Story behind MasterChinese
Why would a software engineer from China want to create a website for Arabic-speaking users to learn Chinese? Here is the story behind MasterChinese.
Hello, I am Paul Lin, the founder of MasterChinese, a software engineer from China.
I'm glad you're here at our blog, where we share all the exciting and interesting stories with MasterChinese users, including the development of our website/app, how our users achieve their dreams through MasterChinese, and many useful and fun Chinese learning resources.
Wait, you might be wondering: What exactly is MasterChinese?
Please give me some time to tell you the story behind this site.
It all started with my trip to Saudi Arabia during the Spring Festival in 2024.
My First Trip to Saudi Arabia
Before 2024, I had never been to Saudi Arabia. I believe that most Chinese people haven't been there either. I must admit, my impression of Saudi Arabia was vague, made up of a few key words:
- Ancient history
- Desert
- Oil
- Mystery
- ......
There might be other words, but honestly, before I set foot in Saudi Arabia, my image of the country was fragmented. My only knowledge of Arab history came from the movie "Lawrence of Arabia."
So, when Saudi finally opened up personal tourist visas for general visitors, my wife and I applied immediately; we couldn't wait to discover everything behind this mysterious country.
To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings due to our unfamiliarity with Arab customs, we borrowed several books on Saudi Arabian history from the library before going to Saudi and consulted deeply with Chinese compatriots working there through Xiaohongshu, a well-known social media platform in China (this consultation was also a significant reason behind the creation of MasterChinese, which I will talk about later).
My Perception of Saudi Arabia Was Overturned
On February 10, 2024, my wife and I stepped out of Riyadh International Airport in Saudi Arabia. Over the next ten days, we traveled through Riyadh, Jeddah, Medina, and Al-Ula.
I discovered that everything here was completely different from my previous perceptions of Saudi Arabia.
Here, there were not only deserts but also coastal ports.
Here, there were not only ancient historical buildings but also towering skyscrapers like the King Tower.
Here, women could now drive, work, watch movies, and shop freely.
Here, the food was incredibly diverse, offering dishes from different regions.
Here, the country was full of construction sites, a scene of thriving prosperity.
Friendship between Arabs and the Chinese People
During our short ten-day trip in Saudi Arabia, I constantly felt the warmth and friendliness of the Saudi people, and their interest in Chinese culture.
In Riyadh, in Jeddah, in Al-Ula, I kept meeting Saudi friends who would come up to greet us.
In Al-Ula, while visiting the Mirror Music Hall, a young and handsome Saudi man greeted me in very standard Chinese, saying, "Hello, welcome to Saudi Arabia. Happy New Year." I was surprised by his excellent Chinese. He told me he had studied Chinese for three years in Shijiazhuang, a northern city in China. We exchanged sincere New Year greetings in the traditional Chinese way.
While we were amazed at this Saudi friend's high level of Chinese, two young Saudi women approached my wife to say hello. After learning we were from China, they eagerly invited my wife to take photos with them. We learned they loved Chinese TV dramas.
Towards the end of our trip, our guide told us she would be coming to Shanghai, China, for business in May this year. The reason was that her travel company noticed an increasing number of visitors from China over the past year and decided to send her to Shanghai to learn Chinese.
On the plane, an Arab man sitting next to me, who had been in China for over 20 years, talked to me in fluent Chinese. He first came to China in 2002, working in motorcycle spare parts and clothing trade. He learned Chinese on his own from the internet.
In the streets of Jeddah, we had a pleasant conversation with a modern young driver. He told us Jeddah is like Guangzhou in China, both with large ports and open, inclusive cultures. His wife is from Malaysia, and his grandmother is Chinese. There are currently many Chinese people in Jeddah engaged in trade.
All this made me feel very fresh and magical. Two countries so far apart, yet with so many connections.
Why Not Create a Chinese Learning Website?
During my trip to Saudi Arabia, I had an idea: could I create a website to help users from Saudi Arabia and surrounding Arab countries learn Chinese and understand Chinese culture?
Before coming to Saudi Arabia, a teacher engaged in Chinese language teaching in Saudi told me that the enthusiasm for learning Chinese among the Saudi people is growing, but there are not many Chinese teaching institutions in Saudi, mainly concentrated in the big cities like Riyadh and Jeddah. It's not easy to learn Chinese offline, especially for Saudi women, for various reasons. Finding a teacher can be quite challenging.
Thus, after returning home, I immediately set about creating the MasterChinese website.
What is the Vision of MasterChinese?
In my conception, MasterChinese is a platform for users in the Arab region to learn Chinese. Whether you're a soon-to-be college graduate or a working professional, if you're interested in Chinese, hope to learn it, and use it in future scenarios like studying abroad, business trade, or socializing while traveling, you can find the perfect solution here.
Furthermore, I hope that through this platform, Saudi women interested in learning Chinese can easily find excellent Chinese teachers and courses. By learning Chinese, I hope to add more opportunities for their future education, employment, and even entrepreneurship.
About Paul Lin
After telling the story of the birth of MasterChinese, I'd like to introduce myself.
I am from a beautiful city in southern China—Guangzhou, known for its famous food culture. Like Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Guangzhou also has businessmen and students from around the world, and its culture is very inclusive.
I started working in 2005 and have nearly 20 years of career experience, including positions at well-known companies like Ericsson and Alibaba, and I have also joined some early-stage startups.
I love traveling, food, and photography. These reasons also made me feel that creating the MasterChinese website, allowing friends in the Arab region to understand each other's countries and cultures through the tool of language, is a very meaningful thing!
Build in public
I see the process of creating and operating MasterChinese as a "continuous dialogue and improvement with users." I will not be secretive about the product I am building; I will openly share my thoughts here, frequently talk to my users, listen to their opinions, complete this work with them, and strive to make it better every day.
Thank you for reading! Let's make MasterChinese better together :)
If you've patiently read this far, I would like to ask you to take a minute to fill out a questionnaire to help me better understand the needs of Chinese learners (link here).
If you're interested in my product, you can join our waiting list (link here), and we will notify you as soon as the product is launched.
2024/04/19
Paul Lin
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