Invited by Faculty of Arts and humanities of University of Stirling, Scotland, I visited the ancient landand studied there for 6 months under the guidance of Professor Raquel de Pedro Ricoy from the Division of Literature and Languages.

Located in the northern part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Scotland is an important part of the country with rich natural resources, unique natural landscapes and a long history and culture. A strong Scottish flavor which can be reflected from the iconic buildings, universities with high quality educational resources, and even street performers in kilt and bagpipes adds a unique humanistic atmosphere to the study life.

There are many ancient and spectacular castles in Scotland among which the Edinburgh Castle and the Stirling Castle are the representative landmarks. The Edinburgh Castle located on the granite summit of the extinct volcano can be seen from all corners of the city center. As a previous important royal residence

Pic. 1 the Edinburgh CastlePic.
   2 the Stirling Castle

and national administrative center, it has been a symbol of the spirit of Scotland.

The Stirling Castle, also a former royal castle, is built on the top of a cliff and is one of Britain’s iconic landmarks which has witnessed countless wars and historical events.

Monuments are also an important part in the history and culture of Scotland, not only recording historical events, but also educating generations. The Scott Monumentin Edinburgh is a Victorian Gothic building, dedicated to the memory of the Scottish writer Sir. Walter Scott. The Wallace Monument was built in honor of Scottish national hero Sir William Wallace.

pic.3 Scott MonumentPic.
     4 Wallace Monument

The Scots have a passion for art, which is reflected in every aspect of their lives, from full packed concerts to young visitors in art museums. Even the private gardens are decorated in artistic and distinctive styles.

Pic.5 Usher HallPic.
          6 KelvingrovePic.
          7 a private garden

Scotland attaches great importance to education and has a large number of universities, such as the University of Edinburgh, the University of St. Andrews, the University of Glasgow, and so on, each of which has a unique atmosphere and attracts students and scholars from all over the world.

The University of Stirling, founded in 1967, is a public university with a strong commitment to transformational thinking and innovation. Its rich academic resources, excellent educational facilities and the beautiful natural scenery was recognized by the Guardian in 2022 as one of top 50 prestigious universities in the UK.

Pic 8 Stirling University

Faculty of Arts and Humanities, the largest faculty in Stirling University, has earned a reputation for delivering some of the most highly-rated Arts and Humanities courses.The Literature and Language division opens up boundless new possibilities for researchers in numerous related areas. It is known as the leader, with 100% of its research environment in English Language and Literature classed as world leading or internationally excellent in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).

Pic.9 the library of Stirling UniversityPic.

 10 a corner of a teaching building

There are many excellent professors whonot only provide expertise guidance but also create opportunities for students to think critically. During the visiting, I read a lot of books and articles about English translation of Chinese ancient classics, and categorized and integrated related data under the guidance of Prof. Ricoy, which had laid a solid foundation of my further research.