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Being upright and working hard,
are of great importance.
Life will be meaningless without hardship.
I was born on March 14, 1935, am 86 years old this year （2020）.As an old Chinese saying goes, I’m as old as hills.Although many in our community are getting aged nowadays, while many seniors are still at work, I’m at the point in life to leave work behind and enjoy an easy life.It’s rare to see people working at my age, and many people can’t understand why I overwork myself with one of my feet already in grave.
The experience of my life story in the past 80 years tells me that the different stages of one’s life are always strongly linked with dreams or hopes.Thus, once one of the dreams is realized , another will come up, and it is the new dream or pursuit ushers a man to go forward.As for my case at present I do have fresh goals to work out and keep me fully engaged in work every day.
My life story was summarized by some outlets at home saying that I had a miserable childhood and an unstable youth.After struggling in my middle years, I came to be successful in my old age, which was accompanied by sadness.The main theme of my whole life has been about working hard.
I believe one’s legacy should be two-fold: material and spiritual.
In terms of my material legacy, what I have done in my life is to change Hengdian so that the people of Hengdian can become rich and live a life as those in major cities.Over the past decades, changes in Hengdian have been great.The material wealth has been woven into the land of Hengdian and into daily life of the local people.However, this is not enough.It still falls short of what I have aspired to.More work needs to be done.
As for my spiritual legacy, I hope that by reviewing and retelling the ups and downs of my life, I can sort out my thoughts, lessons, feelings and understandings, and share what I’ve learned with the new generations, with all of you.
Over one’s lifespan, one may encounter different circumstances, and meet various things.I believe that being upright and working hard are of great importance, which are inseparable and mutually supportive.Only a good person can forge a career for the public benefit.For decades, I have been practicing a motto: “being a good person first, and then working hard for the public benefit.” It’s the core value I teach my children and a central tenet of corporate culture.
A person must be helpful to others and make contributions to communities, working hard for good causes all his life; however, it is easier said than done.Some people go astray, do something bad, bring harm to communities, and eventually ruin their careers.“How should the road of life go? Will it goes straight or zigzag? Will you travel the common path or blaze your own? Will it goes with hope or despair? Though death befalls all men alike, it may be weightier than the Mount Tai or lighter than a feather.” These are questions worth seriously revisiting, and everyone needs to find the answer by himself.
I believe that one should be upright and have a big heart; one should work hard to have a brilliant career; one should be honest and down to earth, and work for the future.
One must do good things for people, rather than working for personal gains.One should care less about selfish interests, which should be obtained in legitimate ways.
Life is full of hardships.It’s not as cheerful and romantic as life in stories.One has to face the reality of life, however cruel.As an old saying goes, “Life is full of ups and downs.”
I grew up poor.Before the end of the “Cultural Revolution” in 1976, my life was very hard.There were two kinds of bitterness: material and spiritual.For the majority of Chinese people then, the most direct and tangible suffering was the suffering of life.Life will be meaningless if there is no solution to hardship.I have been thinking about hardship since I was a child.I used to wonder why the world around me was the way it was when I was younger and how to get rich.After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, I became a rural cadre.I always wondered how to solve the sufferings of the common people, whether we could, through our own hard work and joint efforts, change Hengdian and make it rich.
However, before the Reform and Opening-up in 1979, no matter how hard we tried and how hard we worked, it was always impossible to change our reality.However, I have not given up, no matter how difficult the situation was.
There were also two sources of suffering in our society at that time: one was in the system of the old society, and the other was in the wrong political direction of the government.Before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the oppression of the Kuomintang and the exploitation by the bourgeoisie, and the landlords, caused the common people to suffer.The Communist Party of China led the Chinese people in overthrowing the Kuomintang regime, overthrowing the bourgeoisie and the landlords, taking back the land and distributing it to the peasants.The peasants were happy: they had land and enough to eat.But then political movements happened one after another, especially during the decade-long “Cultural Revolution”, and misery penetrated throughout China.
Deng Xiaoping saved China.Deng Xiaoping was remove from all his positions both in the Central Committee of Chinese Communist Party and the Central Government during the “Cultural Revolution” and sent to work at a factory in Jiangxi Provence, where he was aware of the sufferings of the common people, and he believes that only Reform and Opening-up could save China and make a difference in people’s lives.
