Giorgi Rtveladze: I find my dream island in Hainan

By Lin Jianing / HICN / Updated: 17:15,29-June-2021

Giorgi Rtveladze comes from Georgia, a country straddling Europe and Asia. For many Georgian people who have ambitions to do business abroad, Europe would be their first destination. Giorgi, on the other hand, made his way to the east.

"Even though I look like a European, inside, I'm more like an Asian,” said Giorgi. As a person charmed by history, he is fascinated by cities and countries with rich cultures and long traditions. Hence, China - this ancient eastern country - filled Giorgi with special longing.


Five years ago, Giorgi finally got a chance to enter the land of his dreams.  Hainan University was looking for Ph.D. students majoring in food biotechnology, and Giorgi's name was on the list!
 
"When I first arrived in Hainan, it was so hot that I couldn’t imagine that I could stay here for five years!" said Giorgi. He found the language barrier made the situation even harder. Unlike Shanghai and other megacities with an advanced English community, back then few expats or even English speakers could be found in Hainan.



(Photo by Shi Junhao)

Ineffective communication became the biggest obstacle for this newcomer to the island. Fortunately, friendly Chinese people gave Giorgi great relief - he spoke broken Chinese at first, but Chinese people always listened to him with patience and give him lots of friendly encouragement.
 
As his mental stress eased, Giorgi was able to gradually adapt to his new environment, and even opened a Georgian wine shop in 2019.
 
"Georgian wine is a calling card of my country," said Giorgi. World-famous Georgian wine boasts a unique taste and lush flavor. Selling wine is not only a way for Giorgi to earn his living, but also, from his perspective, a means to promote the essence of Georgian national culture, as well as a chance to get involved in cross-cultural communication.
 


(Photo by Shi Junhao)

Today, even though industries are still shrouded in the shadow of the epidemic, Giorgi's company has been growing steadily and expanding into the whole country. "I have agencies selling my wine in all provinces of China," said Giorgi proudly. Giorgi's success might be due to Hainan's rapid progress - since the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port began, the many beneficial policies that have been released on a regular basis have greatly improved Hainan’s business environment. Of these newly implemented measures, Giorgi thinks that some are so innovative that their openness is almost unheard of in the entire vast country of China.
 
Giorgi explained that above all, the procedure for applying for a working visa is more convenient and efficient in Hainan. Plus, expats are allowed to purchase houses and get a driving license in Hainan with easy and simple procedures. He is glad to see these innovations provide shortcuts and lower the threshold for doing business in Hainan.


(Photo by Shi Junhao)

Giorgi also noticed that there are more and more expats on the island these days, and that English language ability is increasing among Hainan locals as well. "Today, if you wander along the streets of Haikou, you will find so many locals can speak English," said Giorgi. He also mentioned that with the government's excellent promotions, Hainan has been transformed from a little-known island to an international hub renowned in his country.
 
This year Giorgi finished his Ph.D. degree in Hainan University. Next, he plans to purchase a house and settle down in Haikou. "Hainan is an excellent place to live and work. I think I have found a promising land and I will stay here as long as possible," he said.

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