The Big Picture: Young ones find strength in diversity

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The younger generation in China has been increasingly following their hearts and speaking their minds, as their exposure towards other cultures increase.

Thanks to the country’s economic growth and Internet age, this has enabled them to find out what tickles their fancy – whether it’s in hobbies, or creating their own career paths.

However, this younger crowd is not all that naïve. You will soon find out why below.

CGTN reporter Han Bin speaks to two young chaps who have gone on to pursue their heart’s desires.

Influence in various forms

Jin Gu, a Kunqu Opera fan, started picking up the artistic performance after becoming interested in it when he was a mere teenager.

“After persisting for many years, I found it has had great influence on my life. And it has now become a crucial part of my life,” he says.

CGTN Photo

Jin Gu finds Kunqu opera as an avenue to seek peace and calm. According to him, the opera transmits the Chinese thinking of being modest, carrying elements of philosophy, esthetics and traditional culture.

It is also a practice of cultivating one's self. There’s a Chinese saying: 10 minutes on stage is equivalent to 10 years of hard work. And Jin Gu has likens this to life, where everything takes time.

Meanwhile, Zhu Jianan, a Rock & Roll music lover, was so fascinated with the music genre in junior high, that he missed class in the afternoon.

In this episode, you can briefly hear the Hong Kong rock band ‘Beyond’ playing in the background, with Zhu humming to it as well.

Although Rock & Roll may appear to consist of shouting, Zhu sees it as a form of expressing oneself. “It requires personality. If we feel our living environment is good, we need to express our gratitude. If we find life unsatisfactory, we also need to express our feelings,” he says.

Wise words from the young

The paths that these two chose to follow may be unconventional, and span across two spectrums: from traditional opera to modern Rock & Roll.

How does society view them?

“Many don’t understand my choice and ask whether I can make a living by opera. I think everyone who comes to the world will walk a different path,” Jin Gu says. (Jin Gu dresses as a female to perform in the opera)

He firmly believes that everyone has their own mission and fate in life.

“It's because everyone has a different way of life that each individual is different. If you want to be accepted, you have to accept others first,” Jin Gu adds.

Zhu also believes everyone should be tolerant of diversity and “open our hearts to accept them." At the end of the day, he yearns for what most of us do in life.

CGTN Photo

“My ultimate goal in life is to spend it with people I love, to live a simple life, in a place full of love, for the rest of my life,” Zhu says.

Diversity can be beautiful

Diversity does not only come in the form of culture and preferences. It also goes across religion, race, and ethnicities.

What can be learned here is: Not only should we be tolerant of others, we should also seek to first understand; for with understanding comes acceptance.

It is always a good thing to be exposed to and learn new things, skillsets, and cultures. We can then find out what we like and where we belong to.

Although Jin Gu is a Kunqu opera fan, he does like listening to rock and roll as well, as he seeks to “find strength within it”.

Diversity can be a form of strength, if one chooses to embrace it – without foregoing one’s values, of course.