An international student from Yangzhou Institute of Technology shows her poster to cheer up for Wuhan. [Photo/myzaker.com]

Though celebration plans for the Spring Festival were disrupted by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia, international students from Yangzhou colleges and universities are confident of overcoming the difficulties.

A Pakistani student from Yangzhou Polytechnic Institute (YPI), whose Chinese name is Li Rui, said he is planning to make full use of his holiday and prepare for HSK, the Chinese language proficiency test. Students at Yangzhou Institute of Technology benefited from online education and practiced tai chi and Chinese calligraphy in their dorms.

Their diversified holidays were safeguarded by teachers and staff members at their schools, who have been working around the clock since the local government announced measures to tighten epidemic prevention and control.

"The students are like my children, we are a family," said Zhu Jinxiu, a house parent at YPI. She has been taking the temperatures of students twice a day, registering their information when entering and leaving the dorm, and has their rooms disinfected every day.

Teachers have taken charge of mental relief for students, who have raised many questions about the emergency situation, such as why they are not allowed to leave the school, how can they buy daily necessities and where they can buy masks.

The teachers passed on many bilingual articles, infographics and videos to students, bought them medical supplies and negotiated to open school groceries and canteens for ethnic groups during the outbreak.

Over 200 students from countries such as South Africa, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Republic of Congo are staying in Yangzhou. They have faith in China's efforts to combat the virus.