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Recently we watched a very interesting documentary by Frontline, called “Young and Restless in China“. It was a fresh digression from reading “The Woman Warrior” (this is definitely not to say that I did not enjoy reading the novel, however… ha ha), as the documentary provided me with a new perspective into the emerging, so-called “restless” generation of Chinese business entrepreneurs. Although the film covered various characters from distinct social backgrounds–from those who were able to pursue a full education in the United States to those who earned a living through rapping about their economically depressing lives–all of the individuals were alike in that they were all struggling against traditional Chinese values and societal expectations, especially those regarding business and education.

Here are my responses to some of the discussion questions:

1.  In what ways do you think the Ben Wu, the entrepreneur launching the Internet café, is representative of the “new” China?

Ben Wu is definitely representative of the “new” China in that he is aware of and knows how to use the various opportunities the nation’s booming economy has got to offer. Even though he was initially not used to China’s business after he returned from his studies at a business school in New York, he nonetheless acted quickly to make use of his recently-acquired management skills. Aside from his job at Lenovo, Ben Wu eventually established the number one Internet café in Beijing, not to mention that he is also planning on expanding his prospering business throughout the rest of China as well. The fact that Wu carries out business by himself in Beijing while the rest of his family resides in the United States shows us that he embodies the hard-working, entrepreneurial spirit that is so representative of the emerging “young and restless” Chinese generation.

2. Why do you think that several of the profiled characters have turned to religion or spiritual outlets?

Throughout the documentary, several of the profiled characters have confessed to feeling lost and troubled regarding the corrupted way in which business works in China. One example is Lu Dong, who operates a quite successful Internet tailoring service. He says that even though Chinese business is very corrupted in that there are a lot of “behind the scenes” transactions—which, in reality, are inevitable—taking place, relying on the Bible and on Christianity has provided him with a sort of “filter” through which he can protect himself from such dangers. Lu Dong, like many of the other individuals mentioned in the film, resort to religion for a sense of guidance amidst the quite chaotic, fast-paced lives they have to face in China. Spiritual outlets like the Bible can also provide these people with a source of companionship, especially when they are feeling lonely because they are living away from their families.

 3. Who do you think is the happiest of the young people profiled in this documentary and why?

 

I believe that the happiest of the young people profiled in this documentary is Zhang Yao. Although he might even be deemed as the most “successful” individual due to his esteemed job as a physician, I would rather say that he is the happiest because he has the least number of troubles and worries. Unlike many of the other characters who live apart from their families, are extremely poor, and have never been given the opportunity to pursue a full education due to certain financial hardships, Zhang Yao has been able to become a doctor and even leads a content life with his girlfriend, who is also a medical student. According to the documentary, Zhang Yao does indeed have some concerns, such as the highly uneven level of healthcare that is available to the lower social classes throughout China. However, the fact that he is even in the position to contemplate about such issues makes him a really gifted person, as it means that he has received the necessary amount of training and education to be authoritatively thinking about these topics in the first place. Contrary to many of the other characters, Zhang Yao is fully educated, lives with his family, and through his job is directly able to help the less fortunate around him.