At nearly 40 years old and holding the very first visa issued to a Chinese citizen to enter Spain, a veterinarian arrived in the country to join his father and uncle. His first job had nothing to do with his clinical training or the hospitality industry: he began working at Manolita Chen’s legendary traveling theater, a variety show that was very popular at the time, combining cabaret, burlesque, and stunts featuring trapeze artists and flying dagger throws.
The nomadic lifestyle of the circus and the risks inherent in show business did not offer him the stability he was seeking when he emigrated. After leaving the circus tents behind, he began working at a restaurant run by Taiwanese citizens. There, he noticed a detail that would shape his future as an entrepreneur: Chinese food was a complete mystery to the local public.
The First Great Wall on Meléndez Valdés
With that in mind, in the 1970s he opened the Gran Muralla restaurant, launching his first location on Meléndez Valdés Street. The business was a huge commercial success, a triumph that coincided with a historic moment of transition in both countries. After the Franco era, Spain needed a new workforce, while in China, following Mao’s death, many citizens were seeking alternatives to improve their quality of life.
News of the Madrid restaurant’s success soon reached the ears of the residents of Qingtian, the founder’s hometown. Word began to spreadamong the locals that there was a real opportunity to prosper in the Spanish capital. The impact was such that the Great Wall’s simple business card became the document that many immigrants presented when applying for their visas in China, proving that they were traveling to Madrid with a specific destination and purpose in mind.
A shelter network in Barajas
This pull factor generated a continuous flow of migrants, forcing the organization of an improvised but effective reception system. The pioneer of this movement would ask his son to go to Barajas Airport up to twice a week with a specific mission: if he saw any lost compatriots in the terminal, he was to pick them up and bring them to the family. Once in the city, the family provided them with a home, clothing, and work, thus weaving the first ties of a community that would eventually take root in the capital.
