Foreign teachers building closer ties with locals

When Magdalena Lowczynska arrived in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province, to teach English at a local kindergarten in 2011, she hardly ever went out due to the language barrier and new environment.

After studying Mandarin and Chinese culture for one year at Shanxi University, the 31-year-old Pole has blended in with the local community.

She is also a frequent visitor to places near campus such as "little Hong Kong".