Blessings beyond buses and beverages

"Hi, my name is Li Bai," Leonid Mitrofanov often tells Chinese visitors as he prepares to lead them through the boulevards of his hometown, Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. For the tourists, this introduction by the Chinese-speaking tour guide is a delightfully memorable icebreaker.

Mitrofanov, 28, took a liking to poetry when he was young, and his life took a decided turn when he was 16 and took up Chinese studies in Zhengzhou, Henan province. After more than three years, he gained a solid command of the language.

It was after gaining fluency that his literary curiosity led him to classical poetry, specifically the works of his namesake Li Bai (701-762), one of ancient China's most revered poets.

After learning that the poet was said to have been born in the ancient city of Suyab, near present-day Tokmok in Kyrgyzstan and just a short drive from Bishkek, Mitrofanov adopted the moniker as his own.

"Li Bai is far more than a fun Chinese name for me," Mitrofanov says. "It's a cultural symbol that bridges my life today in Bishkek with my student years in Zhengzhou, symbolizing the deep bond between Kyrgyzstan and China."