Overseas Chinese youth apply their knowledge in startups upon return

Ma Chenghu was thrilled when the musical instruments depicted in the murals at the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Gansu province, were played during a Chinese New Year concert in Vienna, Austria, in January 2019.

"They are just like the ones in the mural paintings," said Ma, founder of a culture studio in Gansu who helped replicate the instruments.

While studying in Britain, he developed a keen interest in the cultural and creative industries.

In 2018, he and his team undertook a project to replicate the instruments depicted in the Mogao murals. Collaborating with scholars in Dunhuang studies and experts skilled in crafting ancient Chinese musical instruments, the team successfully recreated a total of 245 instruments across four categories, encompassing an impressive variety of 97 distinct types.

Many Chinese youths have gained a more profound understanding of Chinese culture after living and studying overseas and experiencing different cultures. Today, a significant number of these individuals have emerged as leaders in the creative transformation and development of traditional Chinese culture.

Yu Xin, a lifelong animation enthusiast, has successfully turned her childhood dreams into reality after pursuing a postgraduate degree in 2D animation and character design in Britain.

Yu co-founded Shanghai Left Pocket Culture Communication, an original animation company focusing on content development and creation. The company's Emmy and Gooroo animated series took home the MIP Junior International Pitch 2014 award. "Since the very beginning, our dream has been to showcase Chinese animations on the international stage, and it remains unchanged as we continue to forge ahead on our journey toward its realization," Yu said.

With China's doors opening wider to the outside world, the country's young people are embracing a quest for knowledge and exhibiting a remarkable spirit of inclusivity by studying, working and traveling abroad. In 1978, the number of students who left China to study was just over 800. However, in 2019, the figure skyrocketed to over 700,000.

Remarkably, since 2012, over 80 percent of those who embarked on their educational journeys abroad have returned to China.

Ye Feng, who spent six years studying and working in Britain, established a logistics center for agricultural products in Changsha, capital of Hunan province, after he returned.

Having grown up in the countryside, Ye experienced the hardships of a farmer's life. The lack of information and the volatility of markets created significant barriers for many agricultural products, preventing them from reaching the market.

During his stay in Britain, Ye worked part-time at a large vegetable supermarket in suburban London and was deeply impressed by the advanced circulation of agricultural products there.

"I hope to apply what I have learned abroad to the trade of agricultural products and help open up the market for high-quality agricultural products," he said.

Construction of Ye's logistics center began in 2013, and over time, it successfully established logistics markets for various sectors, including vegetables, livestock and poultry, aquatic products and grain and oil, as well as a robust cold chain, with an annual transaction volume of 10 billion yuan ($1.39 billion).

After earning a doctorate in bioengineering in the United States, Yuan Yuyu returned to China and co-founded Medprin in 2008. The company specializes in the development and manufacturing of implanted medical devices.

"There was indeed a gap between China and foreign countries in terms of technology and talent support in the past. However, we now have the necessary conditions and the capability to foster domestic high-performance implanted medical device brands," Yuan said.

He noted that despite the challenges of starting a business, the confidence and determination to persevere in such an endeavor were emboldened by the supportive domestic market and favorable policy environment.

Zhang Chengcheng, who hails from Xi'an, Shaanxi province, had studied in France as a teenager and returned to China when she was 23. Since her return, she has been working to promote exchanges between China and France.

French beauty brand Guerlain launched its first perfume product inspired by Xi'an in November 2020, and Zhang was an active promoter of the project. "My long-standing aspiration has been to showcase my hometown on the international stage," Zhang said. "This perfume will serve as a fragrant name card to make people more aware of Xi'an."

Xinhua