At the beginning of 2020, precisely on the Chinese New Year, Andreas Merzhäuser came to China. Apart from his political interest, the German studies and history graduate had no connection to the country. Curiosity about the unknown and the chance to get up close and personal with a rising China that wants to shape the history of the 21st century brought Merzhaeuser to the German Embassy School in Beijing. This is not his first teaching stay abroad. At the turn of the millennium, Andreas Merzhaeuser was already working in London as a teacher and later as Deputy Headmaster. This initially opened new doors for him in Germany, where he ran a grammar school for over 14 years before deciding to go to China.