Years later, standing at the podium of a classroom in the National Library of Tajikistan, Anush reflected on his first voyage to the library. He remains grateful for the choice he made at that crossroads after school which led to his stepstowards the library.

In March 2012, the National Library of Tajikistan opened its doors to the public, bringing about a substantial change to local life. Built by a Chinese enterprise, this nine-story building is located in the city center, replacing the old Soviet-style cottage that was once on Anush's way home. The library now boasts a digitized reading system, a significant upgrade from the manual retrieval system used in the past. Interestingly, the image of this impressive library was featured on the reverse side of the 200 Somoni banknote introduced in 2010.

In the last ten years, Anush has grown from a diligent student who often studied in the old library to a university professor and scholar who shares knowledge and enlightens people at the new library. This 29-year-old Tajikistani youth thus formed more connections with China.

The old library is a two-story building filled with youthful memories

Spanning from East to West is the millennial Silk Road. Tajikistan, located in Central Asia at the crossroads of the ancient Silk Road, boasts a long history and a rich cultural heritage. A deep-seated reverence for culture and literature is ingrained in the local people.

The old national library, situated in the old urban area of Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe, used to be a cultural landmark. Lifelike busts of renowned scientists and literary figures adorn the exterior walls, leaving a profound impression.

For Anush, a keen learner, this yellow and white Soviet-style building encapsulates unforgettable youthful memories and represents a stage for life's ascent.

"The old library was not far from my high school. After classes, I used to go there with my classmates to do homework and study," reminisces Anush. During his high school days from 2007 to 2009, he frequently visited the old library, "It was a two-story old building with a relatively small reading room, lack of any electronic reading system". It was those sunny days of diligent study in the library that eventually helped him secure a place at the All-Russia State Tax Academy in Moscow.

Imparting knowledge in the spacious and bright new library

Returning to Tajikistan in 2015 after completing his studies, Anush took up the role of a lecturer teaching accounting at the Russian-Tajik Slavonic University in Dushanbe.

From a diligent student to an enlightening teacher, Anush underwent a life transformation in just a few years. However, his enduring bond with the library remained unaltered.

"After finishing the classes, some students would still have questions that required focused answers. Due to a shortage of classroom resources in our university, I consulted the dean, who recommended the newly built national library, saying that 'there are advanced and comprehensive facilities and it can be used free of charge'," Anush explained.

Anush had a detailed conversation with the library and was able to secure a new "classroom" for his students in the recently opened library. From 2015 to 2018, he regularly taught his students in small groups in the well-lit and roomy classroom.

Anush was filled with emotions after witnessing the change in the library. He told the Yangcheng Evening News reporter that, in his view, the newly built one has undergone three significant changes. First, an obvious change in physical space has made the library "bigger" and "taller". Second, the library has become "smarter" and "quicker" with the addition of an intelligent book retrieval system and electronic reading rooms, which enables citizens to learn via the Internet. Moreover, the library has added spaces and courses for language learning where citizens can immerse themselves in local culture and learn foreign languages in the Chinese Hall and Korean Hall.

Tajikistan has witnessed an increasing number of Chinese-built structures on streets

In recent years, with the continuous advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative, structures by Chinese builders like the new National Library of Tajikistan, have become increasingly common in Tajikistan. Wandering in the local streets, one frequently encounters Chinese-built structures and Chinese goods.

As for China, the eastern neighbor of Tajikistan, Anush admits that he didn't know much about it previously. In 2018, he resigned from his teaching position at the university and became a scholar and columnist. For his work, he has been traveling frequently between China and Tajikistan in recent years.

Anush is amazed by the progress and growth in China's cities, such as the majestic Beijing, the modern and stylish Shanghai, the open and inclusive Guangzhou, and the constantly evolving Shenzhen. The rapid development in different areas has left him captivated and in awe.

"With China's continuous development and the ongoing advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative, I firmly believe that there will be abundant business opportunities for cooperation between Tajikistan and China in the future," said Anush, who had just recently tied the knot last month. Filled with hope for the future, he aspires to master the Chinese language and seize more opportunities to develop and even settle in China.

