Feature: A growing passion for Chinese language takes root in Central Asia-Xinhua
ASTANA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- At a light-rail station, passengers can buy tickets with a tap of the screen, with instructions available in Chinese, Kazakh, Russian and English. Outside, a ride-hailing driver greets passengers in halting Chinese. At restaurants, Chinese-language menus are becoming increasingly common. Across Central Asia, Chinese is becoming an increasingly familiar part of everyday life, reflecting a growing interest in the language across the region. In a classroom at the Confucius Institute at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, students spend the evening repeating Chinese phrases and answering questions. After a day's work, 26-year-old Aiym Naurzbayeva joins more than 100 local learners for evening Chinese classes. Naurzbayeva...