Gabriel Martin seasons the steak at LOKO steakhouse in the ancient city of Wuhu in Wuhu City, east China's Anhui Province, June 20, 2024.(Xinhua/Fu Tian)

 

Gabriel Martin displays the steak he just cooked at LOKO steakhouse in the ancient city of Wuhu in Wuhu City, east China's Anhui Province, June 20, 2024.(Xinhua/Fu Tian)

 

Gabriel Martin's wife Zhang Jin (R) cuts steaks at LOKO steakhouse in the ancient city of Wuhu in Wuhu City, east China's Anhui Province, June 20, 2024.(Xinhua/Fu Tian)

 

Gabriel Martin (1st L) cooks steaks during a beer festival in the ancient city of Wuhu in Wuhu City, east China's Anhui Province, July 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)

Gabriel Martin is a 40-year-old businessman from Uruguay. Now he has settled in Wuhu City of east China's Anhui Province, running a steakhouse near the Qingyi River, a tributary of the Yangtze River.

Martin was deeply impressed by China while watching the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on TV when he was 24 and later granted an opportunity to continue his study in east China's Shanghai in 2012.

During his stay in Shanghai, he realized that China's huge market and Uruguay's large production of high-quality beef could be a great match. Therefore, Martin embarked on the beef trade between China and Uruguay and met his wife Zhang Jin.

In 2017, they settled in Zhang's hometown of Wuhu City. While continuing import business of beef, Martin opened a steakhouse with his wife in the ancient city of Wuhu, a commercial block featured by traditional architectures. At the steakhouse, Martin enjoys cooking steaks by himself, which he deemed a way to promote the high-quality beef from Uruguay and other Latin American countries.

Thanks to the great potential of the Chinese market, Martin's business has been expanding. Currently, his second steakhouse is in preparation in Zhengzhou City of central China's Henan Province and online business is also in progress.

"Everything is perfect in Wuhu. This historic city has been developing rapidly. Living and working here brings me so much happiness," said Martin. Speaking of the future, he expects to contribute more to the social and economic development of Wuhu.