'Half of Me Belongs to Romania, Half to China'

At the age of seven, standing in a classroom in 1970s Romania, little Luminita Balan saw Chinese characters written on the blackboard for the first time. "They were extraordinary, almost magical," she recalled. Instantly captivated, she felt certain these "mysterious symbols" would lead her into a world of profound beauty and meaning. That moment marked the beginning of a lifelong journey — one that would transform her from a curious schoolgirl into a leading sinologist, translator and cultural bridge between Romania and China.

Today, Luminita Balan, known as "the Chinese girl" among friends and family, is the Romanian co-director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Bucharest, a distinguished academic and an award-winning translator. In 2019, she was presented with the Chinese Government Friendship Award to honor her decades of dedication to promoting Chinese language and culture in Romania.

A childhood passion against the odds

In her youth, China was a distant, almost mythical land to most Romanians. But fate intervened when her elementary school became one of a few selected for a pilot program introducing Chinese language instruction, an unusual choice at the time. Her young, passionate teacher brought the language to life with humor and creativity, sparking Balan's deep fascination.

When her family moved farther from the school, she faced a difficult decision: transfer to a nearby school without Chinese classes, or continue commuting over two hours daily by tram. Determined not to give up her studies, she chose the latter. "Every minute mattered," she said. "I used the tram rides as my mobile classroom, reading Chinese stories and myths." While many classmates dropped out, Balan persisted, turning language learning into a way of life.

Without access to formal dictionaries, she created her own. She meticulously recorded new words in a notebook, organizing them in alphabetical order. To make it more vivid, she bought two copies of Chinese pictorial magazines — one to keep, one to cut up. She pasted images of landmarks, street scenes and traditional life into her handmade "dictionary," which became, in her words, a "miniature world of China."

It wasn't until her third year of university that she owned her first real Chinese dictionary. "It was so precious," she said. "No one in my family was allowed to touch it."

From dream to reality

For years, visiting China seemed like an impossible dream. "China felt like a mythical land," she recalled. "I thought I could only reach it in my dreams." After graduating from the University of Bucharest, she remained hopeful. In 1992, her dream finally came true when she was selected as an exchange student at Beijing Language Institute (now Beijing Language and Culture University).

Her flight landed on her birthday — the same day she first left Romania. "Touching down in Beijing felt like stepping into a fairy tale," she remembers. "The streets were full of people, bicycles flowed like rivers, and the dormitory caretaker greeted me with such warm, simple kindness. It eased my homesickness and made me feel instantly at home."

That day, she said, "everything felt destined", connecting Bucharest to Beijing, and her past to her future.

A translator's mission

In 2013, the Confucius Institute at the University of Bucharest was established through a partnership with China University of Political Science and Law. Balan became its Romanian director, finally realizing her long-held wish to make the Chinese language and culture accessible to more Romanians. Under her leadership, the institute has flourished — from just dozens of students to nearly 8,000 learners cumulatively. Students now range from five-year-old children to 78-year-old retirees, drawn by interests in Chinese martial arts, history, philosophy and cuisine.

Beyond teaching, Balan has dedicated herself to translating Chinese literature into Romanian. Her journey began with Zhuangzi, one of the Taoist classics by the philosopher Zhuang Zi of the Warring States Period and its later studies, inspired by a beloved university professor who introduced her to classical Chinese philosophy. Though initially hesitant about her language skills, she embarked on the project with a mentor and spent 20 years completing the translation.

During one of her darkest times, the loss of her father in 1998, a colleague gave her a copy of Xunzi, an ancient Chinese collection of philosophical writings attributed to Xun Kuang. "That book became my best friend," she said. Reading Xunzi's teachings helped her find meaning again and inspired her to translate Xunzi as well. "Confucian classics offer timeless wisdom — on benevolence, integrity, justice and harmony. They're keys to navigating today's complex world."

In recent years, she has focused on contemporary Chinese literature, translating works by Mo Yan, Yu Hua and Ah Cheng. "Many Romanians know Dream of the Red Chamber or Journey to the West, but they don't know modern China," she explained. "Literature is one of the best ways to understand a nation's soul." Reflecting on her journey, Balan said simply: "Half of me belongs to Romania, and half to China."

This article was edited and translated based on the Chinese version by the Confucius Institute.

Source: Science and Technology Daily