Shanghai Daily Publishes Chinese Dream Compilation

The Chinese Dream, 2014

   SHANGHAI - They say that when Xi Jinping elucidated the 'Chinese Dream' in Beijing in 2013, in Shanghai they were already living it for decades. The "Paris" of Asia, world-renowned for its fashion, its education system (No 1 in the world, according to student performance measured by the OECD), its gorgeous skyline, and its beautiful people and culture, Shanghai is also a metropolis of stark contrasts -the gap between the wealthy and the poor is mind-blowing, and its out-of-control "red capitalism" a great source of concern.

   One of the first Chinese aphorisms I learned was: "If the forest is big enough, there are all kind of birds." True, this is the city of adventurers, of foreign drifters, of gold-diggers, expats, of migrant workers, of tycoons, and of dreamers.

   Shanghai Daily now published a compilation of authentic, inspiring, and often touching stories covering most strata of this complex society -from Zhang Junguo the taxi driver, and Yan Zhilin the retired factory worker, to Derek Wang and Kay Gao to whom picking American given names comes with the territory and means business. This is book covers three generations of Shanghai's hopefuls recalling the hardships, struggles, but also the unbroken enthusiasm toward a better tomorrow and -finally- the rejuvenation of China's economy.

   Some of these tales have been featured in Shanghai Daily's cultural section, but are now available, for the first time, in e-book form here at Amazon.com. I think that Wu Zheng (the book's Editorial Director, and a graduate from Fudan University) and her team did a great job. Special thanks to Yao Minji for the interview and for mentioning my work in the preface.

Ms WU Zheng, Shanghai Daily, (c) idealshanghai.com

"When Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the nation to pursue the "Chinese Dream," he triggered a public dialogue about people's expectations and how they are fulfilled. Shanghai Daily launched this series in 2013 to explore the dream theme through different generations." --THE CHINESE DREAM