Vitomira Loncar is a famous Croatian actress and producer. In 2016, she moved to Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, with her husband, Ivica Simic, a famous actor, writer and theater director. Both are professors at Xi'an Eurasia University. Her students affectionately refer to Loncar as "Teacher Vita." Her humorous and engaging teaching style has made Loncar immensely popular among her students.
Loncar has described Xi'an as her second hometown, and she has said the city's profound culture has continuously energized her, and supported her efforts to conduct cultural exchanges. "I have been deeply attracted by the city, and Chinese culture has given us a lot of inspiration," she says.
Second Hometown
"Xi'an is a city where antiquity and modernity converge. It preserves the past within the present, and it exudes a unique charm," Loncar says. She uses the word "home" to describe her feelings for Xi'an, and she always expresses deep affection for the city.
Simic received a job offer from the university in 2016. When he told Loncar they had an opportunity to move to China, Loncar began researching Xi'an, including searching the Internet to learn about the city.
Before they made their final decision, Loncar decided to spend two weeks in Xi'an, to see if she could live in the city. "After that trip, I said, 'Yes, let's move to this amazing city'," she recalls.
"After three days of living in China, I decided to go to school and start my Chinese-learning journey. As I was settling down in Xi'an, I experienced culture shock ... I didn't know Chinese prefer to drink hot water, and that was a big surprise to me. Today I only drink hot water, and cannot survive without it," she says.
"China has changed my life, in all aspects, and it has given me the most important lectures in my life. I was 57 when I moved to China, and my life was well structured. I started from the beginning, and I became a person I never thought I could be. Nobody can prepare you for China. You must experience it, and fall in love with this amazing country," she adds.
Loncar is deeply interested in China's ethnic minority groups. She and Simic often travel through China, especially to its remote areas, to meet people from the various ethnic minority groups. She is passionate about their ethnic costumes, including their hats and bags. In fact, she has a large collection of ethnic minority groups' costumes and crafts.
"When I am in China, I miss some things from Croatia. When I am in Croatia, I miss my Chinese life, as I love it and enjoy every second of it. I often ask myself, 'Who are you, Vita?' For most of my life, it was such an easy answer ... Now, it is not that simple anymore. I am not the person I was before I lived in China. I am more open to differences. I can say I am softer than before. My values changed too," she says.
"One day, when I go back to Croatia, I will tell Chinese stories and legends to my grandson. I would love to show him my China story, and transfer my love and passion about Chinese culture to him," she adds.
Loncar enjoys sharing her life in China through her channel, Vita's life in China, on YouTube, a social-media platform, where she presents an "authentic and multidimensional China" to the world.
Unique Teaching Method
Loncar teaches various courses, including intercultural communications and project management. She is widely regarded for transforming dramatic arts into a teaching language, and for guiding students as they connect with the world through emotion and imagination.
"In the classroom, I combine my two passions, acting and teaching. My teaching method is LPC — learning, practicing and communicating. Within one lecture, the students always pass through three stages; they obtain new knowledge, they practice it, and, finally, at the end of the class, they can communicate what they have learned from each other," Loncar says. She always encourages her students to relax and be creative during class, and to truly enjoy the process of learning.
"I hope the students will ask more questions, and communicate more, in class. Over the years, I have witnessed gratifying changes. Students have begun to explore their inner selves, and to develop their own ideas," Loncar says. Students have benefited greatly from her unique teaching method, and Loncar has become a popular "star teacher" on campus.
A girl in the first course Loncar taught left a deep impression on Loncar. "The girl, from a small village, used to be shy and introverted. For her internship, she decided to work in a theater, and she had a wonderful time. Two years ago, she asked me to write a recommendation letter for her so she could start her master's degree in Japan," Loncar recalls.
"She travels a lot, and we remain in contact. Now, she is a confident, young woman, who knows what she wants in life. You would not recognize the shy girl from her freshmen year. She said my presence changed her life. I believed in her from the beginning. I supported her, and she started to believe in herself, and she decided to chase her dreams," Loncar says.
Cultural Exchanges
Loncar has participated in many international exchanges and conferences, during which she has promoted various ways to connect Croatia and China.
In 2017, for example, she delivered a speech during the opening ceremony of the Beijing International Women Festival, during which her Croatian company presented a performance she had produced. In 2018, Loncar was a keynote speaker during the Belt and Road cultural- and creative-industry seminar in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province.
In 2021, The Story About a Wheel, a children's play produced by Loncar, was staged during the Seventh Silk Road International Arts Festival, in Xi'an. With her expressive movements and captivating voice, Loncar, speaking Chinese language, ushered the audience into the magical world of various wheels. She received the Silk and Road Award for her performance.
Simic teaches theater and performing arts to children and teens at the university's School of Humanities and Education. He has produced several children's plays inspired by traditional Chinese culture. By blending the modern with the ancient, Simic's plays have helped children experience culture and wisdom through the theater.
"All of our work in China has the goal of promoting trustful and respectful communications between my two homes, my two countries — Croatia and China," Loncar says.
'Be the Best Version of Ourselves'
Last year, Loncar established the WEL (Women Entrepreneurship and Leadership) Workshop at the university. The workshop uses drama as a tool to help participants break through self-perception limitations and rebuild their confidence and establish life goals, all through systematic themed activities.
The WEL Workshop is meant to be a workshop primarily for the university's women students and teachers, but it also accommodates alumni and young women from various industries and other schools.
"My team and I encourage them to be brave, and to follow their dreams. I do not teach directly. I try to give enough space so my students can find their place, and go deeper into who they are. They tell their stories, we put them in the play, and through the drama they come to understand themselves better. Also, being on the stage gives them new, and undiscovered, power, which encourages them," Loncar explains.
"We should not be defined. Maybe we cannot change the world, but we can be the best version of ourselves — every day," Loncar stresses.
When asked about the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, held in Beijing on October 13 and 14, Loncar said she strongly supported the meeting. In fact, she supports all initiatives that help empower young women in China.
She encourages young Chinese women to be confident, and to bravely chase their dreams. "We need women's energy and creativity. China needs them. We all, personally and as society, must support them to have both — their careers and family," Loncar says.
Photos from Interviewee
(Women of China English Monthly November 2025)
Editor: Wang Shasha
