Nearly three years ago, a woman from Hong Kong with an entrepreneurial dream was looking for business opportunities in Chongqing. Now she is enjoying her new life as proprietor of a coffee shop.

Alison Lee, 36, had been working in product development in the catering industry since graduating from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, in 2008.

"Of all places in the world to start a business, I wanted it to be somewhere on the mainland," she said.

Invited by friends who suggested working together on a startup, Lee came to the city in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic, which broke out in early 2020, discouraged her friends. They abandoned the plan, but Lee chose to stay and give it a try.

In September, Lee's small coffee shop — called Cafe It — opened on an old street in Chongqing's Yuzhong district, decorated in Hong Kong style.

The 60-square-meter cafe can accommodate about a dozen people. Notably, six CD players adorn the wall. She said the disks were from her personal collection, to make the shop feel like home.

For half a year, Cafe It has built a reputation among nearby nine-to-fivers for high-quality at a low price. She said it is her dream to serve affordable coffee to everyone.

"Chongqing has become my second home. It must be destiny," she said. "The local people are warm, straightforward and open, which make me feel at home."

She added that having traveled around the world it's more than the scenery and food in a city that makes her want to settle down. It's mostly the people.

Lee has a motto for life: Live in the moment.

"When there is a challenge, stay focused on the present task and keep moving, even if it's just one step forward. Never give up, and in time great things will happen."