So he's formed a solo band, sang in Chinese. “And when he realized that that wasn't working out, he thought 'oh, maybe it's because I'm singing in English. “His original plan was to be a rock star,” Ash says. “I think sense of possibility is the key factor,” says Alec Ash, author of the book ' Wish Lanterns: Young Lives in New China.' The book focuses on six young Chinese adults, from disparate backgrounds, and the choices and challenges they have that set them apart from previous Chinese generations. He cites as an example, a young Chinese man who chose as his English name, Lucifer. It’s also more urban.ĭuring this generation’s lifetime, China’s population has gone from being not quite 20 percent urban in 1980, to almost 60 percent urban, now. At the same time, per capita GDP - the average income per person - went from about $300 a year in 1980, to more than $8,000 now, and rising. Think of what that means, in terms of the life you live, the people you meet, the expectations you have.
It’s more tech-savvy, sophisticated and connected with the world - through the internet, through television and films, through travel. And this generation is radically different, too. That’s radically different from what generations of Chinese had experienced.
