Chao News client reporter Wang Yimin, He Lingyao, Xu Yiwen
Some people say that in this European country, the Chinese are 100% adaptable. If you experience it for yourself, this is not an exaggeration.
This is one of the European countries with the largest concentration of Chinese businessmen and the largest number of Chinese circles, with a total of more than 60,000 Chinese, 5 Confucius Institutes, Chinese newspapers and periodicals, and bilingual schools in Chinese and local languages, which is very rare in the whole of Europe.
This faraway country is Hungary. Located at the junction of Eastern and Western civilizations, it was an important trade transit point on the ancient "Silk Road" and the first stop for Chinese to enter Europe along the "Silk Road".
The fact that there are so many Chinese people and their high adaptability is due to the friendly and livable environment of the local area, and another important reason is that the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" has brought together the hearts of the people of the two countries, so that people can share each other's hearts and destinies.
The first stop on the way to Europa
In the city of Budapest, shuttling through the Eurasian market, there is no end to the endless rows of shops, and the narrow square corridors are lined with small goods on the shelves and floors, leaving only a narrow aisle. A Hungarian pulling a car will greet you warmly: "Hello China!"
Toys, lanterns, small household appliances...... A wide variety of goods, labeled in Chinese and English, most of them come from Yiwu, Guangzhou, and Dongguan. Surrounded by familiar Asian faces, people feel like they are in China, and this is one of the markets with the highest concentration of Chinese businessmen.
"It's the same as the Yiwu Commodity Market. Xu Zhongnan of the Hungarian Lishui Chamber of Commerce said that the Eurasian market is the distribution center of goods in the entire Central and Eastern Europe, and it is also the first stop for Chinese goods to enter Europe. Most of the goods come from China, transit through Hungary, and then be shipped to various parts of Europe.
Most of the goods in the Eurasian market come from China
The entrepreneurial story of Zhejiang people here is almost as long as the history of Chinese people in Hungary.
The history of the Chinese in Hungary is about 35-40 years, which is not very long, but it has developed rapidly. In the late 80s and early 90s of the last century, Hungary opened its customs to China, and there was a visa-free policy at that time, and many Chinese entered Hungary at this time.
Xu Zhongnan said that originally it was called the Four Tigers Market, and it was a large open-air market. Originally, it was a wasteland, and the Chinese were very smart, so they got into it where there was a gap, and found that they could do business here, so they set up stalls in the wind and sun, and there were no toilets and kitchens at that time.
At that time, small commodities were scarce, and people from neighboring countries wanted to come to "cross borders to grab goods". In the morning, before the gate of the market opened, everyone blocked the door, and a carload of people came like a tour group. As soon as things are on the table, they are immediately emptied. Xu Zhongnan said that everyone's first pot of gold was earned in this way.
Soon, the Four Tigers Market became the largest trading hub in Central and Eastern Europe, attracting a large number of Chinese merchants, as well as merchants from Vietnamese, Arab and neighboring countries. Later, the Chinese built a new market and had a sheltered place.
Recalling the difficult years, Ji Honglian, secretary general of the Hungarian Lishui Chamber of Commerce, was very emotional, she went abroad in her early 20s, and began to learn to do business ignorantly.
Ji Honglian has lived in Hungary for 30 years, doing a gift business, 90% of the small goods come from Yiwu, she goes back to Yiwu two or three times a year, each time to purchase more than a dozen containers, shipped to Hungary. Every local festival, Slovaks, Czechs, and Serbs from the surrounding area come to buy.
"The formation of this market is mainly because of its good geographical location, Hungary is a European transportation hub, like a European bridgehead, everyone comes here to buy, just like walking between cities, it is very convenient. Ji Honglian said.
Ji Honglian has a deep affection for China, and now she has a "second generation of Chinese". The child was born and raised here, is fluent in Chinese and Hungarian, and is studying at ELTE University. She takes her children back to China every year to participate in overseas Chinese root-seeking trips.
