A literal inspiration

Book lover's vlog sheds light on notable works about the nation's historical figures for a new generation, Cao Chen reports in Shanghai.

Motives for traveling differ, maybe it's for splendid scenery, or perhaps for relaxation. For Wang Qiaochu, a postgraduate majoring in journalism from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, her 15-day trip to Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture in Southwest China's Sichuan province in July was linked to a book.

The book named Jiang Cun Jing Ji, meaning "economy in Jiangcun", a work of the late Chinese sociologist Fei Xiaotong published in 1938, depicts farming, consumption and trade in an underdeveloped village in Jiangsu province's Wujiang county. It is Fei's doctoral thesis based on field research during his study at the University of London in the United Kingdom.

"It's composed during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and Fei, as an educated man, was determined to reveal the challenges and changes of villages in China and propose solutions through his research," Wang says.

"The book encouraged me to apply my knowledge to contribute to the country," says Wang, who was nominated as the "student of the year" at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in December.

Wang, together with other students, helped local farmers find techniques to keep matsutake mushroom, a local produce, fresh and helped dealers to commercialize it after being picked by locals. The team sold about 70,000 yuan ($11,039) worth of the mushroom during their stay.

"We set the price a quarter lower than the average in the market, but it's much higher than the one set by locals in the past, and we achieved a higher sales volume," she says.

"The trip was made possible only because of a book I read. Reading broadens my mind and boosts my thirst to change the world."

In December, Wang shared the book and the experience through a TED Talk, in a bid to inspire others to find the power of reading. She posted the video of her speech on domestic video-sharing website Bilibili, attracting 20,000 views.

For the 24-year-old video blogger with 29 posts and 100,000 followers on Bilibili, books have been an integral part of her life since her senior year at university, when she had extra time outside her academic pursuits due to an early admission to Shanghai Jiao Tong University for postgraduate study.

Wang spent around 10 hours a day reading, at most finishing one book a day. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak in China, her enthusiasm motivated her to encourage other young people to be positive in the tough time.

"Friends of my age were worried about their career, life and the future of the country affected by the virus. I believe they will find answers or at least inspiration from books," says Wang, who started blogging in April 2020.

"I chose historical books, especially those about people from China's modern history, when the country was striving for national independence and liberation through war and revolution," she says.

"I'm curious about that period of history, which is still instructive and inspirational today."

It is an era of short videos but Wang insists on keeping her posts around 25 to 30 minutes each, as she won't reduce the time taken to digest a book just to follow a trend.

"Videos on reading should not be superficial, or promote a book as a commodity. I intend to make the content inclusive and solid with high quality," she says.

Her first post was about biographies of great figures in Chinese history including Zeng Guofan, a military general during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the late Chairman Mao Zedong and the late leader Deng Xiaoping.

The topic seems to be a rather serious one for the entertaining social networking platform, but similar souls are always drawn to each other. Over 224,000 people viewed the video, which brought Wang popularity online.

"The video is motivating, considering the ongoing pandemic, when people are familiarized with the ups and downs of historical figures in books. For example, Zeng Guofan, a person born into an ordinary family and failing in six examinations during his pursuit of a career, eventually became a politician," she adds.

"It will guide people and inspire them to overcome difficulties."

Wang, who makes a post every month, doesn't get wrapped up in numbers of views or followers, but persists in presenting her tastes and becoming closer to people with a different life to hers.

One follower comments on a video of Wang's that she developed an interest in history because of it. Another user, who is in high school, says she figured out that the younger generation should seek to make the world a better place by reading and learning from the recommended books.

"It's delightful to learn that my videos have shed light on these works for others," Wang says.