Volunteers share passion for Chengdu

Volunteers that will serve the 2013 Fortune Global Forum set for June 6 to 8 in Chengdu attended a number of training programs. Provided to China Daily

More than 1,200 donate time and effort to aid forum, Peng Chao and Li Yu report

A sophomore at Southwestern University of Finance & Economics, Jin Zhoujian is often busy with leisure pursuits, working as the university's chorus leader and playing basketball.

And he spends a lot of his free time on photography. He just won first prize in a university photo contest.

To cover the costs of photography, Jin has also worked as a part-time Korean interpreter.

Now he is among the 1,263 volunteers that will serve the 2013 Fortune Global Forum set for June 6 to 8 in Chengdu.

It will be the first time that the forum, one of the world's most important business gatherings, will be held in western China.

Previous hosts in China have been Shanghai in 1999, Hong Kong in 2001 and Beijing in 2005.

This year the forum expects more than 600 participants including CEOs of Fortune Global 500 companies, entrepreneurs, government leaders and scholars, Andy Serwer, managing editor of Fortune Magazine, said at a news conference on May 30.

Volunteer interpreter Jin said he will donate his services " simply out of my love for Chengdu".

"I love the city even more than my hometown," he said.

The 22-year-old was born in Northeast China's Yanbian, Jilin province, home to a large number of Koreans. As a child, he moved to Seoul with his parents as they pursued postgraduate degrees in the capital of South Korea.

After five years in Seoul, his parents were both employed as professors at Southwestern University of Finance & Economics. He has now lived in the southwestern city for eight years.

There are people who know little about Chengdu, Jin said, so the forum provides a golden opportunity to show his good manners and services, demonstrating to guests from around the globe that "young people in Chengdu can do!"

Jin learned about the volunteer opportunity from his roommate, who gave him an application form.

More than 400 students at his school applied, but just 20 were selected. Ironically, his roommate failed to make the cut.

"It's a little embarrassing when I meet with him." Jin said.

Organizers started training volunteers in mid-March, briefing them on the basic information about Chengdu and the Fortune Global Forum. They were also taught foreign affairs protocols and the work they need to do during the event.

Due to his outstanding performance, Jin was appointed leader of half of the 300-strong volunteer backbone who will receive the most honored guests and world leaders.

Friendly city

During the training, Jin got a better understanding of Chengdu and its culture. He said the more he knows about the city, the more he loves it and can't help digging for more.

"The most striking feature of Chengdu is its inclusiveness," he told China Daily. "The city is so inclusive because most Chengdu residents are descendants of migrants from other parts of the country."

While he was doing interpretation for Korean companies, they told Jin they met the fewest obstacles in Chengdu among all Chinese cities.

"Nobody excludes you because you are a foreign company," they said.

On top of that, Jin said he is "touched by people's life attitude here".

"They work to live better, not the reverse," he noted.

"Sometimes when I finished my part-time job late in the evening and wearily sat on the bus by the window, I would be affected by the women dancing by the roadside and cheer up again." Jin said.

Jin said he is glad that people at various levels in the city are able to enjoy their life and get along well with each other.

"If you ask Chengdu people whether they like the city, nine out of 10 would say yes," said Jin, who is proud to consider himself "half-Chengduese".

Despite the pleasant lifestyle, Chengdu has made great achievements in economic development.

At the end of 2010, Forbes Magazine ranked it at the top of the fastest growing cities for the next 10 years in the world.

"Chengdu is providing more opportunities," Jin said.

Jin has had two job offers - from the city's Tianfu software park and Lotte Group's subsidiary in Chengdu.

But he might leave for future study after graduation. "Of course I will come back to Chengdu, though," he said.

Song Sha, a Chengdu girl who has just returned from studying abroad, will also serve as a volunteer at the forum.

"I want to make some contribution to my hometown at the grand event," said the 24-year-old, who is among those scheduled to receive former US politicians.

Song submitted the application online while she was in Britain. She called it yuanfen - or luck - because that day was the deadline as well as her birthday.

Song has a job at a company in Guangzhou. Despite the distance, she doesn't want to give up the chance to serve her city and its guests. She has flown between Chengdu and Guangzhou for the volunteer training sessions.

"Chengdu is catching up with the costal cities in economic development, but not at the expense of life quality." Song said, adding that such attitude towards life gives her a strong sense of belonging.

"Although I work in Guangzhou now, I will try to get back to my city in the future," she said.

Contact the writers at pengchao@chinadaily.com.cn and liyu@chinadaily.com.cn