Christian Fardel (first from right) and his classmates at Zhejiang University. [Photo/Tide News]

On a quiet afternoon in Xixing Old Street, sunlight filters through wisteria vines and onto the stone pavement. Behind a half-hidden wooden door lives Christian Fardel, a 72-year-old French sailor who has chosen to settle by the Grand Canal in Hangzhou.

Born into a family with more than 400 years of maritime history, Fardel was once a well-known sailing and flight instructor on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, where he also ran schools teaching children navigation and aviation. His connection with China began in 2012, when his daughter came to study in China, first at Qingdao University and later at Nanjing University. Her stories of the country's safety, scenery and everyday warmth prompted Fardel to make his first visit, a three-week journey that left a lasting impression.

In 2017, at the age of 64, Fardel made a bold decision to study Chinese at Zhejiang University, becoming the university's oldest international student. Despite the challenges of learning the language later in life, he persisted and completed his studies with encouragement from his teachers — notes of support that he still keeps at home.

His lifelong passion for ships led him in 2018 to translate Illustrated History of Ancient Chinese Ships into French, working intensively to finish the book in time for an international sailing festival. Since then, he has translated several works on China's maritime heritage, including titles related to the Maritime Silk Road, and is now working on a children's book to introduce Chinese nautical culture to younger readers abroad.

Fardel settled in Xixing Old Street in 2019, drawn by its status as the starting point of the eastern section of the Grand Canal. Today, his small home doubles as a miniature maritime museum, filled with ship and aircraft models, paintings from neighbors, and drawings gifted by local children. He regularly teaches sailing knowledge at international schools in Hangzhou and is affectionately known in the neighborhood as the "French grandpa".

Looking ahead, Fardel plans to organize exhibitions on ancient Chinese ships in Shenzhen and France, and hopes to continue building cultural bridges through teaching, translation and exchange. "This is my home now," he said — proof that a life shaped by the sea can still find its harbor along China's ancient canal.

Fardel attends a sailing event. [Photo/Tide News]