Shot by Ma Xuefeng. Edited by Zhong Youyang. Subtitles by Wang Xinzhou and Alexander Bushroe.

When Arash Estilaf, an Iranian actor, TV host, and merchant, was a child, made-in-China items such as pens, balms, and TV sets brought by his father piqued his interest in China.

Estilaf, also known as Hua Bobo in Chinese, left Tehran for Shanghai to study Chinese at East China Normal University. Estilaf recalled that at the time, China was not a popular choice for young Iranians looking to study abroad. Estilaf, on the other hand, fell in love with the country and surprised his friends.

He enrolled in the Shanghai Theater Academy in 2010 to pursue a postgraduate degree in television and broadcasting, and he later earned a PhD in TV and film programming and directing.

Estilaf, now 34, did not expect to stay in China for so long, despite his extensive educational experience there. He has been in Shanghai for 17 years, as "an ambassador of culture" between Iran and China.

"My second hometown is Shanghai." "I've lived in this city longer than any other in the world," Estilaf said. "When I go to Iran, my friends refer to me as a "laowai" (foreigner) in terms of the influence from my life in China."

He now has over 340,000 Weibo followers and is one of China's most well-known Iranian personalities. His role in the urban romantic series "Go Go Squid!" drew widespread public attention in 2019, making him one of the most searched trending topics on Weibo. He was astounded by the power of China's social media. Around 100 million Chinese netizens were searching for his name on Weibo at the time.

Estilaf has witnessed China's tremendous development over the years, particularly in transportation, the Internet, and environmental protection.