Expat enjoys martial art and mellow lifestyle

Martin Mellish and his wife Zhou Shanbi usually practice tai chi at People’s Park in downtown Chengdu.

"I have visited more than 200 cities in some 20 countries. Chengdu is the best city in the world," says Mellish, a 63-year-old American who has lived in Chengdu for four years.

He now teaches mathematics and English in two high schools and when he has no classes, he practices tai chi at the park from 8 to 9:40 am.

Mellish does not eat spicy Sichuan food. He says it is the happy lifestyle that keeps him in Chengdu.

"People of all ages, old people in particular, enjoy themselves at the park. They are singing, dancing and laughing. They have simple meals. But they are very happy. They make me believe one does not need much money to be happy," says Mellish.

Born in Britain, he obtained a master's degree in mathematics from Cambridge University and later moved to the US. At the age of 27, he worked as a guard at a temple in India.

His boss, Swami Krishna, a monk in the temple, told him he was responsible for ensuring the safety of the temple and the people in it while he was on duty. During his off hours, he should try to help people outside who were in need, said the guru.

"I have remembered what he said ever since," says Mellish who respects Buddha and visits Wenshu Temple in downtown Chengdu every Saturday, where he chants Buddhist scripture for two and a half hours each time.

"Chengdu is a city with a long history and rich cultural heritage that calms your mind," says Mellish, who smiles all the time.

Covering 5.5 hectares, Wenshu was first built between 605 and 617 AD and rebuilt in 847 AD.

Mellish made his first trip to China in 1996. Since then, he has visited many times, coming either as a student of tai chi — he has written a book in English on the martial art — or as a tourist.

Four years ago, he decided to settle in Chengdu.

"The day before I was due to leave in 2010, didn't want to go back to the United States and surfed the Internet to find a teaching job in Chengdu," he said.

Mellish has learned Chinese on his own and can communicate in Mandarin. He teaches Western culture and English to more than 800 students in a high school in Chengdu.

Thanks to a distance education system, his English lecture reaches more than 30,000 students in Sichuan, Yunnan and Qinghai provinces at the same time.

He also delivers mathematics lectures in English for students in another high school. Mellish met his future wife in February 2011. She was then working as an embroiderer at a shop near the school where he taught.

Mellish was impressed with her work and started sending her flowers on holidays. When she was in the Laos during the Chinese New Year in 2012, Mellish took a train for 13 hours from Thailand to see her.

Moved by his sincerity, Zhou married him in May that year. "I do not speak English but get along very well with Martin, who is considerate and never fails to keep his word," she said.

Mellish stands at 182 centimetres and Zhou is 150cm tall. Despite their different background, the couple gets along very well.

"I don't eat spicy food but I like the home-made dishes she prepares," Mellish said. She said Mellish never loses his temper. When they don’t agree with each other, he always smiles and talks with her softly.

"She didn't want to practice tai chi and said she would do it only after she retires. But to keep me company, she eventually learnt it and now practices with me in the park quite often. She is a good practitioner," said Mellish.

On July 18, 2013, the couple visited Mellish's parents in a town in eastern Britain. Mellish's hometown has some 5,000 people. Quite a few of them like tai chi and read Mellish’s book. The couple practiced tai chi for them on the spot.

"They were impressed with my wife's performance and some said they would like to learn tai chi in Chengdu," Mellish said.

"When we returned to Chengdu on Aug 10, 2013, my wife asked me again whether I regretted giving up everything to live in China. I said I love tai chi and Chengdu."