Dutchman finds joy in green city

Good infrastructure and safe environment make Zhuhai popular with expatriates

ZHUHAI - Though a little nervous about a new arrival in his family, prospective father Bart Feijts is thrilled at welcoming the bundle of joy in a city he loves - Zhuhai, Guangdong province.

Feijts, who hails from the Dutch village of Amstenrade, has more than a passing affection for China and Zhuhai. His love of the country and the people find their root not only in the enterprise he runs but also extends to his Chinese wife.

The 39-year-old Feijts had never thought that he would end up settling down in Zhuhai when he came to China a few years ago. His first visit to China was to meet a friend who was doing business with Chinese companies in Zhuhai. But that trip was eventful in many respects as Feijts not only fell in love with a Chinese woman but also the city she lived in and decided to stay.

"Zhuhai is a beautiful, relaxing and well-developed city," says Feijts who now considers the city his second hometown.

Before coming to Zhuhai, Feijts was a manager in his family business of selling recreational vehicles. But he has moved on and currently operates an enterprise that exports LED lights from China to Europe.

Much the romantic, Feijts says his best moments are when he strolls around the Lovers' Road in Zhuhai with his wife in tow.

"Zhuhai is just so beautiful and romantic," Feijts says. On these strolls the statue of a young fisher girl in the scenic Xianglu Bay often captivates him.

The abundant greenery in the city has also won him over. Trees and flowers bloom along the main road all year round and have helped Zhuhai earn several accolades. In 1999, the city was granted the "International Award for Best Practices in Improving the Living Environment" by the United Nations Center of Human Settlement, and was the only winner in the category from China.

The city is also considered the "State Garden Green City", "Top Tourist City of China", "State Environmental Protection Model City" and "State Hygienic City".

The couple owns a four-bedroom apartment in Huafa Community, Xiangzhou district, where many of the 2,700-odd foreigners in Zhuhai live.

The Huafa complex has amenities such as swimming pools, gardens and summer houses, as well as good transport connections.

"It's very convenient to travel around by taxi and buses in the city, and also to other parts of the province," he says.

The convenient transport solutions help Feijts to easily visit his factories in Dongguan and Zhongshan, the manufacturing bases of Guangdong province, and also his business partners from Hong Kong and Macao.

Feijts and his wife Liu Lu, a native of Hunan province, are also part of a community volunteer team.

"The volunteer team is like a bridge of communication. It helps international residents to better integrate with the community, understand more about Chinese culture, and also ensures neighborhood safety," says Tao Tiwei, the chief official of Huafa Community Residents' Committee.

More than 20 foreign residents are part of the volunteer team and Tao hopes to attract more of them soon.

According to Tao, some people from Macao often drive to Zhuhai to attend community events, such as free English classes.

Huafa is one of many such communities in Zhuhai that is helping make the city an even better place to live.

The city was selected as one of the "Top 10 Chinese Cities with the Greatest Sense of Happiness" in 2007 and was named as one of "China's Safest Cities in 2010".

But the people of Zhuhai have more to celebrate than just their city's natural beauty and their good working environment. Two international schools, seven five-star hotels and a host of large shopping centers such as Walmart, Carrefour and JUSCO dot the city, making it an ideal location for education, for shopping and for business.

Islands, hot springs and golf courses also make Zhuhai a top tourist destination. Known as the No 1 Hot Spring in the South China Sea, the Ocean Spring Resort is the largest ocean spring resort in China while the Imperial Hot Spring Resort was certified by the National Tourist Office as the "Forerunner of Hot Spring Tourism in China" a couple of years ago.

Six international standard golf courses are fully operational in the city, while the Zhuhai International Circuit, China's first permanent international car racing venue, is host to various domestic and international car races year-round.

In 2009, the city officials set aside 2 billion yuan ($313 million) for constructing several cultural facilities like the Zhuhai Opera House, a museum, an urban planning exhibition hall and a cultural center.

When completed, the Zhuhai Opera House will be the first Chinese opera house on an island and will have a seating capacity of more than 16,000. It is styled on the lines of the Sydney Opera House.

"We hope more people will enjoy these public facilities and enhance the cultural atmosphere in Zhuhai, and also improve the overall living standards," says Song Bin, head of the urban planning management department of the Housing and Urban and Rural Planning and Construction Bureau in Zhuhai.

However, www.zhnews.net, the local news portal, reported that many of these programs have been delayed due to a lack of funds.

But expatriates like Feijts have little reason to complain. The expectant father hopes to have a daughter or son who will be born in China.

"I will keep the Chinese nationality for the child," the father-to-be says, exuding confidence in Zhuhai, the city of his dreams.

China Daily