Polish Mateusz’s promising career and wonderful life in Yunnan

Mateusz Puslecki, a physiotherapist from Poland, now works at a hospital in Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan Province. He says that he is so overwhelmed by the charm of the province that he has fallen in deep love with it.

In the summer of 2011, when Mateusz was working in Poland, an idea suddenly came to him that he should visit somewhere else to experience different culture. He resigned and came to Xiamen in China where he studied Chinese and worked in a kindergarten. One year later, he decided to return to his profession of physical rehabilitation, and moved to Yunnan.

According to Mateusz, compared with Beijing and Shanghai, physical therapy is less popular in Yunnan. “To put it another way, it means that there is more demand from patients."

His expertise has been recognized by his patients, evidenced by the piles of thank-you notes and cards on his desk. "Seeing my patients recovering and picking up their smiles gives me a sense of accomplishment. I really enjoy helping others," said Mateusz.

In his spare time, Mateusz loves rock climbing. "Climbing allows me to get close to nature and better understand the landscape and local customs of Yunnan," he said the climbing has become an indispensable part of his life in Yunnan.

Thanks to this hobby, Mateusz and his friends spent a special Spring Festival in 2017. When they were on their way home from a climbing trip in Fuming, Kunming on the eve of Spring Festival, they passed through a small village and encountered a family gathering around a campfire outside their house. It was dinnertime and the villagers warmly invited them to have dinner together. "The food was simple, but it was so warm. And they prepared separate dishes for my vegetarian friends,” he said emotionally. 

(Text by Wei Ranran of Daguan Weekly, photos provided by Mateusz)