For the "Belt and Road", Ji Honglian also has personal feelings, because the relationship between China and Hungary is particularly good, especially in the ten years since the "Belt and Road" initiative was proposed, the business environment here is getting better and better. "We deal with the local government, and the trade policy towards China has been relaxed, and the locals are very friendly to China. ”
30 years of business experience
From making a fortune in small commodities and small businesses to the full flowering of all walks of life, Zhejiang businessmen in Hungary are almost at the same frequency as the global Zhejiang businessmen: they have grown along the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" and integrated into local development.
Among the ancient buildings of Budapest, a magnificent modern building stands out. In the large flat floor, the new shops and offices have been renovated and quietly await the visit.
In order to build this commercial building, Ye Xiaorong, the executive chairman of the Hungarian Qingtian Association, has worked hard for many years, he pointed to marble tiles, sofas, tables and chairs, lamps, "these are all from my company." From building design to building materials to attracting investment, he has done it all himself.
In 1999, Ye Xiaorong walked out of the mountains of Qingtian, walked 5 kilometers first, then looked for a car on the road, and then crossed the ocean to Hungary. He was the first to go abroad to do business in the village, and most of them were working in farming.
After the business was done, Ye Xiaorong brought a few fellow villagers over to make the company bigger, and later the fellow villagers brought relatives and friends. Stepping on the tide of the times, they have done clothing, building materials, e-commerce platforms, and commercial real estate, and now Ye Xiaorong has 36 companies.
Relying on one to bring one to one, a "fellow association" was drawn. Ye Xiaorong said proudly that there were more than 800 people in the village at that time, and now there are more than 300 people in his company, distributed in Hungary, Poland, Guangzhou, Foshan, Yiwu and other places.
Now, his R&F Shopping Plaza is about to open, a commercial complex of shops and office buildings, where Chinese companies such as Pinduoduo and Alibaba will soon settle in.
In recent years, many large Chinese companies have set up factories and companies in Hungary, such as CATL, Huawei, and ZTE, why do they fancy this place? Ye Xiaorong explained that in the entire territory of Eastern Europe, Hungary is in the most central position, with developed logistics, relatively low labor costs, and low taxes and land costs.
Of course, the general environment is also a factor that enterprises value very much. Ye Xiaorong feels that in the past ten years of the Belt and Road Initiative, China and Hungary have been in the best period in history. "The two countries are like iron buddies, the locals are friendly, and doing business here, we feel like we're not outsiders, but locals. ”
In the past 30 years, there have been more and more Chinese businessmen in Hungary, and the traditional trade industry is fiercely competitive.
"I don't do wholesale, I don't do trade, I just want to do something differentiated, do production, research and development, and do high-tech. I also want to do something for the local community and provide employment opportunities for the people. Zhan Xiaorong, chairman of Hungary Ouqiao Industrial Co., Ltd., told reporters that the company is already the first major taxpayer in the local area.
The gate of the Hungarian Ouqiao Industrial Company
In 1991, Zhan Xiaorong came to Hungary and lived in Hungary for more than 30 years. After the "Belt and Road" initiative was proposed, he founded the Hungarian Ouqiao Industrial Company and took the initiative to participate in the construction of the "Belt and Road" landing project.
In Hungary, there is a century-old Icarus Industrial Park, which was once a world-famous old car brand. However, the industrial park has been abandoned for nearly ten years, the factory buildings are dilapidated and depressed, and the enterprise is in debt.
In 2019, Zhan Xiaorong, who has a keen business vision, saw this park and immediately made a bold decision to acquire the park and transform it into a comprehensive park integrating a modern industrial park and a cultural exchange center.
After the acquisition, Zhan Xiaorong started a reorganization work, renovated and repaired, improved quality and upgraded, and started investment promotion activities. Nowadays, the park has a new look, with many modern factories, covering an area of more than 300,000 square meters and nearly 200,000 square meters of houses.
Photo courtesy of the interviewee, Hungarian Overseas Chinese Science and Technology Industrial Park
After the reorganization, the "Hungarian Overseas Chinese Science and Technology Industrial Park" mainly provides a modern platform for automobile manufacturing, technology-based manufacturing, trade, logistics, warehousing, etc. In recent years, some domestic auto parts and new energy companies have also settled here. Today, more than 150 companies have settled in, mainly from EU countries, and about 10% from China.
