Dong Qiangqiang's Story of Leaving Germany

As the "German Corner", Koblenz's status is also different from that of ordinary tourist cities. The stopping time of ICE at ordinary small stations is generally only two to three minutes, but it can stop at Koblenz for as long as 3 minutes.

While the passengers were busy rushing to and from the train, the railway staff took advantage of every opportunity to deliver free travel newspapers to each carriage. Dong Qiangqiang conveniently copied a copy when he strolled out of the carriage.

He raised his eyes and looked into the distance, only to see the smoke condensed and the evening mountains purple. The night sky filtered out all the variegated colors. The solemn and majestic Ellenbretzstein Castle towering on the other side of the river shone magnificently directly in front of him. Every brick and tile seemed to tell him about their exciting past.

In 8 BC, Koblenz was transformed into a Roman military outpost under the emperor Darussus because of its strategic location at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. In 1216, the German Knights chose to settle here for the same reason. From 1815 to 1834, in order to ensure the irreplaceability of the important strategic location at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers, Prussia included the Ellenbretzstein defense fortress into the overall defense system of Koblenz and began to build forts on the Rhine and Moselle rivers. The largest fortification system in Europe at the time was officially built on the rock groyne above the confluence of the River Zell.Today's Koblenz is not only a picturesque city, but also part of the UNESCO World Heritage "Upper Middle Rhine Valley" and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Funding Program.

Above the land at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers, the Germans built triangular squares, museums and other landmark buildings. The reason why this place is called the "Deutsche Corner" is because it was dedicated to promoting the reunification of Germany after World War II. The movement was first launched from this region.

When the muddy dark green Mosel River first merged into the bluer Rhine River, the colors of the rivers were distinct, but as the river surged eastward, they eventually merged into the same color.

After the reunification of the two Germanys, the "Deutsche Corner" naturally became a symbol of the German national spirit. For many Germans, this place inspired their nationalist spirit and patriotic feelings. They came here because they felt passionate about their country. Proud and proud, the equestrian statue of William I, the founding emperor who spent ten years unifying Germany, was also erected in the square for future generations to admire.

Looking at the majestic giant bronze statue, Dong Qiangqiang's heart was racing with the image that one day in the future, when the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are reunified, we will also have a "Corner of China" that belongs to all Chinese people.

Just as Dong Qiangqiang was looking at the statue, the train behind him neighed. Knowing that the time had come, Dong Qiangqiang turned around and stepped into the carriage.

The train turned several corners, and the German Corner gradually disappeared behind a hill.

Dong Qiangqiang's eyes were always wandering on the barges on the river and the cruise ships with colorful lights. From time to time, he was attracted by the intoxicating light like the beautiful pastoral scenery flashing in the darkness. He knew that Frankfurt was close at hand.

When night fell outside the window, several towering skyscrapers in the distance came into Dong Qiangqiang's eyes one after another. He recognized them as Frankfurt's landmark buildings such as the Silver Tower and the Euro Tower, which showed that Frankfurt was close at hand.

Frankfurt is located in the heart of Hesse, Germany. It was almost completely destroyed in World War II. Now it is a modern international metropolis with many skyscrapers and the most important financial center in Germany.

The train passed through a dry moat next to Frankfurt's old city wall and arrived at the Frankfurt train station on time. In another ten minutes, Dong Qiangqiang would be at the airport.

Sitting in the carriage, Dong Qiangqiang saw many old half-timbered houses regularly arranged on the narrow cobblestone streets, just like the ancient buildings he saw in the center of Trier.

The departure time was still early, and Dong Qiangqiang knew that he did not need to stay at the airport all the time. Theoretically, he still had time to wander around the city, but he was carrying two overstuffed suitcases, which was very inconvenient, but he was completely Leave your luggage at the train station, take a walk around the city, and enjoy a meal of authentic local cuisine, such as a creamy "green sauce" made with seven different green herbs, served with potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and frankfurters A culinary "feast".

He had to admit that the idea of ​​enjoying delicious food made him a little hesitant. At the same time, he also knew that Frankfurt was a large city with a profound history. A day of sightseeing was far from enough, let alone only one or two hours.

If it was daytime, the sky was clear, and he had plenty of time, he would choose to visit the Frankfurt Stock Exchange first, touch the Copper Bull and Bear in front, and then take a bus to the city center to visit the rebuilt old city.However, Dong Qiangqiang is not very fond of historical sites, so attractions such as old palaces, Roman bathhouse ruins, monasteries and the like are not on his visit list, with the exception of Goethe's former residence.If he had a whim, he might also sit in one of the royal churches and the Deutsche Odenkirche.Of course, all the sites are replicas of urban architecture created by the Germans after World War II, including the Judengas Museum, the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, and the Book Burning Memorial Hall, without exception.

