Taekwondo comes to Fuzhou from Taiwan

After she was named "Model of Young Entrepreneurs in Fuzhou" in May, Chen Yanting felt a greater sense of responsibility to do more to promote cross-Straits exchanges.

The 34-year-old Taekwondo coach from Taiwan started her gymnasium in Fuzhou, Fujian province, in 2018.

"When I was invited to the city for an interchange activity in June 2017, I found there was a broad market for Taekwondo and good prospects for its development," she said. "Two months later, I came to Fuzhou again, together with 20 of my students, to join in another cultural activity."

During the activity, the Taekwondo performed by Chen's students won cheers and warm applause from the audience.

"After the performance, I was surrounded by some children's parents," she said. "They thought I was a local coach and asked how to join in my course."

"Before that, I had planned to open my own Taekwondo gymnasium in Taiwan, but had made little progress due to fierce business competition," she said. "The trip to Fuzhou gave me the idea of seeking development opportunities in the city."

After several months of preparation, Chen and her friend Chang Yawen moved to Fuzhou and started their business. It was not easy at the beginning.

"When I worked in Taiwan, I had 120 students at once," Chen said. "For the first several months in Fuzhou, we had only three."

They didn't give up and began to learn how to promote the Korean martial art on the Chinese mainland.

"We changed some methods but still stuck to our identity, which brought us good evaluation and helped us expand the market," Chang said.

In the summer of 2020, they settled in the city and now have two gymnasiums, attracting more than 80 students.

In January, they moved into a subsidized public rental apartment that was offered by local government with low rent.

"Living and working in the city have greatly improved our sense of happiness," Chen said. "In the future, I hope to do more to promote cross-Straits exchanges, such as introducing more excellent coaches to the city and help them find development space here."