭，君住長江尾。日日思君不見君，共飲長江水”的柔情。這流淌著相思、迷人的語言啊，讓長江水在我的心頭生了顫。

直至六年前，我來到中國，來到位于長江中下游流域荊州城的一座美麗的高等學府——長江大學學習生活。第一次見到長江的浩渺壯闊，澎湃奔流，古城依江欣欣向榮，大學伴江朝氣蓬勃，充滿水的靈動與活力。一條大河波浪寬，我住在長江岸的愿景變得如此真實。

在水邊長大的我，對大江大河有天然的親近感。說也奇怪，思鄉的時候去江邊走一走，掬一捧江水，就會心安。長江水磅礴大氣，又可靜謐沉穩，潤澤萬物。特別是夏日黃昏，我常來到長江邊，靜靜地欣賞著夕陽西下的美景。那一刻，極目遠望，長江碧水東流，波光粼粼，宛如一條金色的綢帶，江面船只繁忙，仿佛在訴說著無盡的故事。防汛抗洪是夏季汛期最重要的事，我腳下的荊江大堤束起肆虐的洪水，默默守護著江漢平原。在長江大保護的契機下，“萬里長江，險在荊江”已變成“萬里長江，美在荊江”。長江岸線正打造成以生態保護、文化旅游、休閑娛樂、工業遺址、港口物流為主要功能的“荊江風情帶”，岸邊是一幅荊江城水相親、人水和諧的生態美景。

這幾年，我去過重慶、宜昌、武漢、南京、上海等沿江的城市，每座城市或古老或時尚，但它們有一個共同的特點，就是擁江水為伴，對長江情深綿長。長江，為中國人民美好生活賦予了更多的想象力。

2021年12月3日，中老鐵路正式開通，我激動地打電話給老撾的親人，告訴他們這是一個崛起的大國至柔至善的胸懷，我們更要飲水思源。因為我這異鄉的游子喲，也是被長江水哺育滋養過的人，和長江兩岸熱情好客的老百姓一樣，長江水以海納百川的姿態接納我、包容我。

2023年7月初，正當我在參加比賽奮筆書寫這篇征文的時候，傳來一個好消息。中國文化和旅游部、國家文物局、國家發展改革委聯合印發了《長江文化保護傳承弘揚規劃》，七個方面的內容都圍繞著保護傳承和弘揚長江文化，助力長江經濟帶高質量發展。特別是第六部分：加強長江文化國際交流傳播，提高長江文化走出去水平，向世界講好長江故事，使長江文化成為展示中華文明的亮麗名片。

我這個外國人可以為長江做點什么呢？這六年我了解了中國的南水北調工程，知道了荊江大堤的修筑史是人類與洪水的波瀾壯闊的奮斗抗爭史，抗洪精神和軍民魚水情，目睹了習近平主席為長江經濟帶發展謀篇布局，中國政府對長江流域生態修復保護的決心和行動……每每都充滿敬意，感嘆大自然的力量、中國人民無窮的創造力。

說不盡的長江，道不盡的相思。我想告訴每一位相遇的人，上善若水，水利萬物，向你們講述長江的魅力和胸懷、長江岸邊的美景風光和勤勞的人們。相信你也會和我一樣被長江水打動，來保護她、講述她，把長江的故事傳下去，如同江水一樣生生不息。

（本文選自人民日報出版社《我與中國的美麗邂逅：2023年來華留學生征文大賽優秀作品集》）

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.