If he is traveling with Du Lan, he may go to places worth seeing in Frankfurt and its surrounding areas, such as small cities such as Fritzlar, Holmberg, Melsungen, and Alsfeld, which may be visited by many people. It’s not surprising that you have never heard of these place names. Even in Germany, few people know that these romantic ancient towns are the birthplace of many stories in German Grimm’s fairy tales.

Frankfurt at night is a brightly lit city that never sleeps, so he will find a building with a good view and a panoramic view of the city to climb up, such as the Silver Tower or the Euro Tower in the middle of the urban forest, which is quite spectacular when lit up at night. Look at the toy-like cars and people on the ground, and experience the city scenery that is completely different from the ground perspective. The scene must be shocking and exciting.

The idea of ​​going shopping finally died, and he decided to go directly to the airport.He answered questions all morning, and spent a long time in the bank in the afternoon. Even shopping empty-handed made him feel uninterested and tired.Besides, there may be a strike at the airport. Even if there is no strike, you will need to queue up to check in and check in your luggage. In order to avoid the potentially huge boarding queue, it is better to arrive sooner rather than later.

Frankfurt Airport is located southwest of Frankfurt city center. As the busiest airport in Germany, the airport has long become a giant integrating airports, hotels, shopping malls, and office buildings.The airport has two main terminals and a smaller first class terminal, while international departures are on the top floor of the terminal.

When the glass elevator emerged from the underground floor, Dong Qiangqiang saw that even though it was night, the airport was still full of people and there was no trace of a strike. The scene was exactly the same as the day he landed.

Looking at the familiar shops in the airport, especially the supermarket where his father bought oranges again, the scene of Dong Qiangqiang sending his father back to China seemed vivid in his mind. Thinking of his father on the sickbed, he couldn't help but feel a sore nose, and tears seemed to come at any time. It will all flow down.

I wonder if I came too early, but not only was there no queue at the Air China counter, there was not even a single person checking in.

To commemorate his first flight to Germany, he once again chose a window seat when he returned to China for the first time.The check-in procedure was very fast, and only one of the two luggages was slightly overweight. However, the Air China staff did not say anything and stuck the luggage information paper on the suitcase with a wave of their hand. In the blink of an eye, the two suitcases disappeared. .

In an instant, Dong Qiangqiang's favorable impression of Air China doubled.

There were slightly more people at the security check, but Dong Qiangqiang passed quickly.

After passing the security check, Dong Qiangqiang wandered around the airport while walking towards the boarding gate.

There are almost no Asian faces in the airport, let alone tourist groups coming and going. It seems that people's lives in China have not recovered.Occasionally, Dong Qiangqiang could turn a blind eye to the unfriendly looks in their eyes when he encountered foreigners looking him up and down.

He bought different brands of perfume in the duty-free shop, as well as a lot of chocolates, coffee beans, cigarettes and other all-purpose gifts that can be given to anyone. Finally, he even bought a few bottles of champagne and caviar from different origins, until he carried them in his backpack It was filled to the brim, and my hands were filled with bags of various colors, so I gave up.

After buying the perfume and chocolate, he casually passed by an airport bookstore and saw all kinds of books on the shelves. He suddenly remembered that he should try to copy textbooks when he went back, and he set an alarm to remind himself.

After walking a few steps from the bookstore, Dong Qiangqiang saw a restaurant decorated like a hunting lodge. It had a unique environment and served a variety of expensive traditional Frankfurt dishes. Dong Qiangqiang was already hungry, and he didn't bother to worry about it anymore, so he wolfed it down. We had an authentic Frankfurt dinner of schnitzel with green sauce.

Having had enough wine and food, he casually wandered outside a camera store and accidentally saw that the high-end camera that Duanmu had recommended to him was expensive. After some emotion, Dong Qiangqiang decided to return to China and visit Zhongguancun.

There is free wireless network in the airport. Dong Qiangqiang took out his laptop and connected to the Internet. Lao Bai didn't reply, presumably because he was still in the air, and the lawyer didn't reply. He looked at the university website again, and there was no change in the page.

Before boarding the plane, he originally wanted to contact his friends to say goodbye, but in the end he gave up the idea and only sent a text message to Lao Bai, asking him to check his mailbox immediately.

The roar of the engine when the plane took off made his eardrums buzz. He tried to open his mouth as wide as possible while looking out the window. Even at night, he could still clearly see the high-rise buildings in the lively city center of Frankfurt gradually flattening. The roads and rivers that wind through cities and farmland also become invisible as the plane continues to rise.

As far as the eye can see, it is beautiful.

It has been nearly two years since he left BJ. If he had gone to North America or a Commonwealth country, he would not only have received his master's degree and be halfway through his Ph.D. program, but he had just started studying for the master's program. As for when he would graduate, he had no idea. Know.But compared to two years ago when he stumbled and ignorantly landed in Germany, he is now able to deal with many things calmly and skillfully. Everything is just like what the song says: "Time takes away the story of time and changes everyone."

He thought of the dream he had when he first flew to Germany. Everything seemed to be just yesterday, both real and illusory, far and near, and time seemed to have never existed.