Wish Lanterns

Author: Alec Ash

I have read a few books on China, but nothing like this one. From a book on Genghis Khan to a book on a Journey through China’s Farms and Factories, the theme has mostly been explaining how China got to be the way it is today.  This book, on the other hand, is trying to say where China is headed and it examines the lives of six young Chinese people, all of whom were born after 1980. 

There’s Dahai, whose father was in the military and grew up in the Hubei province. Xaioxaio was born in the Heilongjiang province and is a dreamer who owns a small business. Fred is the most learned, having earned her PhD degree and is a Communist Party Official’s daughter. Snail is a country boy who picks up an internet gaming addiction during his adolescent years. Lucifer is from Hebei province and aspires to be a rock superstar and finally Mia who is a fashionista and a punk rebel, from the the Xinjiang province.

The diversity in upbringing, experience and outlook of the six protagonists is amazing and highlights how there is no “one China” culture that the propaganda wants us to believe. While there are many differences, there are many things that are unique to China that will seem very odd to us. For example, there is a common belief that “If it wasn’t online it wasn’t true.” This is quite a contrast to my perspective in the US, where I don’t believe anything online unless it comes from a reputable institution that I am aware of. Another interesting twist is that "the political spectrum is reversed in China: the left is conservative and the right is liberal”.

The book is riveting and entertaining as you watch the struggle of the young Chinese from six different perspectives. Interestingly, there isn’t one that is super-successful, which I am sure there are plenty of examples. Most likely they weren’t too willing subjects for this novel.