If you happen to see a male expat leading a group of teenagers practicing Wushu, or martial arts, in a park or by the seaside in Shenzhen, that might be Duiu Onofrei, who has been teaching Qwan Ki Do in the city for five years.

Video by Lin Jianping

Onofrei, a Romanian martial arts instructor and volunteer, came to China because he was fascinated by the country, which is known as the birthplace of martial arts. Onofrei said he dreams to inherit and carry forward the spirit of martial arts, and to encourage more young people to practice martial arts in Shenzhen.

Onofrei started to practice martial arts in his teens 34 years ago in his native Romania. He said he watched a lot of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee movies and was fascinated by their movements. This is the reason why Onofrei unhesitatingly joined his friend when he saw him practicing some martial arts moves.

Onofrei takes a selfie with the Minghua Cruise in Shekou. Lin Jianping

One morning after Onofrei arrived in Shenzhen, he got up early curious about what it was like in China in the morning, and he saw groups of people practicing tai chi at around 6:30 a.m. Onofrei spent hours watching them and noticed that the same group of people came back to practice twice in the afternoon and evening.

“I thought their performances had already reached a high level, because Qwan Ki Do also embodies tai chi movements, but they still practiced three times a day!” he said.

Onofrei teaches one of his students during a training session. Courtesy of the interviewee

Onofrei regularly teaches martial arts for free at the Nanshan International Cultural Exchange and Service Center. Last year, he organized a Chinese team to represent China to attend the seventh Qwan Ki Do martial arts world championship and won five medals, including one gold and one silver for an individual event, and three bronzes for a team event. He said he dreams to make Shenzhen the host city for the next world championship in 2025, which has been approved by the Qwan Ki Do international committee.

Onofrei has started his family in Shenzhen and now has a 3-year-old son. “Living here in Shenzhen and Shekou gives me many options where I want to bring my kid to have some fun. There are so many parks and playgrounds, as well as the sea, near our home,” he said. “The city develops and changes so fast! If you revisit a place one or two months later, you may find something new there – new parks, buildings and roads, etc. This makes life relaxing, and I don’t want to leave Shenzhen. I think this is a perfect place for me to raise my son.”

Onofrei helps a resident get registered for nucleic acid testing. Liu Xudong

Volunteering is another brand-new life experience that Onofrei “unlocked” in Shenzhen.

“I signed up as soon as I saw the international volunteer recruitment information. I found that helping someone without expecting payment or anything in return gave me a feeling of satisfaction,” he said. He also believed that volunteering is giving back to the community as the local government had been leaving no stone unturned to improve local residents’ living conditions through effort like street renovations and building new public facilities.

“I encourage everyone to try at least once, to wear the red jacket, and to participate in some volunteer work. Believe me, it will give you a special feeling,” he said.