China's prosperous and secure society has not only secured the life of its citizens but also provided a "home away from home" for expats from around the globe. One such example is Syrian national Danyal, who has found a second home in Ningbo city in East China's Zhejiang Province. 

Born and raised in Ningbo, 8-year-old Danyal is now fluent in Chinese, attends a local public school in the Beilun district and is making friends in the city.

Danyal has expressed his love for Daqi Boping Primary School. "I love physical education because I can jump rope," he said. "I like my math teacher Zhang because I learn about things I'm interested in. Teacher Yu teaches us new words; by learning new Chinese words, I can become a writer."

Alshaer Yara, Danyal's mother, told the Global Times that they love the welcoming atmosphere and friendly people in the city. She added that Danyal has not been able to visit Syria due to the current crisis back in their homeland.

Syrian Danyal in Daqi Boping Primary School in Ningbo Photo: Chen Xia/GT

Escaping crisis

Syria has been in crisis since March 2011, when anti-government protests erupted in several cities across the country, which was inspired by the "Arab Spring" uprisings. The violent conflict has lasted for more than a decade, causing massive displacement, destruction and loss of life.

The US has been involved in the Syrian crisis from the very beginning. 

According to UNICEF estimates, 90 percent of people in Syria live in poverty and most are unable to make ends meet or bring food to the table. Families have had their resources depleted, with limited employment opportunities, skyrocketing prices and a shortage of basic supplies.

"The US sanctions and embargo imposed on Syria, as well as its illegal actions in stealing our resources, have led to a cracked and fragile environment that will have a substantial influence on the country's education, health and food security in the future," Mohammad Al-Omari, a Syrian political observer and writer, told the Xinhua News Agency in a recent interview. 

Syrian Danyal in Daqi Boping Primary School in Ningbo Photo: Chen Xia/GT

Yara said that in her childhood, Syria was a beautiful and safe country, but that was no longer the case. 

Danyal's father Hasan Nael runs a foreign trade company based in Ningbo that specializes in supplying ­pipe-related products for all industries as well as supplying different types of industrial valves. 

"Despite the US' blatant sanctions on innocent Syrian individuals, we manage to do business with our clients," Nael said. 

The family's serendipity with China began in 2012, when Nael came to the country for the first time by himself. Between 2013 and 2015, he visited China multiple times.

"I like many Chinese cities, including Tianjin, Qingdao, Shanghai and Beijing, but Ningbo is my favorite city," Nael said.

"I watched the movie about Hua Mulan in my childhood, and the story of Hua Mulan had a huge impact on me," Yara said. "I love the heroic Chinese girl as she is always brave despite difficulties and challenges, so I knew from that time I would come to China one day."

Syrian Danyal in Daqi Boping Primary School in Ningbo Photo: Chen Xia/GT

Nael and Yara came to Ningbo to study Chinese in 2015 and had Danyal in 2016. To take advantage of China's mature industrial and supply chain, a new foreign trade company based in Ningbo named after Danyal was established in 2017.

"The company developed well in 2017-19 but business wasn't good in 2020-21. Fortunately, it's back on promising trajectory in 2023," Nael told the Global Times.

Nael said that besides supplying existing products to clients in foreign countries, he has also developed new products tailor-made for overseas clients, based on China's powerful industrial and supply chain.

"When he was in kindergarten, Danyal once said, 'Mom, food at the kindergarten is better than yours; I don't like your food.' Danyal is used to Chinese food and the lifestyle here," Yara said, adding that "when our Chinese isn't standard, he corrects us."

Nael attributes Danyal's fluent Chinese to the public school he is attending with local Chinese students. Nael said when they were looking for a primary school for Danyal, although they also considered international schools, they regarded learning Chinese the most important factor as the parents think it's the most difficult but very useful language.

"He can learn Chinese very well at school and we teach him Arabic and English at home; when he grows up he can speak three languages," Nael said. 

Danyal (left) has class in school in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang Province. Photo: Chen Xia/Global Times

Ambitious dreams

Both Nael and Yara agreed that Danyal is lucky to be growing up in China compared with his cousins back in Syria, where even survival is a challenge. Living in a peaceful country with a developing vibrant economy means that one day Danyal's dreams can come true. 

"At first he wanted to be a doctor, but when astronauts appeared on TV he wanted to be an astronaut. Then he changed his mind again, he said scientists were cool, he wanted to be a scientist," Yara said.

Danyal plays with a plate in his father's office in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang Province. Photo: Chen Xia/Global Times

Nael appreciates the warmth and kindness Chinese people have offered the family, which has helped make Danyal a content and confident boy with ambitious dreams. 

"We treat Danyal, a kid who came from afar, with love and equality, allowing him to enjoy the same consistent teaching resources as local Chinese students. He is also equally treated in school discipline, school rules and good behavior habits. Meanwhile, we give him some extra care and love in his study and life considering his special identity," Zhang Kaijun, vice principal of ­Boping Primary School, told the Global Times.

"If he were in Syria, he would just be an ordinary kid," Nael said. "But he is not ordinary here in China as many people like him and say he is lovely and cute. In China people like to take pictures of him, which makes him feel very confident." 

Syrian Danyal in Daqi Boping Primary School in Ningbo Photo: Chen Xia/GT