SANYA - Andre Ivanov, a 57-year-old Russian man, is enjoying life in the southern Chinese resort city of Sanya, where he has settled down with a family and built up a successful travel agency.

Ivanov came to Sanya back in 1994, a time when few other foreigners even knew of the South China island province of Hainan.

The breathtaking tropical seashore grabbed hold of his imagination, and he saw a golden opportunity in the tourism industry.

"At that time, I made up my mind to become a successful businessman in the tourism industry and wanted to introduce Russian tourists to Sanya," said Ivanov.

An affinity for China and Chinese culture had taken hold well before he had ever set foot in Hainan.

"I took Chinese courses to study the language and Chinese culture when I entered Moscow University in 1973, and my interest in the amazing country just grew," he said.

His wife, Dong Xia, is another reason he decided to develop his career here.

The two met at a party in 1993 in Russia, then spent the entire afternoon chatting in Chinese.

Dong was nothing but supportive when Ivanov told her about his ambitions to develop his own career in Sanya after one trip there.

"I supported his suggestion and wanted to help him expand the tourism market, so I left Moscow for Sanya to seek opportunities," Dong recalled.

The couple married in Sanya in 1996, then embarked on a journey to realize their shared dream.

But developing the tourism market in then-underdeveloped Sanya proved no easy task.

In the beginning, the lovebirds made ends meet by working in hotel management in Sanya from 1995 to 1997, while they investigated the local tourism market.