乐呵老夏：建设新长沙 老外有力量 | 长沙老外不见外

编者按：

据第七次全国人口普查结果，居住在31个省份并接受普查登记的外籍人员为845697人，较上一轮人口普查增长超25万人。开放的中国，如同一块磁铁，吸引着越来越多不同国籍、不同文化背景的人们来华打拼、奋斗和生活。

党的十八大以来，长沙着力打造内陆地区改革开放高地，成绩斐然。成绩的背后，是一个又一个“吾心安处，即是故乡”的鲜活故事演绎。即日起，长沙晚报掌上长沙双语频道推出“长沙老外不见外”系列报道，带你从老外的视角寻找长沙的“引力密码”。

Editor's Notes：

There are 845,697 registered foreigners living in 31 provinces of China, an increase of more than 250,000 from the previous census, according to the Seventh National Population Census of China in 2020. Crowds from different countries with diverse cultural backgrounds come to the open China to manage their dreams.

Changsha, capital of Hunan Province in Central China, has made fruitful achievements on the development of inland reform and opening-up highland since the 18th CPC National Congress. “My Foreign Friends in Changsha”, a bilingual column written by CICC, aims at telling you more details about these achievements by our foreign friends’ stories in Changsha.

长沙是我的家，是我真正的家。

——夏士理

Changsha is my home, the true home.

——Denis Nurmela

“老外”名片

Profile of Changsha Expats

W.Denis Nurmela，美国人

中文名：夏士理，人称老夏

职业：曾任长沙学院外国语学院外教

在长时间：6年

W.Denis Nurmela, American

Chinese name: Xia Shili, aka Lao Xia

Identity: Former Foreign teacher of Foreign Languages School in Changsha University

Residency duration in Changsha: Six years

“移居中国需要勇气，而他在这打下了一片天，安下了第二个家……”这是写在夏士理视频号“乐呵老夏Denis”上的一段话。

自带美式幽默的老夏，通过这个账号分享着自己的吃货日常、旅游打卡和人生建议。很多人通过这些视频看到了一个美国社牛，而我们，看到的则是他移居中国的勇气与星城长沙的独特魅力。

第七次全国人口普查数据显示，在华住时间五年以上的外籍人士占到相关人口的42%以上，老夏也是其中之一。6年来，他见证了长沙这座城市的点滴变化，“路多了宽了，好吃的餐饮店越来越多了……这座城市正在变得越来越包容、越来越有活力。”

"Moving to China needs courage, while he has carved out a life here and established a second home..." This is a description on the channel "Lehe Laoxia" in charge of Denis Nurmela. With his innate American humor, Denis shares his love for food, travel moments, and life insights by this channel. Many have seen this outgoing American in his original videos, while some admire his bravery in relocating to China and the distinctive charm of Changsha as an internet-celebrity city.

The Seventh National Population Census of China reveals that over 42% of foreigners in China have resided in the country for more than five years, Denis is one of them. In the past six years, he has witnessed the evolution of Changsha: more expanded roads, more delicious eateries, and more inclusive and dynamic the city is day by day.

老外变身老乡

FAMILY-LIKE FOREIGNER

61岁的老夏是学生和同事眼中不折不扣的“斜杠中年”，他似乎总在挑战一些新的身份和生活。6年时间，从一开始的不适应到逐渐爱上长沙美食，发达的交通、动动手指就能网购、热情好客的人们……这一切都让他特别珍惜在长沙的每一天。

“大家好，我是Denis，我是长沙本地人。”在视频号“乐呵老夏”里，他用不太纯正的普通话认真地说着。打开其主页，满是充满“湘”味的长沙生活图景——在四方坪夜市，他与小摊老板热情互动，品尝各类网红小吃，从烤脑花吃到榴莲芝士饼，他总是激动地评价：“Delicious（美味）”；在橘子洲头，他以主人翁的姿态坐在游览车上向大家介绍长沙的著名景点，娓娓道来；与同学们一起体验蒸腊肉、夜爬岳麓山等极具长沙文化特色的事情，他也常做。让老夏最自豪的一件事，就是在橘子洲头给外地游客指路。

作为一名公共演说家，老夏曾去过五十多个不同的国家，感受过不同的风土人情，但他不止一次在视频中说：“我是长沙本地人，在这里，大家都把我当亲人和朋友一样对待。”在长沙的感受，正如老夏最爱的吃辣一般，暖洋洋、热乎乎。

The 61-year-old Denis is a jack-of-all-trades in the eyes of his students and colleagues, always ready to embrace new challenges in life. Over the past six years, from initial adjustments to falling in love with Changsha’s cuisine, convenient transportation, online shopping, and the warm hospitality of the people – all of these have made his every day in Changsha extra special.

"Hello everyone, I'm Denis, and I'm a local here in Changsha," he often declares earnestly in his not-so-fluent Mandarin on his video channel.

His channel homepage is full of a plethora of scenes capturing the essence of Hunanese life in Changsha – from engaging with street vendors at Si Fang Ping night market, savoring popular snacks like cheese pancakes with durian flavor, proudly introducing the city's landmarks – Juzizhou Island by the tour bus, participating in typical Changsha cultural activities, and night hiking Yuelu Mountain, and his v-blog always ends with an exclaiming "Delicious!" One of Denis's proudest moments is guiding tourists around Juzizhou Island.

