Greetings,
My name is Gao An Zhi and I am a 19-year-old man. I was born in 1911, the year of the Pig. I was born and raised in a small town in Hunan province but moved here to Beijing last year to begin my studies at Peking University. I come from a middle-class family. My father worked as a trader who spent many months at a time away by the coasts. My mother was a seamstress and spent much of her time sewing together clothes for farmers. I have 5 siblings, 2 older brothers and one older sister, along with 2 younger sisters. My 2 older brothers finished their university studies last year, but both have fallen ill after consuming contaminated water. There is now even more pressure on me to carry on my father’s name as I am the only one capable of studying and working. My grandfather, who spent his life working as a school teacher, passed away in 1904. My grandmother is still alive and lives at our family home.
I saw a paper flyer hung up in my university’s canteen looking for young students like myself interested in writing about their experiences during this unique time in our history. Times right now are tough, we have been stuck in a cycle for hundreds of years that has not permitted those of us who are less fortunate to move up in the social ladder and I envision myself as taking part in changing that. I want to write about how I see China being able to transform itself. I believe that so much can be done to change the ways in which we as a country operate. I am very passionate about politics and history and spend my free moments reading just about anything I can get my hands on. As a young person living alone and far away from my home, I want to make my family proud and carry on my father’s name through my journalism. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you, the reader in the coming months and years.
Until next time,
Gao An Zhi