"If you want to develop overseas, you have to integrate into the local community, and you have to connect with the people. Zhan Xiaorong paid special attention to the communication with the local people, and he held the Icarus Memorial Day in the local area, providing public activity space for the people, and opening cultural exhibitions, which was warmly welcomed by the local people.
Version 2.0 of East-West Exchanges
Looking forward to the next decade of the Belt and Road Initiative, what will happen to the East and the West? We have found some answers in Hungary.
In Chinatown, the cultural center is full of familiar traditional Chinese architecture, with a tea room with bamboo and guzheng displays, and through an arched door, there is a Tai Chi practice Xi room, and the walls are covered with medals.
Kata has won many Tai Chi related awards
Here, the Chao News reporter came across a Taijiquan master from Hungary, who had just won the runner-up in the European Championships. She has white hair and wears a robe, showing us a set of tai chi, with an elegant posture and flowing water.
Her name is Kata, and her Chinese name is Gao Dao. It was at this cultural center that she learned Xi Tai Chi under the tutelage of a Chinese teacher.
"Tai Chi is like a mirror that allows me to see myself. Gao Dao is passionate about Chinese culture, not only Xi practicing Tai Chi, but also drinking tea and Chinese calligraphy, and she appreciates the beauty of Chinese culture, "just as Chinese culture is broad and profound, Tai Chi never ends."
Kata Xi Tai Chi at the Cultural Center
In fact, the entire Chinatown, including this cultural center, was founded by Chen Zhongyi, an overseas Chinese businessman from Zhejiang. "I want to do Chinatown version 2.0, not only to have Chinese restaurants and sell Chinese goods, but also to export Chinese culture. ”
Having lived in Hungary for many years, Chen Zhongyi found that the people here liked Chinese culture and were particularly interested in Tai Chi. Therefore, he invited Chinese national professional athletes as teachers, built a Tai Chi Cultural Center, and opened classes for locals and Chinese, not only teaching Tai Chi, but also inviting them to drink tea and listen to Chinese music, so as to "package" Chinese culture and export.
Today, it is a Chinese cultural corner with more than 200 members, both elderly and children, mostly Hungarian. "We've already had a Hungarian champion, a European champion and runner-up, and 10 Hungarian Tai Chi champions in a row. ”
"It's not easy to bring Chinese culture to Hungary. In order to make foreigners accept it, we try to use anthropomorphism and metaphor to give them vivid and vivid lectures. Chen Zhongyi said that in addition to Tai Chi, there will also be a Sino-Hungarian painting exhibition and a table tennis match.
In the other corner of Budapest, there is the Chinese Cultural Center in Budapest, which is the official institution for the promotion of Chinese culture. It aims to help the Hungarian people better understand China's cultural and tourism resources, and promote cultural exchanges and friendship between China and Hungary.
Chinese. Hanfu, tea culture, silk culture exchange ...... Under the matchmaking of the Chinese Cultural Center in Budapest, many wonderful cultural exchange activities have been staged here. Recently, a "Silk Road Qizhong - Chinese Silk Art Exhibition" was held in Budapest, and dozens of ancient Chinese silk fabrics drifted across the ocean to the banks of the Danube, which immediately set off a boom in the exhibition.
Visitors visit exhibits at the "Silk Road Qizhong - Chinese Silk Art Exhibition" held in Budapest, Hungary According to Xinhua News Agency
"This silk art exhibition is jointly organized by us and the Hangzhou Silk Museum and the local Hungary, which is also an activity to serve the joint construction of the 'Belt and Road', and the one-and-a-half-month exhibition has been widely welcomed by the Hungarian people. Jin Hao, director of the Chinese Cultural Center in Budapest, Hungary, told reporters.
In Jin Hao's view, Hungarian young people have an open attitude towards Chinese culture, there are 5 Confucius Institutes in Hungary, there is a group of young people who learn Chinese, they are very yearning for China, we hope to let more young people fall in love with Chinese culture through Hanfu, cultural creativity and other forms.
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