Along the road between "Chongqing" and "Kaizhou", I used to recall my travels from the capital, ‘Damascus’ to my hometown, comparing this highway and saying to myself how much I wish we would one day witness this degree of civilization in Syria. It was a highway with several trees planted on both sides of it. Additionally, there is a tunnel that leads to the light at the end of it every few kilometers or so. I have an ambition to one day build a tunnel in my country Syria, especially because my studies allowed me to learn a lot about this subject in China.

在从重庆主城到开州的高速公路上，我想起从叙利亚首都大马士革到家乡的旅行经历，我多么希望有一天能见证叙利亚发展到这样现代的建设程度。在重庆的高速公路两旁是一排排茂密的树木，每隔几公里左右，就有一条长达几公里的隧道。我梦想有一天能在我的祖国叙利亚建造隧道，在中国的学习能够让我在这方面学习到丰富的知识。

(资料图片仅供参考)

We arrived at Kaizhou district, a place where one can see the sun clearly, as it is quieter and calmer than the core area of Chongqing. We immediately went to Hanfeng Lake, where the scenery is lovely. Because I"m from a nation that has numerous issues, the most recent of which was the war. Thus, I used to be more interested in the story of any city or location I visited, and tried to investigate the tale that led to the development. Especially because we have to learn from developed countries. I thought about the motivations behind the creation of Hanfeng Lake, especially given that it is a manmade lake.

我们到达了开州区，这里比重庆的主城区更安静祥和，天气也很晴朗。我们去了汉丰湖，那里的风景很美。因为我来自一个有无数问题的国家，其中最近的一个问题是战争。因此，我对我所访问的任何城市或地点的故事都很感兴趣，并试图挖掘了解当地的发展历程，因为我们必须向更发达的国家学习。值得一提的是，汉丰湖是人工湖，因此我思考了汉丰湖建设的背景。

Before I came to Kaizhou, I had known that the reason for creating this lake was due to the fluctuation of the water level, which might cause floods in the neighboring areas. Perhaps one of the most attractive things in that city is the combination of environmental preservation and ancient heritage. As China usually does, the modernization of the cities is based on their longstanding history. Even the name of that Hanfeng Lake is because of the fact that when that province was founded in the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was called "Hanfeng".

汉丰湖。智汇八方国际新闻中心供图

在我来到开州之前，我已经知道修建汉丰湖的原因是由于水位的波动，可能会造成邻近地区的洪水。也许开州最吸引人的地方之一是环境保护和古代遗产的结合。正如中国通常所做的那样，城市的现代化是以其悠久的历史为基础的。就连汉丰湖的名字，也是因为在东汉时期，它就被称为 “汉丰”。

After this trip, I truly understood how China protects the environment, which is an ongoing effort. Contrary to the persistent claims made in Western media that China is to blame for environmental pollution. China actually works to attract birds to protect their lives, just as it does to protect the lives of its citizens.

航拍汉丰湖。智汇八方国际新闻中心供图

经过这次旅行，我真正理解了中国是如何保护环境的，这是一项持续的努力。与西方媒体不断宣称的中国应该为环境污染负责的说法相反。中国实际上是在努力吸引鸟类来保护它们的生命，就像它在保护其公民的生命一样。

Finally, congratulations to the nations that value humans, plants, and birds. As with China"s peaceful ascent, they are already a nation rising with a peaceful power, as China"s achievement in the protection of the environment.

最后，祝贺那些重视动植物保护的国家，他们在环境保护方面已经发展到一定程度，正如中国的和平崛起，中国在保护环境方面的成就同样来之不易。