Steven Dahlke (1st L) and his wife Gulayim Akim (2nd L) voluntarily teach children to read in Chinese and English at a community summer class in a commercial complex in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 24, 2026. Steven Dahlke, 45, hails from Rostock in Germany, and has been living and working in China for years. He met and fell in love with Xinjiang native Gulayim Akim in 2011. They established a happy family in 2015, and settled in Urumqi in 2022.
Amazed by their son Jacob Steven's language talents, the couple decided to incorporate a reading center for picture books in both Chinese and English to help local children broaden their horizons. The center opened to service in downtown Urumqi in 2024.
Bearing years of experience in higher education, the couple leveraged their multilingual proficiency as well as child development-oriented teaching methods to gradually gain recognition from the locals. In the meantime, they are actively involved in community volunteer services, organizing public reading programs on public holidays in an effort to inspire the younger generations.
The brand-new international airport, increasingly frequent international flights, rapidly rising large commercial complexes, and newly opened cultural sites all enabled Dahlke to truly feel the remarkable changes in Urumqi. In his eyes, the steady urban development in this northwestern Chinese city has lent substantial support to the growth of their reading service.
The couple is also bullish about their career future. "Languages are a critical bridge to connect the world, and to build friendships," they said. They hope to pass on the warmth of language exchange that transcends borders. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Steven Dahlke and his wife Gulayim Akim voluntarily teach children to read in Chinese and English at a community summer class in a commercial complex in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 24, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Steven Dahlke (L) and his wife Gulayim Akim teach English to children at their reading center in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Steven Dahlke helps a child with coloring work at his reading center in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Steven Dahlke and his wife Gulayim Akim teach English to children at their reading center in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Steven Dahlke invites children to play a reading game at his reading center in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Steven Dahlke and his wife Gulayim Akim voluntarily teach children to read in Chinese and English at a community summer class in a commercial complex in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 24, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Steven Dahlke leads the children to play a game at his reading center in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Steven Dahlke (1st L) and his wife Gulayim Akim (2nd L) voluntarily teach children to read in Chinese and English at a community summer class in a commercial complex in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 24, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Gulayim Akim interacts with students during a class at her reading center in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Steven Dahlke interacts with children at his reading center in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Steven Dahlke (1st R), Gulayim Akim (3rd R) and their son Jacob Steven (2nd R) walk at a cultural zone in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 24, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Steven Dahlke (L), Gulayim Akim (R) and their son Jacob Steven visit a cultural zone in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 24, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Steven Dahlke (L), Gulayim Akim (R) and their son Jacob Steven visit a cultural zone in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 24, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
