Editor's note: East China's Zhejiang province is renowned for its large international population. Aloft on the wings of China's reform and opening-up policy, a group of Zhejiang people have gone abroad to make a living since the 1970s. As this year marks the 40th anniversary of the policy, the Zhejiang website (www.ezhejiang.gov.cn) is launching a series of stories about overseas Chinese who are originally from Zhejiang, as well as those who are active in the province's development. Stories courtesy of Zhejiang Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and Zheshang Magazine

Yu Anlin, a businessman from Wenzhou, Zhejiang province [Photo/Zheshang Magazine]

For many Chinese people in Moscow, Yu Anlin, a merchant from Wenzhou, Zhejiang province who's been doing business in Russia for two decades, is the person who they turn to when having difficulties and troubles.

Yu started to make a living from doing business at a very young age and in 1998, during a visit to Moscow, he found there was a large market for China's light industrial products, especially small commodities.

Yu decided to embark on a business adventure and chose shoes as the main goods to crack the Russian market.

The man's resourcefulness made his business expand quickly and he launched factories in regions such as Novosibirsk and Vladivostok. In addition to shoes, Yu began to be engaged in sanitary ware and water heater businesses.

He shared his success story back in his hometown and encouraged Zhejiang people to seek business opportunities in Russia.

"Currently, there are around 280,000 Chinese merchants in Russia, including 30,000 from Zhejiang province," said Yu, adding that nearly 75 percent of the country's small commodities market is secured by Zhejiang businesspeople.

The rapid development of China in recent 10 years has left a deep impression on Yu. He said China has been in the fast lane for economic development, which has changed the development environment for overseas Chinese as well.

As a leader in some overseas Chinese organizations, Yu has also dedicated himself to uniting compatriots in Russia to contribute to the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.