A Young Arab’s Dream: Prosperity in China

By+staff+reporter+LUO+YUANJUN

AT the opening ceremony of the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum last June， President Xi Jinping mentioned a Jordanian businessman who settled in Yiwu， a coastal city in Zhejiang Province. “The rapid development of relations between China and Arab countries drew their peoples together，” Xi remarked. “There is a Jordanian， Muhannad， in Yiwu where Arabic businesspeople congregate. He set up an Arabic restaurant， and prospered along with the city. He has since married a Chinese woman and settled in China. An ordinary young Arab， weaving his dream of life into the Chinese Dream of pursuing happiness， eventually reached success through hard work. This is the best example of the Chinese Dream meeting the Arabic Dream.”

Muhannads business is getting even better these days thanks to President Xis free “publicity.” He， his Chinese wife and two sons live happily with many friends nearby.

The “Ward” Restaurant

About a month after President Xis speech， I visited the Ward Restaurant on Chouzhoubei Road in downtown Yiwu.“Ward” means flower in Arabic， so locals also call it the Flower Restaurant. During Ramadan， the restaurant opens at seven oclock in the evening. But all seats were occupied almost immediately and a TV interview was underway. “My restaurant is very popular now，” said Muhannad， “thanks to President Xi.”

Contact between China and Arab states can be traced back over 2，000 years. As Xi remarked， Sino-Arab relations were already well-established in antiquity. Trades flourished in the seventh century when merchants from Arabia and Persia came to China along the Maritime Silk Road， bringing goods as well as religious teachings. Some of them settled and multiplied， and their settlements gradually developed into Arabic communities. Many southern Chinese cities like Guangzhou， Hangzhou and Ningbo were home to Arabic communities.

Over a dozen centuries later， as China reforms and opens up， Yiwu， as one of the richest places in the country， has become one of the worlds largest smallgoods markets. It is now a favored destination for visitors from the Arab world. Many Arabs jokingly call it a “village” of the Arab world.

“Over 10 years ago， I left Jordan and came to Guangzhou，” 36-year-old Muhannad says in fluent Chinese. “I helped my uncle in his restaurant where I met my wife Liu Fang. She is a translator in the restaurant.” In 2002， Muhannad married Liu Fang， a girl from Anhui Province.endprint

It was also in 2002 when Muhannads uncle set up a branch in Yiwu， catering to the Arabs who flocked to the city for wholesale and trades. This is one of the first Arabic restaurants in Yiwu. In 2004， Muhannad and his wife took over the restaurant， and remodeled it after the 2008 financial crisis. They hired new chefs， updated the menu， and renamed it “Ward Restaurant.”

Authentic Arabic Food

Diners are mainly Arabs， most of whom are familiar with Muhannad. He greets every guest at the door， occasionally chatting with them. The young Arab waiters bustle about， conversing in Arabic or limited Chinese. Their language advantage helps the Arabic lads do their job with ease. In contrast， the young Chinese waitresses seem quieter as they dont speak Arabic.

The man sitting across from me is Asad， a businessman from Yemen and a regular diner. I talked with him in English and simple Arabic. He purchases cloth in Yiwu and sells it in the Middle East. “The soup is authentic， so is the bread，” he says， “and you can find all the Arabic food you want. The chefs come from Arab countries.”

In the restaurant， the Koran is played in a continuous loop， perfectly matching the Arabic-style decor： golden ceiling and chandelier decorated with golden flowers， giving the restaurant an appearance of grandeur. “Gold is a favorite color of Arabs，” Liu Fang said.“We call it ‘Flower restaurant， so a variety of flowers can be seen here. Our logo is a white flower， which Muhannad designed himself.”

Upon arrival in China， Muhannad only earned about US $300 a month. But now he and Liu Fang have their own restaurant and a foreign trade company. Muhannads life is busy but very happy. His two sons， eleven and nine years old， speak Chinese like natives. He said the children were born and brought up in China， so Chinese is their mother tongue. But he hopes the kids will learn Arabic language and culture in Yiwu.

Chinese City with Arabic Tastes

There are many Arabs running restaurants in Yiwu. Chen Lin works for a China-Arab trade company in Beijing.“I was almost shocked，” she said after a business trip to Yiwu， “The street near my hotel is lined with Arabic restaurants. I headed into one and， wow， found myself in an Arab country. I became a foreigner. Anyone travelling to Yiwu should try the Arabic food.”

The authentic Arabic restaurants are all run by Arabs. As more Arabs came to Yiwu and more restaurants opened， Muhannad felt growing competition. Many seasonings must be imported to ensure authentic flavors and attract customers. Within 100 meters of the Ward Restaurant， there are over 20 Arabic restaurants. A taxi driver told me this is just one of several blocks where Arabic restaurants congregate.

The Flower is more expensive than Chinese restaurants. I paid less than RMB 30 for a buffet in a popular chain restaurant. But that in the Flower cost me RMB 100. “But my food is worth it，”Muhannad said.

“For so many years， the biggest gain for me is Chinese and Arabic friends， and a happy life with my wife and kids，”Muhannad said. “Now， Yiwu is my second hometown. Actually， the Chinese Dream President Xi talked about is also my dream. I will do my best to run the restaurant， and hope one day to open branches in Guangzhou， Shanghai and Beijing. I will also expand my trade company to sell Chinese products to Arabic countries. I want to be a messenger of friendship between China and the Arab world.”endprint