For me, I believe the solution to the hardship in life lies in hard work.Of course, in addition to individual efforts, the joint effort and support of the government also matters.However, since the Reform and Opening-up, certain people and areas in China, mostly in southeastern regions began to get rich quickly.It could be traced back to the leader of a region or an organization.The leader must fully understand the policies.Only the leaders who care about the public can lead people out of poverty.However, without the support of the government, without the support of the people, it is useless for individuals to have any great ability.
As long as I can remember, I’ve been trying to figure out how to get out of poverty, although for a long time, this was not possible.In retrospect, it wasn’t that I didn’t work hard.It wasn’t that I didn’t pay the price.It was that the social conditions of that time didn’t come up.
I started real business when I was forty years old, and around that time I ran a lot of factories.While many of them closed, collapsed, or were sold off.The ones that I retained all grew big.My dreams began to come true.This was not because I suddenly became capable.There were difficulties and setbacks too.I worked very hard, even paid prices even my blood.The policy of the Reform and Opening-up allowed people to dream, and allowed the dream to be realized through unremitting efforts and struggle.This is a blessing not only to those who lived in this era, but also to the future of our nation.
I believe the fate of an individual is always closely connected with the fate of a nation.
In order to succeed, in addition to the unremitting personal efforts and struggles, what is more important is that the social environment has been changed.It is the times that create heroes; and it is the heroes that make the times.
People have different pursuits: some are in the pursuit of personal wealth, while others in the pursuit of collective wealth.The landlords and capitalists of the old time were very rich but didn’t play any part in lifting the poor out of poverty.All they cared about were their wealth.I aspired to lead people to collective wealth by my efforts and guide everyone to work together.This was deeply imprinted in my heart.I believe only collective wealth can make a difference.
We must achieve shared prosperity in order for society to be at peace.In old times, there was oppression by the Kuomintang on the one hand and exploitation by the landlords and capitalists on the other.People were destitute, and all they had was resentment.The Communist Party of China led the people in revolution and made a goal of collective wealth.
Despite the progress China has made since the Reform and Opening-up, there were still some places stricken with poverty.Many entrepreneurs are just rich individuals.The nouveau riche are even richer than the landlords of the old times.There is also collusion between government officials and businessmen, transactions exchanging power and money.The emergence of new bureaucratic capitalists resulted in unfair social distribution.The gap between the rich and the poor is growing.I can only say, with a little bit of my own strength, that what I want to do is to inspire other rich entrepreneurs.Of course, I hope that the younger generation will learn from my experience, the government will take measures to encourage the development of entrepreneurs, affirm the life value of entrepreneurs, guide them to become altruistic, and support the business foundations to serve the public.
People will always encounter difficulties and hardships, in different forms and intensities.Difficult living conditions may bring psychological or physical pain, and difficulties in work bring stress.
The Chinese peoples’ living standard has been fundamentally improved even since the ushering of the policy of reform and Opening-up, despite the gap between the rich and the poor.The rich regions have to keep moving forward, because we have not caught up with the western countries.As a business leader, I always want to do good business and make more contributions to communities through hard work.
Deng Xiaoping argues that economic development is like “crossing the river by feeling the stones”, which encourages innovation greatly.The reform initiated by Deng Xiaoping means breaking out of the box.If everything stays the same and adheres to the same rules, then what is reform for? It is impossible to create a miracle.However, when we proceed boldly from reality, such as the development and utilization of the “waste lands” （barren mountains, ditches, hills and beaches）, we may have to break some policy provisions, and we will be subjected to a lot of censorship and criticism.Some leaders said, “Xu Wenrong acted recklessly”.Inspections from different government departments have crushed me.
The greatest pain in life is to be misunderstood, and misinterpreted.This causes injury to the soul, aggrieved spiritual pain.What is supposed to do in this situation? To move forward or backward? In order to achieve my ideals, I could only endure the pain, and push forward.
Everyone longs for success, but what counts as success? Success may come in different sizes or in different forms.One can succeed in one goal.The more ambitious the goals are, the greater sense of accomplishment one will achieve.However, true success is always connected to the aspirations of the common people.Public praise means a real success.
Some entrepreneurs have made a lot of money, but they only care about indulgence in sensual pleasures.Some will gamble away their money rather than use it for the good of the common people.A man like that, do you think he’s successful? I do not.
I had clear goals when I just began my business: to have more enterprises, make more money, and do more things for the public good.First is to create more jobs, to let people in rural area could have the chance to work in factories.As more mechanical elements were incorporated into the manufacturing industry, many people were shut out of the factory gates again.I made great efforts to develop the film and television industry as well as the service industry so that everyone could have the opportunity to make money and get rich.
