Young entrepreneurs chase start-up dreams in Xi'an

The first batch of members who started their own business in Xi'an Pioneering Park pose for a collective group photo.

A guy named Zhang Xu, 20, is developing a software application that can organize high-end Yoga classes for people who would like to book courses in different gyms, or even in different cities, by paying separately for each lesson.

"I will create a culture combining Chinese beauty and western Yoga for modern life," he told me.

He just graduated from college in early July and decided to do something cool instead of looking for a job in a big company.

He said the park provides him free offices with fast internet service and helped him register the company within a short period of time once his project was approved by the authority of the park.

Another youngster named Xiong Chao, who just came back from the United States, gathered a group of young people who love music, to create a music application for mobile phones which can teach people how to play guitar.

Both of them have got angel investment from 1 million yuan to 1.5 million yuan, which gave them confidence and a chance to keep trying.

"I like Beijing and I know that there might be more investors and opportunities, but I decided to start my company in Xi'an and am glad to have done so because the cost is relatively low compared with first-tier cities and there is greater free exchange among us," Xiong said.

He said compared with the atmosphere of fierce competition in Beijing, people here tend to discuss with each other more openly.

He said he doesn't want to make lots of money through his company. Instead, he wants to create an APP which can be welcomed by people who love music, which is enough for him.

Du Juan is head of the China Daily's bureau in Xi'an.