URUMQI, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- In a downtown reading room in Urumqi, capital city of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, children sit in a circle around Steven Dahlke, a 45-year-old German teacher.
He holds up a picture book and imitates the sounds of its animal characters. Beside him, his wife Gulayim Akim offers gentle prompts. The room is filled with laughter, amid the rustle of pages and children's eager voices.
This is no ordinary reading room. Opened in 2024 by Dahlke and Akim, it is a bilingual picture-book space where local children are introduced to languages through stories, games and patient encouragement. It is the latest chapter in a cross-border love story that has begun with language itself.
Dahlke comes from Rostock, Germany, and has lived and worked in China for many years. Fifteen years ago, an international language exchange program connected him with Akim, a young woman from Xinjiang. Language built a bridge between them and affection later followed. The couple married in 2015 and have since formed a warm cross-cultural family.
Four years ago, the family settled in Urumqi. While raising their son Jacob, the couple noticed his remarkable ability to absorb languages. Using picture books, stories and everyday conversation, they taught him Chinese, English and German. The boy's language skills improved rapidly.
"I wanted to share this experience with other parents and children," Akim said.
That desire led to the opening of the reading room in 2024. Drawing on years of university teaching experience, the couple carefully selected picture books and designed interactive games to make language learning enjoyable. They emphasize encouragement and patient companionship, aiming to spark children's initiative rather than pressure them.
"We found that when children are having fun, they easily take the initiative to learn," Dahlke said. "In the reading room, children learn together, and that makes it more enjoyable."
Their approach has gradually won recognition among local families. Outside the reading room, the couple also volunteer in the community and organize public reading activities during holidays, encouraging young people to fall in love with reading and language learning.
Dahlke said the community has been kind to them, and they hope to give back in whatever way they can.
For Dahlke, Urumqi's growth is visible almost every year. "In the past, the airport was very small. Now there is a modern international airport with routes to many countries," he noted.
The neighborhood where the family lives was under construction a decade ago. Today, it is surrounded by large parks and a cultural center.
"You can truly feel how this city has grown from a small western city into a big one," Dahlke said. He especially likes the nearby parks and often takes his son to the newly opened cultural venues.
Dahlke has traveled to other Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an and Chongqing, and likes both the modern energy of metropolises and the deep cultural roots of historic cities. But what makes him feel most at ease is the life his family has built here.
Looking ahead, they are full of hope. "Language is an important bond that connects the world, links people and builds friendship. We met, got to know each other, and committed to each other through cross-border language exchange, and we hope to pass on the beauty and warmth that transcends borders," they said. ■
