CaoWenjingconsidersherselfatypicalsecond-generationShenzhenimmigrant.
In2000,shearrivedinthecitywithherparentswhowerenearly40yearsold.TheyhadpreviouslyheldpublicofficeinHuangshi,HubeiProvince.
ShetransferredtoShenzhen’sBinheMiddleSchoolhalfwaythroughthefirstyear.TheentireschoolspokeCantonese,butshecouldonlyspeakMandarinatthetime.
Shewasdeeplyimpressedbyanopenhorizonofmassinformation,mostofwhichcamefromHongKong.ShestillfondlyrecallstheHongKongfashionweeklyYES!,whichwaspublishedfrom1990to2014.
BecauseofbigdifferencesbetweenShenzhenandHuangshitextbooks,herfirstEnglishexamscorewasonly50points,whereasinHuangshi,shehadregularlyscored120.Shewantedtogiveupandfeltlikealoser.
Afterthenationalcollegeentranceexamination,CaowasacceptedtoShenzhenVocationalandTechnicalCollegetostudyindustrialanalysisandinspection.Aftergraduation,shejoinedShenzhenWaterGroupasalaboratorytechnicianatawaterqualitymonitoringstation.
Herparentswerepleasedwithherjobandconsidereditagoodchoicebasedonhercollegestudies.Theyalsothoughtitasafevocationforafemalebecauseofthelimitedvolumeofsocialcontact.
Tenyearsaftershejoinedthegroup,CaowasdirectorofitsGeneralOffice.
Caoadmiresherparentsformakingthechoicetopackupandleavehomesolateinlife.
AfterbecomingdirectoroftheGeneralOffice,Caodecidedsheneededmoreself-fulfillment.“Entrepreneurshipseemedthemostunknownrealmtome,soitseemedlikeagoodplacetostart.”
Influencedbyherparents,shequitherjob.“Myparentswerebothbornin1960,”shesays.“WhentheyarrivedinShenzhen,theywerealmost40.Itwascoolforpeopleattheiragetomakesuchabigdecision.IbelievetheymadetherightchoicebecauseShenzhenhassomanyopportunities.”
Oneofherparents’closestfriendshailsfromtheChaoshanregion,GuangdongProvince.UncleChenarrivedinShenzhenattheageof16,carryingonlydreamsandasmallbagofbelongings.
“Basically,hetriedeverytradeyoucanimagine,”Caoexplains.“Heonceoperatedarestaurantandeventuallystartedarealestatecompany.StorieslikethesearecommoninShenzhen.Everyoneishard-working,andeverychancecounts.”
BychanceCaogotintotheBedandBreakfast(B&B)business.Theownerofthehousewaslookingforapartnerandapproachedher.Shedecidedtoseizetheopportunitybecauseshethoughtitalignedwithherhobbyofdesigningfloralarrangements.
CaoWenjingisoptimisticabouttheprospectsoftheB&BinJiaochangwei,acoastalvillageinShenzhen.“Whydon’tyoulookintobuildinganotheronearoundhere?”shejokes.“It’sareallypopularspot.”
HerB&BhotelYanyu,literally“Rock&Islet,”islocatednearamilitarybaseinShenzhen’sDapengDistrict,alonganarrowcoastlineof3,000meters.Theareanowhasnearly400B&Bs,whichcompetefiercelyagainsteachother.
ThechangehasbeenincrediblystressfulforCaobecausesheestimatesneedingaboutsevenyearstoearnbackthelandlord’sinvestment.Fornow,sheisonlytryingtoearnbackthehugeinvestment.
Yanyufeaturesfloorspaceofmorethan400squaremeters,with10roomsdecoratedinblackandwhitewithstrongmodernappeal.Thebuildinglooksnatural,elegantandpleasantcomparedtoothers,whichappeareitherexoticorrustic.
