When the clock struck midnight on February 23 this year, my flight left from Cairo to Beijing and I was about to start a 10-month program organized by China Public Diplomacy Association. 

During this journey granted to African journalists to get to know China and cover some important events, one being the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, I gained a lot of knowledge regarding the culture, history, and features of this big society. 

Integrating into this new world took about three months, before I began to understand the Chinese mentality and built up relationships with the locals. On my arrival, I first sought out the Egyptian community in Beijing, and met two journalists from my country both working for Xinhua News Agency and China Global Television Network. Through those friends I expanded my circle to include some Arabs from Jordan and Syria. 

The gathering point was at an Egyptian coffee shop in Sanlitun, an upmarket area in Beijing well-known as a meeting place for foreigners. Most of our meetings were about sharing experiences about life in China. Indeed, their stories were an initial step to recognize a society which I had never seen. 

I also struck up acquaintances with some Chinese journalists during the activities I took part in with my African peers. They helped me appreciate the rich culture and eventful history of ancient China, as well as the massive developments over the last 40 years, both politically and economically. 

During my stay, I travelled to nine provinces and visited different cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Sanya, and Jincheng in Shanxi Province. The place I really connected with the most was Sanya in south China's Hainan Province because it is very similar to Sharm El-Shaikh, one of the world's most famous touristic destinations, located at the Red Sea in Egypt. 

The resort city of Sanya enjoys the highest quality of air and unique geographical location in south China. It is endowed with tropical weather all year round and natural resources that extend from the white sandy beaches and azure blue horizon to the dense rainforest. I treasured my time there. 

Shanghai will also linger in my memory. I discovered that this city is not only renowned for infinite number of business deals, but has a colorful history illustrated by its fantastic museum hosting a large number of wax statues which tell the stories of how Shanghai's importance grew in the 19th century due to its distinct location on East China Sea. 

The architecture represented by skyscrapers and historical buildings are also a striking part of the city's personality. 

Strikingly, when walking in Beijing or even any of the other cities I visited, I always felt the fragrance of history blended with signs of modernity, which mirrors four decades of hard work. Throughout my stay, I recorded many aspects of my life in China. My notes were not only about the culture and history of this major country, but also went deep into Chinese life and the similarity between Egypt and China. 

In fact, besides the long ancient civilization of the two countries, Chinese closely resemble Egyptians in some customs, such as marriage ceremonies, the sanctity of family and respect for others, particularly the elderly. I figured out that society cohesion, hard work and strict adherence to the law are the most important factors that made China achieve the unachievable over the last four decades. I also learned a Chinese how to enjoy my weekend. I saw people over 60 years old dancing, and for the first time in my life, I danced with them to share their enjoyment. 

Mingling with journalists who came from different parts of Africa was another valuable opportunity during my stay as it allowed me to become well versed in a lot of topics regarding the continent's issues. 

Overall, I believe that the benefits I reaped in the fields of knowledge, work and life in general will stand me in good stead for the rest of my life.  

(The writer is senior journalist from Egypt)