Vietnamese PhD enjoys happy family, successful career in China

For those in Nanning city, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, that want a break from regular Chinese food, a Vietnamese chicken rice noodle shop there offers something different. Ran by Vietnamese native Bùi Thị Thúy Vân, customers will for sure receive a warm welcome as well as an introduction of Vietnamese specialties.

"I hope customers can taste genuine Vietnamese cuisine as soon as they are seated in my restaurant. Customer satisfaction is my guiding principle in business," said Vân.

Vietnamese woman Bùi Thị Thúy Vân displays Vietnam food in her restaurant in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Chinanews.com/Yu Jing)

Since she embarked on a journey of studying in Guangxi in 2002, the woman from Thai Binh, Vietnam, has lived in China for over 20 years, building her career and a happy family in the country.

In 2013, Vân and a friend opened a Vietnamese chicken rice noodle restaurant near the campus of the university she studied at in Nanning because she missed the flavors of her hometown.

According to Vân, the restaurant was initially a gathering place for international students, but it soon gained popularity among Chinese fans of Vietnamese snacks.

"At that time, there were few restaurants providing Vietnamese food in Nanning, and it was difficult to find authentic Vietnamese chicken rice noodles," Vân recalled.

Realizing the popularity of Southeast Asian cuisine among the people of Guangxi, Vân moved her restaurant to the downtown area of Nanning.

She hires Vietnamese students to help manage the restaurant, allowing them to develop a better understanding of Chinese society through part-time work, Vân said.

Like many international students who start businesses in China, Vân fell in love with Nanning during her studies in the city, and personally witnessed China's development and changes.

"I participated in the first China-ASEAN Expo when local people knew very little about Vietnam. Today, you can see elements of Southeast Asian countries everywhere in Nanning," Vân said, attributing her current life to the opportunities brought about by China's rapid development.

In 2007, Vân met and fell in love with her husband You Long, who comes from east China's Shandong Province. Now, the couple has a daughter and enjoy a happy life in Nanning.

In addition to managing her restaurant, Vân also assists her husband with his trade business, exporting engineering machinery to Vietnam. They are not only life partners but also work partners, frequently traveling between China and Vietnam.

In June this year, Vân successfully obtained a doctoral degree in Ethnic Economics from Guangxi Minzu University. "By pursuing more academic achievements, I can better handle our trade business and also gain a deeper understanding of China's development," she explained.

She believes that as cooperation between Vietnam and China deepens, Vietnam will require China's advanced technologies in transportation infrastructure, which will lead to an increase in the export of Chinese-made engineering machinery to Vietnam in the future.

Regarding Nanning as her second home, Vân hopes her restaurant will last for over a century.