“InShenzhen,Igetalotofrespectasahospitalityindustryentrepreneur,”Caonotes.“Ourguestsarepolite.Theyoffertosharetheirexpensivewines.”
ShehasbecomeevenmoreoptimisticaboutthefuturedevelopmentofDapengDistrictsincetheestablishmentoftheDapengNewAreaAdministrativeCommittee.Theentireareaisbecominganational5Ascenicspot.“We’renaturallyblessedtoworkinsuchasetting,”Caoasserts.
Shenzhenisknownforitsstrongcivilorganizations,andtheB&BAssociationwasestablishedinJiaochangwei.“WhenIopenedmybusiness,othershopownerscametohelp,”Caorecalls.“Later,whentwoyounggirlslaunchedtheirhotels,Iwenttohelp.Nowmanyyoungentrepreneurscomebackfromabroadwithmanynewconceptsandideasintow.I’velearnedalotthroughtalkingtothem.”
Shenzhenhaseverythingabusinesscouldneed.Aslongasyouhaveanidea,youcanmakeitareality.“IfIwantedtofranchiseoutmyB&Binanothercity,IwouldfindinvestorsaftertheycametoassesswhatI’vedonehere,”Caosays.“But,IhaveneverheardofanyonefromShenzhenstartingabusinesselsewhere.Shenzhenisalwaystheirfirstchoiceforstartups.”
CaocanlisttheadvantagesofShenzhen:nogeographicaldiscrimination—“AllthosewhocomehereareShenzhenpeople,”highinclusiveness,highdegreeofcivilization,andeveryoneobeyingtherulesandregulations.
“Mystrengthismydiligence,”shegrins.“MyonlyregretisthatIneverreceivedmuchformaleducation,whichremainsapaininmyheart.”
TheshelvesofYanyu’ssittingroomarepackedwithblackandwhitephotosandbookssuchasthehitChinesesci-finovelTheThreeBodyProblemandthefamouscontemporaryliteraryworkAncientBoat.“That’sabouttheextentofmyreadinglist,”sheadmits.
Caomaintainsalargecircleoffriends.Tenyearsago,shestartedgettinginterestedinphotographyduetotheinfluenceoffriendswhowere10to20yearsolder.“Inmymind,theyaresupercool—theystayedfocusedononething,photography,foralifetime.Now,intheirfifties,theyliveinfarmhouses,developfilm,smokeapipe,raisecatsanddogsandbuildtheirownlittleutopia.I’mabitidealisticandimpulsive,soIunderstandthem.”
AsforUncleChen,heisaspecialcase.“Whenheturned60,hegaveallofhisbusinesstohisbrothers.HetooksomemoneyandwenttoXishuangbannainYunnanProvince,wherehecontractedseveralhillstoachievehislong-cherisheddreamofestablishingtheLaobanzhangPu’erTeaPlantation.”Caohasgreatadmirationforhim.
Educationcertainlyhelpsmany,buttherearemanypathstoculturalaccomplishment.ThisisevidentinCaoWenjing.Attheageof32,shetalksinadecentbutunsophisticatedmanner,cheerfulbutnotflamboyant,considerateyetnotcontrived.
Likemanysuccessfulsecond-generationimmigrantsinShenzhen,CaoWenjing’slifeisinextricablylinkedtothecity’sdevelopment,soshehasadeeperunderstandingofitsprosperity,rule-basedadministration,self-respectandinclusiveness.
Theexperiencesofherparents’generationinentrepreneurshipweregrittybutsuccessful,kindlingadaringspirittomakeboldchoicesalongsidepragmaticprogress.
Communicatingwithfriendsofdifferentageswhohavesucceededindifferentwalksoflifehastaughthertotakewhatcomesandmakethebestofthings.ManynewShenzhenerslikeCaohavegrownuptobegrateful,kindandappreciativeofalllifehastooffer.CaoWenjinghashadtheopportunitytoexperiencethecity’sprosperityandcivilizationalongsideherowndevelopment.byChenJian