"The longer I stay here, the more comfortable I feel, and the more I become one of the people here." Clarisse Le Guernic is a girl from a city in western France. Before the age of 12, her only knowledge of China came from Disney's animated film Mulan. However, after beginning to learn Chinese in middle school, her curiosity about China grew day by day.
From devouring books to short-term study tours, from studying abroad to working, from starting a business to settling down... She has now lived in Shanghai for ten years. "This is my home. The more I learn about it, the more I love it. I also want to help more people get to know China, understand China, and fall in love with China."
Clarisse says that more than half of the books on the shelves in her bedroom back home are about China. "I'm quite curious by nature. At the time, I read every book related to China in my hometown library. From explanations of Ming dynasty ceramic patterns to guides on cooking the most delicious white rice—it covered all kinds of topics." As her understanding of Chinese culture deepened, she grew increasingly eager to visit China in person.
In her second year of high school, to join a school-organized study trip to China, she worked part-time to save up for the travel expenses. "During those two weeks, I was incredibly excited and developed a strong fondness for China. I wanted to come back and stay longer." To make this wish come true, Clarisse deliberately chose to major in Chinese at university. In her junior year, she spent a year studying in the Chinese Department of Shanghai's Fudan University as an exchange student, but Clarisse felt it wasn't "enough—I wanted to stay even longer." For this reason, she specifically chose a joint master's program between France's University of Angers and China's Ningbo University. Over the three-year program, she spent two years in China, living in Shanghai, Ningbo, and Hangzhou.
After graduating with her master's degree, Clarisse became a "Shanghai drifter," working in the tourism industry. She thought she could finally stay in China longer, as she had long hoped. However, half a year later, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic left her unemployed. "I made all my studies to stay here and work in China." To be able to stay, she followed a friend's advice and started her own business.
Clarisse admits that initially, due to a lack of understanding, she did not like Shanghai. But after truly living in the city, and because she had to participate in her company's cycling activities during an internship, she began spending a lot of time exploring Shanghai by bike. She also needed to research and study Shanghai's history to introduce it to tourists. Gradually, she not only developed a geographical understanding of Shanghai but also learned the stories behind the city. "When I first came to Shanghai, like most foreigners, I thought it was just a very modern city and didn't understand its history. The history of this city requires deep exploration—the more you learn, the more you love it."
This is why Clarisse chose to start a cultural communication company as her business venture. She uses short videos to introduce Shanghai's history, culture, and urban landscape, and leads "Citywalk" tours to explore every corner of the city in person. "After spending a few years in China, I realized that the outside world knows too little about China, and what they do know is often superficial—what a pity. China has so many wonderful places and diverse aspects. Moreover, I believe Chinese culture and language are closely linked. If you don't speak Chinese, you'll miss out on a lot here. As a foreigner who speaks Chinese, I want to help other foreigners better understand China. I want more people to know China, understand China, and love China."
Clarisse's social media bio reads, "Born in France, Made in China." Many of her life's "firsts" were experienced in China—her first time studying abroad, her first time riding a shared bicycle, her first mobile payment, her first online shopping experience, her first internship, her first job, her first unemployment, her first business venture, her first cat, her first dog, her first time on television, her first solo trip...
"I live here. This is my home."
(Journalist & Cameraperson: Xia Wei; Video editor: Darius, Xia Wei; Editor & English Editor: Darius; Producer: Tracy)
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