A principle I have is that if my business had the revenue of 100 billion yuan but didn’t contribute to collective wealth, or only contributed in terms of hiring the labor force, then I wouldn’t be a successful entrepreneur.Enterprises must take social responsibility, especially to promote common prosperity in rural areas.But for these enterprises, Hengdian would not have been so beautiful.To lead people to collective wealth, that’s the mark of a successful entrepreneur.
As people become better off, they will demand a higher standard of environment, health, education, culture and so on, and a more urgent desire for urbanization.So we invested a lot of money in roads, bridges, rivers, schools, hospitals, parks, theaters, stadiums, sewage treatment, etc.Originally these public facilities should be invested by the government, but the government’s financial resources were not enough to take care of the countryside.We built them ourselves.Some economists came to Hengdian to investigate, but it seems to me that they didn’t understand my approach.I said, I am not only a true entrepreneur but also aspire to be a true social entrepreneur.The tenet of our Hengdian community economy is to create and share wealth together.
Peasants are enjoying the same quality of life as city dwellers.For the elderly people who do not receive a retirement wage （peasants do not have a pension） and do not have social pension insurance, we give them a subsidy every year.Additionally, we have also provided all senior citizens over 60 （female 55） years with a free admission to visit all the tourist attractions in Hengdian for a long period of time.
All these measures have won the support and praise of the Hengdian people, who compare Hengdian Group and Hengdian committee to a “Bodhisattva Temple.” I think the greatest success is to be praised by the common people.Our work will be successful if we care about the people and meet their aspirations and demands.
From what I’ve accomplished so far, I’m fortunate.However, the goal I want to achieve has not been reached.What is the goal I want to achieve? It is to enable the people of Hengdian to enjoy the same standard of living and welfare as Hong Kong residents.If I can do that, I’ll die in peace.
Everyone wants to be rich, but they have different ideas about the true meaning of being rich.I once said that a man comes to the world with nothing and leaves the world with nothing.So one can’t pursue endlessly for personal gain.Everyone wants to live a better life, which is fine, but it is not fine to be intemperate and greedy; to do anything for one’s own selfish gain, to the detriment of others, or even to break the law, is self-destruction.
In fact, the amount of money one needs for their life is not so much.Of course, people’s desire for wealth is different.So is their satisfaction.I believe that for individuals it’s enough if one can afford comfortable housing, a stable and clean living environment, three meals, a car for transportation, some general enjoyment to pass the time, medical care expenses, and education expenses, including studying abroad.
Does that mean one doesn’t need to make more money? No, it does not.Making money is a measure of a person’s ability.Rupert Hoogewerf got published the Forbes Lists for China.In 2000, he ranked me eighth among China’s top 50 richest people.Later, when he came to Hengdian, I told him that I don’t know where his data came from.If he took Hengdian Group into consideration, it has far more assets than that was published on the list.But my personal assets were very limited.The assets of the enterprise were jointly owned by the employees, not by myself alone.So, from then on, my name didn’t appear once in the Forbes Lists.
From a certain point of view, one’s wealth could be used as a measure of one’s ability.But, I think, instead of making money, how one spends money is the ultimate test of one’s moral and spiritual worth.
During the restructuring of Hengdian Group, billions yuan in assets could be assigned to me; however, I didn’t take it.Wealth should belong to the whole society.After meeting the general needs of individuals, wealth can only show its value so long as it benefits the whole society.Therefore, in recent years, I put more effort into charity, and set up a special foundation, known as Zhejiang Hengdian Wenrong Charity Foundation.I also told my friends in the press many times that I would donate all I have to charities in Hengdian.
After years of publishing Forbes Lists, Rupert Hoogewerf announced a new list for charitable donations and I was included in the first year.For the second year, I declined to be on the list.Do good deeds need to be publicized and recorded, made known to the whole country and the world? Not necessarily, I believe.I do good deeds according to my own ability, not to compete for honor.It’s genuine kindness.
Over the past decades, I have received many honors, from the city, the province, the ministry, and the state, such as National Model Workers, National Outstanding Entrepreneurs, Chinese Business Master, Global Chinese Business Leaders, Provincial and Municipal Outstanding Communist Party Members and so on.However, I have never taken the initiative to pursue personal glory.These honors were given by the Party and people, an encouragement for me to keep going.
