Home/Stories/Starting a business in Xiamen and learning the Minnan dialect... This Ukrainian guy is happy to be a Xiamen son-in-law
Starting a business in Xiamen and learning the Minnan dialect... This Ukrainian guy is happy to be a Xiamen son-in-law
Jul 18, 2025
27
Xiamen
A Ukrainian who can speak Minnan dialect - Chen Wukong
Chen Wukong's life path is quite extraordinary - this young man, who studied law at a prestigious university in Eastern Europe and achieved success in e-commerce entrepreneurship, finally chose to settle down in Xiamen after traveling through 26 countries.
As a beneficiary of Xiamen's foreign talent policy, he admitted: "The well-developed talent service system in Xiamen is the key factor for me to become a 'Xiamen son-in-law'."
After traveling through 26 countries, he decided to stay in Xiamen.
Chen Wukong had a passion for traveling. After achieving some success in his career, he suddenly felt the urge to "see the world". So, he traveled through 26 countries by hitchhiking, backpacking, and camping.
In 2020, he met a girl from Xiamen on the street in People's Road, Dali, Yunnan Province. They couldn't stop chatting. Chen Wukong thus found his lifelong love.
Originally living in Dali, they learned about the policies in Xiamen that offer support for entrepreneurship and facilitate residence for foreign talents. Chen Wukong decided to follow his wife and move to Xiamen for development.
"I love everything about Xiamen," Chen Wukong said. His hometown is located near mountains. In 2020, he first came to Xiamen and, after seeing the sea and the environment of Xiamen, he fell in love with it. He believes that Xiamen is a very inclusive city and he really wants to stay here.
In 2021, Chen Wukong was admitted to Xiamen University. He studied in the International Chinese Education College/Overseas Education College, majoring in the Han Language and Business Economics direction. To continue his studies, in 2024, he was admitted to the graduate school of Xiamen University, majoring in Master of Management. "On campus, I can have ideological exchanges with teachers and classmates, and I can also learn and understand more Chinese culture. If possible, I will continue my studies further."
Over the past few years, Chen Wukong not only delved into the culture of Fujian Minnan, but also learned the Minnan language. He was even called "the foreigner who can speak Minnan language the best" by netizens. Moreover, he developed a love for tea. "While walking on the street, I can chat with anyone in Minnan language for a few words. Even the elderly people are very kind to me," he said. The spirit of "perseverance leads to success" held by the people of Fujian Minnan has deeply influenced him.
Telling the stories of Xiamen through the lens
As Chen Wukong's love for Xiamen grew day by day, he started shooting videos and uploading them to the internet. At first, he just randomly captured some daily scenes. Unexpectedly, a piece of Hokkien speech he gave while waiting for a typhoon unexpectedly made him unexpectedly popular.
Last year, he decided to start a business and focused on promoting Xiamen's culture and tourism. After the relevant business departments of the Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau learned about the situation, they actively helped and assisted in the registration process. The entire process was efficient and smooth, leaving a deep impression on him.
The policies of Xiamen for international talents, such as the "one-stop" service and entrepreneurship subsidies, provided real support for entrepreneurs like him. By continuously improving the international talent service system, Xiamen is becoming a hotbed for global talent innovation and entrepreneurship. These policies also left a deep impression on Chen Wukong. He even wrote a bachelor's thesis titled "Research on the Introduction Policies of Foreign Talents in Xiamen" specifically.
"Xiamen not only has a peaceful life, but also has a great entrepreneurial atmosphere," Chen Wukong particularly mentioned. The international community facilities and multilingual services created by Xiamen for international talents enabled such "new Xiamenites" to integrate quickly.
Now, in Chen Wukong's videos, Xiamen has both an international flavor and a touch of the city's daily life - the airplane shadows in Huli District, the drumbeats of the Jimei Dragon Boat Race, the "ancient flavor" secret recipe of the shatao noodles... As a "Fujian Province Cultural Tourism Star Achiever", he will continue to explore the cultural treasures of Xiamen through short videos.
Chen Wukong: I want the world to see that this is not only a livable city, but also a "incubator" for dreams.
Source: Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and social Security