South Korea champion teaches taekwondo in Lanzou

Jin Dongqin, from South Korea, prepares the protective clothing for her taekwondo students every day at her gymnasium in Lanzhou.

There are 20 students in the class and Jin is both owner and tutor at the gymnasium.

"Due to my husband’s business, I came with him to Lanzhou in 2015," Jin said. She is 40 years old and has two sons and a daughter.

At first, she couldn't get used to the new environment and felt homesick. "I missed my friends and the food in my hometown a lot at first," she said.

In order to adapt to the new life, Jin, who has been the champion of a South Korean taekwondo competition, applied to be the taekwondo coach in a fitness club in Lanzhou, and worked hard to make Chinese friends and learn the language.

Jin explained that taekwondo is very popular in South Korea and Chinese taekwondo fans increased in 2000 when Chen Zhongyong won the gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games.

In 2008, Jin opened her own taekwondo gymnasium. "Life and work in China is much easier than in South Korea, and I now enjoy life here", she said.

JIn said she was also very happy to find that an increasing number of South Korean restaurants have opened in Lanzhou, and "the familiar tastes have alleviated my homesickness".

Her older son will reach school age in 2016 and she plans to send the child to a Lanzhou school because learning Chinese language and culture will bring him more job opportunities.

Edited by Peter Nordlinger