"I'm a local here in Changsha, and people treat me like family and friends," Denis frequently mentions in videos, even though he has traveled to over 50 countries and experienced diverse cultures as a public speaker. His experience in Changsha is as warm and spicy as the chili he enjoys – it fills him with warmth and vitality.

他乡已是故乡

HOME-LIKE FOREIGN LAND

“如果要用几个词来形容长沙，你会选择什么？”

老夏认真思考了几分钟，给出了答案：Multi-generation（多代际）、Friendly（友好地）。

入选世界“媒体艺术之都”“东亚文化之都”，获评“中国招商引资最具国际竞争力城市”“中国十佳外商投资最满意城市”“中国投资热点城市”等，长沙以开放包容的姿态拥抱世界。而16次蝉联“中国最具幸福感城市”，则说明长沙初心不改，孜孜以求。幸福和开放，已成为长沙最鲜明的底色。

“在长沙，无论你多大年纪、来自何方，你都能找到想做的事，收获幸福感。”来到中国后，老夏去过很多城市，但他说，最喜欢的还是长沙。“因为长沙人淳朴善良、热情好客，乐于结交朋友。”对长沙人的喜爱，让他更不舍离开这座城市。

2023年3月，老夏的一名长沙学生邀请他参加自己的婚礼，并在婚礼上致辞，这让他感到十分荣幸，“很少有外国人能够有这样的机会。”

学生对老夏的信任和尊重，自然源于他对学生的付出。“长沙并不是我的第二个家，而是我真正的家。”长沙在老夏心目中的位置很重要，“在美国，我只有6个孩子，但在长沙，我有成百上千个学生，他们都是我的孩子。”

In Denis’s opinion, muti-generation and friendly are two best suitable words for Changsha.

Chosen as the "UNESCO Capital of Media Arts" and "Culture City of East Asia", and bagged the awards for the Most Competitive City for Attracting Business and Investment, the Most Attractive City for Investment and also the Benchmark City for International Business Environment, Changsha extends a welcoming embrace to the world. Its 16 consecutive titles as "China's Most Happy City" demonstrate the city’s unwavering commitment to providing a fulfilling life for its residents. Happiness and openness are now the defining traits of the city.

"In Changsha, no matter how old you are or where you come from, you can find things you want to do and reap the benefits of happiness," said Denis. Having visited numerous cities since coming to China, he confessed that Changsha remains his favorite. "Because Changsha people are simple, kind, hospitable and happy to make friends." His affection for the locals makes it difficult for him to imagine leaving.

"It is a rare chance for a foreigner to get such an invitation," he says, recalling his honorable experience of delivering a speech at one of his Chinese students’ wedding ceremony in March 2023. His dedication to students wins their trust and respect to him. "In the United States, I only have six children, but in Changsha, I have hundreds or thousands of students who can be all my children."

"Changsha is not my second home, but my truehome," Denis stresses, revealing the significance of the city in his mind.

用心方能拴心

HEART FOR HEART

去年，老夏参加了“外国友人看长沙”活动，参观完三一重工和铁建重工后，他对长沙的工程机械制造产业连连点赞。他说：“这是我第一次实地了解盾构机、混凝土泵车等机械是如何生产出来的，了解这些机械是如何用来建设城市中的地铁、隧道和各类建筑的，着实是大开眼界。”

“作为一名新长沙人，我确实见证了长沙的成长与发展。”这些年老夏骑着他的电动车在长沙的街巷中穿梭，目睹了高楼的崛起、本地品牌的爆红，也感受了活力四射的夜经济和城市蓬勃的生机。

2005年11月，长沙向4名“老外”颁发湖南省首批外国人永久居住证。今年新春伊始，长沙市公安局人口与出入境管理支队向4名在长外籍高层次人才发放首批“五星卡（新版外国人永居证）”。从个人就业到子女教育，从“一对一”的业务指导到“一窗式”受理，如今，星城正用宾至如归的服务向世界展示开放的诚意。

人的友好、城的温暖……一切的一切都让老夏把长沙视作自己真正的家，“未来，我想要更多地参与到长沙的发展中去，为更好的长沙贡献老外的力量。”

Last year, Denis participated in an event of "Foreign Nationals Viewing Changsha." After visiting the Changsha-based manufacturers Sany and China Railway Construction Heavy Industry, he expressed his positive feedback to the engineering machinery manufacturing industry of the city. "It’s my first time learning machinery production like shield machines and concrete pump trucks, and also their application in urban infrastructure construction. It amazed me a lot," commented Denis.

"As a new resident of Changsha, I indeed witnessed the growth and development of the city," Denis notes.

During his past stay in Changsha, he rode his electric motorcycle through streets and lanes, watching the emergence of high-rise buildings, the popularity of local brands, and experiencing the bustling night economy and the vibrant city.

In November 2005, Changsha issued the first batch of permanent residence permitsto four foreignnationals, known as Chinese "green cards" in Hunan Province. At the beginning of this year, the Changsha Immgration Administration issued the first batch of "Five-Star Cards" (the new version of the Permanent Residence Card for Expats) to four high-level foreign talents in Changsha. Besides, Changsha authorities now provide many hospitable services to express its openness and sincerity to the world, including but not limited to personal employment, children’s education, "one-on-one" business guidance, and "one-stop" acceptance.

Denis regards Changsha City as his true home for the friendly people and heart-warming city. "In the future, I want to be more involved in the development of Changsha and contribute to a better Changsha with my efforts," Denis ends.