Meyir Nurjan, born in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has been working as a tour guide in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, for seven years. With her multilingual advantage and her passion for cultural communications, she is dedicated to offering tourists comprehensive and high-quality services. As China and Kazakhstan's cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative has been deepening, the cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have been heating up. Nurjan hopes to help promote mutual understanding and closer people-to-people ties between China and Central Asia.
Multicultural Environment
Nurjan was born into an ethnic Kazak family in Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, in Xinjiang, during the late 1990s. She grew up in a bilingual environment. "I spoke Kazak with my family members at home and Mandarin with my teachers and classmates at school," she says.
When she was 10, Nurjan moved with her parents to Astana. "Astana gave me a brand-new perspective of the world, and also made me cherish the imprint of Chinese culture on me even more," she says.
Nurjan learned Russian in high school, thus beginning her "trilingual" lifestyle. Language is the foundation of communication. By mastering multiple languages, Nurjan has been able to understand different cultural contexts, and to communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds. As such, her horizons have been broadened substantially.
Nurjan chose to study education at university. She says her choice was not an accident, but stemmed from her love for expression and communications.
"I have always enjoyed communicating with people, and sharing stories with the others. Studying education has enabled me to understand the art of communication more deeply, and has laid a solid foundation for my future work as a tour guide," she says.
During her university years, Nurjan not only focused on her academic studies, but also participated in various social-practice activities. She worked part-time as a translator, and that helped her hone her language skills, and her adaptability in the workplace. She also participated in many cultural-exchange activities, and she deepened her understanding and respect for different cultures.
In 2017, Nurjan reached a significant turning point in her life. From June 10 to September 10, Astana hosted one of the most prominent events of the year — EXPO-2017 International Specialized Exhibition. The event significantly contributed to the popularity of the translation and tour-guide professions.
Nurjan signed up for a Chinese-language, tour-guide training course, which she completed and subsequently received her tour-guide license.
She discovered her advantage as a multilingual tour guide could easily be magnified in the tourism industry, and that ignited her passion for being a tour guide. "It gives me the opportunity to communicate with tourists from different countries, and to share the cultures and stories of China and Kazakhstan with them," she says.
Comfortable Travel Experience
Nurjan has maintained long-term, cooperative relationships with several travel agencies in China and Central Asia. Whether it's a business delegation, a tour group or a cultural-exchange team, she always strives to provide comprehensive, and personalized, services based on the clients' needs.
Familiar with business etiquette and having rich experiences in translation and tour guiding, she helps her clients implement their cooperation projects efficiently and smoothly.
"From airport pick-up to hotel recommendations, from city tours to cultural introductions, I will make thorough preparations in advance to ensure every day for our clients in Kazakhstan will be fulfilling and enjoyable," she says.
"What I do is to use the advantage of being a local to provide reception services for tour groups organized by travel agencies in other places," Nurjan explains. "As a local, I am familiar with this land. Serving clients from my ancestral country makes me feel happy and cordial. We are like a big family, and the tourists tend to feel more at ease and comfortable."
Nurjan once had a tour group of elderly people from China. The seniors were very kind, and they treated her like their own child. "I was impressed by a granny in her 70s. She needed a cane to walk, but she was full of vitality, and she interacted with me all during the trip. We still keep in touch and chat online from time to time," Nurjan says.
Kazakhstan's government attaches great importance, and offers considerable support, to the development of the tourism industry. To enhance the professional quality and service level of Chinese-speaking tour guides, the government regularly organizes various training and exchange activities.
"The training activities focus on language-skill improvement, cultural exchanges, emergency handling and many other aspects. Through these activities, I have gained a deeper understanding of the cultural differences between China and Kazakhstan, and of the needs of tourists. I have also improved my service level," Nurjan says.
She says some tourists don't know much about Kazakhstan before they arrive. "Kazakhstan is a country with a long history, unique culture and rapid development. It has modern cities, developed infrastructure and a diverse cultural atmosphere. I hope, through my explanations and introductions, tourists can see a three-dimensional Kazakhstan. I also hope they can feel the warmth and friendliness of the Kazakh people."
Strong Connection
In Astana's special economic zone, there stands a high building, resplendent with a Chinese architectural style — the Beijing Tower. The five-star hotel, built and managed by China National Petroleum Corporation, is not only a top draw for various official receptions and cultural exchanges, especially those involving Chinese enterprises and institutions, but also a landmark Nurjan recommends tourists visit.
"Every time I take tourists to Beijing Tower, I tell them the story behind this building," Nurjan says. "Beijing Tower is not only a display of Chinese elements in Kazakhstan, but also a symbol of the deep friendship between China and Kazakhstan."
Since implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, exchanges and cooperation between China and Kazakhstan have become increasingly frequent. Nurjan has noticed, in recent years, a "China fever" in Kazakhstan. More and more locals have begun to learn Chinese, and understand Chinese culture, and an increasing number of Chinese tourists have come to Kazakhstan to explore this mysterious, and beautiful, land.
During China-Kazakhstan Traditional Medical Culture Promotion Week, doctors of traditional Chinese medicine provided acupuncture treatment to patients in Astana. During the Happy Spring Festival lantern-lighting event, performances, such as the dragon dance and face changing, attracted spectators. Teachers from the Confucius Institute, at L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, also gave the Chinese character 福 (fu, meaning blessings), to locals.
In April 2025, the Astana International Flower and Horticulture Exhibition was held at Expo Park International Exhibition Center. Chinese flower and horticultural enterprises showcased new varieties of flowers and cutting-edge technologies, and they attracted the attention of many Kazakhs.
The exhibition reminded Nurjan of the Astana Expo eight years earlier. At that time, the theme of the Chinese Pavilion was Future Energy, Green Silk Road, expressing China's firm belief in the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative.
"In recent years, cooperation between China and Kazakhstan, in various fields, has continued to deepen. As a tour guide, I am proud to be a participant in this process. The friendship between the two countries is like the blooming flowers at the flower and horticultural exhibition, fragrant and blooming brilliantly," she says.
Nurjan believes future cooperation between China and Kazakhstan will place greater emphasis on people-to-people connectivity and cultural exchanges.
"As young overseas Chinese, we shoulder the responsibility of inheriting and promoting Chinese culture. We are also witnesses and promoters of friendly cooperation between the two countries. This year marks China Tourism Year in Kazakhstan, and the tourism boom will add new color to exchanges between the two countries. I hope to continue to leverage my language advantage, and cultural background, to provide better services to tourists, from both China and Kazakhstan. I also hope I can help people in China and Central Asia have a deeper understanding of each other," Nurjan says.
Photos from Interviewee and VCG
(Women of China English Monthly September 2025)
Editor: Wang Shasha
