Sun Yiming, reporter of China Youth Daily and China Youth Network, Li Chao.
Recently, Singapore's Chinatown has been crowded with tourists from all over the world as usual.
During the Spring Festival, while selling their own handicrafts, the shopkeepers here also took out fiery Spring Festival couplets, hanging money, wall flowers, window flowers and lanterns, and put them on sale in the most conspicuous places in the shops.
Zhao Hongmin, the owner of "Orchid", which specializes in tourist souvenirs, assembles red lanterns by hand with his buddies when he has nothing to do.
This year marks the 22nd year that Zhao Hongmin has lived in Singapore. Originally from Yantai, Shandong Province, she first came to Singapore for her children's education. Later, in order to make a living, she couldn't speak English, so she rented this store in the place with the largest number of Chinese in Singapore, and slowly learned to start a business.
I think that the culture of the year and the culture of the Chinese people are things that flow in the blood, so when doing business, I choose what I am most familiar with. Zhao Hongmin said with a smile.
In January, Singapore's Chinatown promenade is bustling with people, and the "orchid" shop at the intersection is filled with Chinese-style products. Photo by Sun Yiming.
In the beginning, when faced with inquiries from tourists from all over the world in Chinatown, all she could do was check the English of the goods, write them down on a piece of paper and hand them them out.
Later, Zhao Hongmin memorized the English pronunciation of some products. As she received more and more customers, she slowly learned to explain the use of each product in English, until she was finally able to communicate with tourists in English without any barriers, and she finally established herself in Chinatown.
In a foreign land, Zhao Hongmin has to face difficulties beyond language: cargo transportation, rent, visas, ......Every little thing is a nuisance. Zhao Hongmin recalls life when she first came to Singapore: "As soon as I opened my mouth, many locals knew that I was Chinese, and they would call me 'Chinese girl'. ”
Many years ago, a foreign tourist came to the shop to shop and took the initiative to ask about the source of these products, Zhao Hongmin told the other party seriously that these goods were from China, but the other party was a little disdainful: "I'm sorry, I don't buy Chinese things." ”
At that time, I chuckled in my heart and was very angry. Zhao Hongmin said that the world has a lot of misunderstandings about the motherland, and the same chopsticks from Japan are ten times more expensive than those in the mainland.
Zhao Hongmin made up her mind that the products in the store must use the most textured materials, and even the wallflowers posted for the New Year must be made of felt by the manufacturer, so that foreigners can feel that the goods from China are first-class.
When business was bad a few years ago, Zhao Hongmin once wanted to return to China. But now, she has gradually adapted to the place, and she has even found the more important value behind running a small shop – telling Chinese stories through small shops.
We Chinese are the most industrious people abroad, the rent in the market is very expensive, and every Chinese-owned shop near Chinatown is very hard, from morning to night. Zhao Hongmin was a little proud.
Usually, Zhao Hongmin's "Orchid" also opens at 10 o'clock in the morning and closes until 10 o'clock in the evening, all year round.
Relying on years of hard work, Zhao Hongmin has now opened a number of "small shops" in Singapore, and has also made the official ** of the store, which is convenient for local customers to place orders on the Internet.
In addition, she also has a fixed domestic producer, and she has an important requirement for the best merchants, with the most exquisite workmanship and the best materials, these products are shipped to Singapore, and more Chinese culture is brought here.
In January, Singapore's Chinatown Walking Street is bustling with people, and the "orchid" shop at the intersection is lined with Chinese New Year blessing window flowers. Photo by Sun Yiming.
Nowadays, the "Orchid" shop is equipped with chopsticks, combs, fans, silk scarves, porcelain, Spring Festival couplets, etc., and the small shop is neat and tidy, and it has also gained more and more repeat customers. There was a Japanese customer who was happy to take a photo with the staff at the store. When I returned to Japan, I wrote a thank you letter in English, commenting that they were "the most beautiful shop in Chinatown".
Zhao Hongmin said that there were also customers who bought souvenirs when they visited ten years ago, and when they came to Singapore again, they came to meet her again, and it felt like an old reunion.
Many tourists who come to Singapore from the West come to Zhao Hongmin's shop mainly because of the wall-to-wall chopsticks, which are different in color and texture, and the hand-held parts also have different patterns and Chinese characters.
Zhao Hongmin put these chopsticks designed with Chinese cultural elements in exquisite boxes and displayed them in an orderly manner on rows and rows of display cabinets, and tourists passing by are always deeply attracted by this place.
At this time, the orchid shop staff will introduce them to the meaning of the Chinese characters on the chopsticks, help visitors calculate the zodiac signs, and sometimes teach them how to use the chopsticks.
Tourists from Europe and the United States learn very quickly, and they are especially happy when we encourage them. Some European and American customers now use chopsticks, which is even more standard than many Chinese! Zhao Hongmin said excitedly, "I think as China's influence increases, Chinese culture is becoming more and more popular overseas." ”
Most of the "Orchid" staff can speak both Chinese and English, and they come from Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar and other countries. "They are very simple, conscientious, hard-working, and come to Singapore to work to make money. Zhao Hongmin said.
Zhao Hongmin also added Singapore's local "Baba culture" to the product design.
The so-called "Baba people" are the descendants of ancient Chinese immigrants and Malays. Their culture is home to many traditional patterns of bright colors and flowers, which are emblazoned on the chopsticks that Zhao Hongmin's shop has recently sold.
In the past two days, many Chinese in Singapore are also preparing to buy New Year's goods to welcome the Spring Festival. Zhao Hongmin also met many "old friends" who she hadn't seen for a year.
When many of them saw me, they said, 'I'm coming to see you again, only once a year.'" Zhao Hongmin said that it can make more Chinese in Singapore feel like home, which is also the happiest thing about her insistence on doing this small shop.
*: China Youth Daily client.