As this year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening up, nearly 300 residents have contributed to an effort to record their personal stories about living in Shenzhen, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported yesterday.
A recording booth was placed at Shenzhen Library on World Reading Day, which fell on April 23. Over the past two months, nearly 300 residents from all walks of life have taken part in the activity and 381 voice recordings have been submitted so far.
Among these people are pioneers who have devoted their youth to the city, the second generation of the local people, tourists, jobseekers who have just graduated from college, and migrant workers who are about to leave Shenzhen. They walked into the booth to share their struggles and understanding of life.
Chen Hao, a local writer and scholar, visited the booth and recounted his stories on World Reading Day with his family. He is over 70 years old and has lived in Shenzhen for 36 years. In his recording, he shared his reflections on reading, literary creation and leading a scholarly life.
Chen has been enthusiastic about the development of Shenzhen literature. He joined the Shenzhen Writers Association and established the Shenzhen Prose & Poetry Association. He also served as a guest professor at Shenzhen University and delivered lectures at schools and enterprises.
Wu Xianbin from Anhui Province has been working in Shenzhen for nearly two decades. He came to the city after he graduated from university in 1998. Many large and small projects in this city have been realized partly due to his efforts and perseverance as an engineer. According to Wu, Shenzhen is not only the place where he builds his career, but also a starting point for a new journey in his life.
The recording activity will run till Oct. 7. Until then, the recording booth is open to the public and the library will release outstanding works through official channels and public media every month. After the collection period is complete, the top 10 stories will be selected through expert review.