一座国家图书馆变大变高变快的背后，藏着这些与中国有关的故事

多年以后，站在塔吉克斯坦国家图书馆教室的讲台上，阿努什回想起了第一次前往国家图书馆时的情景。他至今心存感激，在那个放学的十字路口，他选择走向了图书馆。

从过去回家路上的苏式小洋楼，到如今市中心九层的“庞然大物”；从手动查找书籍的检索系统，到如今的电子化阅读……由中国企业承建的塔吉克斯坦国家图书馆新馆，于2012年3月正式开馆，给当地民众的文化生活带来了跨越式变化。而在此前的2010年，塔吉克斯坦新增的面额200索莫尼纸币的背面，就印有这座国家图书馆的图像。

过去十多年，在塔吉克斯坦国家图书馆的陪伴下，阿努什从一名常在旧馆内看书学习的学子，逐渐成长为一位大学教师、学者，并在新馆中传道授业解惑、传递文明之光。这名29岁的塔吉克斯坦青年，也与中国有了更多故事……

旧馆二层小楼承载着青春记忆

千年丝路，贯通东西。地处中亚、位于古丝绸之路交汇点上的塔吉克斯坦，有着悠久的历史和丰富的文化遗产。对文化的热爱、对文学的尊崇深深刻印在当地民众骨子里。

位于塔吉克斯坦首都杜尚别老城区的国家图书馆旧馆，曾是当地的文化地标建筑。在图书馆外墙上，著名科学家和文学家的半身像栩栩如生，让人印象深刻。

这座黄白相间的典型苏式建筑，对于热爱学习的阿努什而言，是忘不了的青春记忆，也是实现人生攀登的赛场。

“国家图书馆旧馆离我高中学校不远，放学后，我经常会和同学去那里做作业、看书学习。”阿努什回忆，2007年至2009年，还在读高中的他，常往国家图书馆旧馆里跑，“那时的国家图书馆还是一栋两层楼的老建筑，阅读室比较小，也没有电子阅读系统。”正是那些在图书馆里勤学苦读、阳光灿烂的日子，最终帮助他考上了位于莫斯科的全俄国立税务学院。

在宽敞明亮的新馆里授业解惑

2015年，阿努什学成归国，在位于杜尚别的俄罗斯-塔吉克（斯拉夫）大学担任教师，教授会计学知识。

从好学不倦的学子到答疑解惑的师者，仅仅几年时间，阿努什实现了人生的成长蜕变，但不变的是他与国家图书馆的不解情缘。

“那时，我给学生们上完课，他们有的还会有一些疑问，需要我集中来解答。因为我们大学教室资源紧张，我请教了学院院长，他推荐我去新建的国家图书馆，说‘那儿设施齐全先进，而且可以免费申请使用’。”阿努什说。

经过一番沟通，阿努什为学生们在国家图书馆新馆找到了新的“教室”。2015年至2018年，他几乎每周会带上学生，三五成群，前往国家图书馆新馆，在宽敞明亮的教室里授业解惑。

亲身见证国家图书馆的变迁，阿努什感慨不已。他对羊城晚报记者表示，在他看来，新建的国家图书馆有三个巨大的变化：物理空间上显而易见的改变，也就是图书馆“变大”“变高”了；同时，图书馆更加智能化，“变聪明”“变快”了，新增了书目检索系统以及电子阅览室，市民可以通过网络来学习；此外，图书馆增加了学习语言的场所及课程，市民可在馆内的“中国厅”“韩国厅”等，沉浸式体验当地文化，学习外语。

“中国建造”和“你好”一样屡见不鲜

近年来，随着“一带一路”建设的不断推进，在塔吉克斯坦，像国家图书馆新馆这样的“中国建造”越来越多。行走在当地街头，“中国建造”、中国商品和“你好”的问候一样，屡见不鲜。

对于东边的这个邻居——中国，阿努什坦言此前了解并不多。2018年，他辞去了大学教师的工作，成为一名学者、专栏作家。由于工作原因，近年来，他开始频繁来往于中国与塔吉克斯坦之间。

气势恢宏的北京、摩登时尚的上海、开放包容的广州、日新月异的深圳……当真实可触的中国展现在面前，各地的飞速发展让阿努什惊诧不已，也令他流连忘返。

“随着中国的不断发展，以及‘一带一路’建设的不断推进，我相信未来塔吉克斯坦与中国之间会存在很多合作的商机。”上个月刚完婚的阿努什对未来充满期待，他希望将来能学好汉语，有更多机会来中国发展甚至定居。

出品人 | 杜传贵 林海利
总策划 | 孙爱群 林洁
总统筹 | 黄丽娜 蒋铮 侯恕望 骆苹
执行统筹 | 董柳 宋金峪 谭铮
文 | 罗仕 柳卓楠
图 | 林桂炎
视频拍摄 | 林桂炎 柳卓楠 罗仕
视频剪辑 | 柳卓楠
翻译 | 陈萱
音效 | 李峰烁
配音 | 柳卓楠
片头 | 叶秋艳
海报 | 杜卉
责编 | 王楠
校对 | 赵丹