When we started out, or when we made great progress, an honor given by the Party and the people played an important role in advancing our work and developing our cause.It boosted our confidence and morale, and at the same time won support for us by increasing our influence.However, in later years, perhaps because I’m getting old, I won’t pursue or even accept the awards.Because sometimes honor can be a burden.I want to put all my heart and soul into my work.When I get the credit, I need to go to different conferences, and do public interviews.The recognition becomes a burden.For example, after the NPC and the CPPCC in 2010, the Central Committee the CPC paid more attention to “Agriculture, Rural areas and Farmers”.The CCTV planned to select eight of the most influential people in “Agriculture, Rural areas and Farmers” in the country, and invited me to be a judge for this event.What a honor it was, but I declined on the grounds of old age and illness.
Family has a great influence on one’s career.A harmonious family, understanding and supportive, is the grounds for one to develop one’s career, and vice versa.
If I have succeeded in some area in my life, it is inseparable from the support I got from my family.Someone asked me if I had any luck in my life.I said Yes.The greatest blessing is to see Hengdian people getting rich.The second is to have a happy family: my wife and I shared agony and woe for decades.She supported me wholeheartedly.I’m very proud of my children too.They are also working hard for public benefits.
I am very strict with my children: they must be honest and abide by laws; they must work on their own to create their own lives.I will not interfere with their work, but I’m ready to offer help when they need it.I’m very proud of their achievements so far.
I believe that every member of the family is equal.I hold that attitude to my children and grandchildren.I love my grandchildren, but I don’t have much to teach or give them.I don’t understand science, computer, or English.I’m an old man.They need to rely on themselves and seek help from their parents.
I’m honest with my relatives too.Those who ask for jobs, if they have talents and abilities, will get jobs.If they don’t, they won’t be given a job.If they are living a difficult life, I will try my best to help them.I will never support them if they are on the verge of breaking the law.I care about the next generation too and will offer help whenever needed.If they need the loan to start a business or need a position to prove themselves, I will help within certain limits.Young people need chances.
NHK, the Japanese Television Station, came to Hengdian twice to shoot the documentary of me.Why? Because Japan used to be a poor nation.The wealth was achieved by the common efforts of all the people after the World War Two.The second generation, the third generation growing up after the war only know to enjoy life, but not understand entrepreneurship or hardworking.The Japanese worry about what will happen to them.They think Hengdian’s experience of rising out of poverty can be a good education for them.They came to Hengdian twice.After the documentary was shown in Japan, the audience was so inspired that they came back for a third take.
In my life, many people have supported and helped me, from the central government in the capital city to the local communities.I have a lot of friends who help and support me in every stage.Without their help, I would never succeed.I’m full of gratitude even they don’t expect thanks from me.
There are also many people who did not understand me, because I always acted in the interests of the majority, and handled things fairly.Especially during the “Cultural Revolution”, I was under attacks and persecution.I never care about personal gains and losses, and never retaliate, but let bygones, be bygones, and believe that time tell.However, to the real bad people, I harbor abhorrence and fight back, whether or not they are relatives and friends.
I am disgusted by those who kiss up for promotion.What they care about most are promotion and life enjoyment.They are greedy, full of empty talks and lies.I am also against those who can’t keep their words.
To the leadership team in my company, I always ask everyone to tell the truth, and be practical; work hard and do good deeds.If someone couldn’t do this, I usually start out with a well-meaning criticism and wait for him to grow.If someone is out of line, or against the interest of the group, I will remove him from the position.
I admire Deng Xiaoping.In the chaos after the “Cultural Revolution”, Deng Xiaoping set things right, started reform and opening-up, which have made the common people rich and the country strong and prosperous.What I admire mostly is his statement saying that some people should get rich first and then lead others to the road of common prosperity.To realize Deng Xiaoping’s wish for common prosperity is still a long way to go, and more arduous efforts are needed.
My evaluation of myself in general is that I am an ordinary person, but a doer.I grew up idolizing heroes.If you ask me who else I admire but Deng Xiaoping? I would say that my greatest admiration is for the heroes who have given their lives in service of common people.
Perhaps it is this hero complex that has inspired me to work hard from childhood to an old age, like a poem written by Cao Cao in the Three Kingdoms （220-265） states “An old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand li ; An old hero still cherishes high aspirations.” I still want to work hard unremittingly to achieve my goals.
Let me start with my childhood —