Young Cameroon student initially attracted by martial arts hits the high notes in Yuju Opera, Chen Nan and Shi Baoyin report in Zhengzhou.

As a child, Sime Nkemeni Darrin, who was born and raised in Bafang, a small town in Cameroon, was fascinated by Chinese martial arts. He dreamed about learning the discipline and visiting China one day.

In 2016, Darrin, who was a student majoring in material science at the University of Yaounde I, in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, started to learn Chinese at the Confucius Institute of the University of Yaounde II. Aside from martial arts, he got to know about the country through photos and videos.

After a year of learning Chinese, Darrin arrived in Kaifeng, Henan province, as a language student at Henan University.

The reason why Darrin chose to apply to Henan University was that the renowned Shaolin Temple, which is widely known for its expertise in martial arts, is located in Henan. Soon after he arrived in Kaifeng, he traveled to the temple.

"When I saw the kung fu masters practice, it was like a dream come true. I was told that martial arts is more than the powerful movements, like self-defense, it is about a way of life, which is full of Chinese philosophy," says Darrin, 32.

Of all the different types of Chinese martial arts, Darrin has been focused on learning and practicing tai chi, which is known for its fluid combination of slow, graceful movements and lightning-quick strikes.

Since 2017, Darrin has participated in martial arts competitions, especially for tai chi, and won a number of awards. He says that tai chi helps him become strong, healthy, stay in good shape and develop excellent concentration.

"Tai chi helps me gain my balance, physically and mentally," he says. "It changed me."