The
charm of a city is usually based on either its long history or its current,
splendid achievements. Shanghai, however, is fortunate enough to possess
both.
This is Shanghai-- unique and all-embracing.
Profile: Yang is known as: (The following is a record of China Pictorial's interview with Mr. Yang Huaiding) China Pictorial (hereafter "CP"): How did you earn your first million yuan? Mr. Yang Huaiding (hereafter "Yang"): We were permitted to trade treasury bonds on the market on April 21, 1988. I entered the market with 20,000 yuan as my capital. My original aim was to find some flexible methods to speed up the reform of state-owned enterprises. CP: At the beginning, you invested in securities and treasury bonds instead of stocks. So, when did you enter the stock market? Yang: On July 1, 1988. CP: It took you only three months to shift your investment to the stock market. Did you invest the entire one million yuan that you had earned from treasury-bond transactions in the stock market? Yang: No, I bought 200,000 shares. At the time, stock dividends were guaranteed by a certain range of rates. I could earn some 30,000 yuan from the dividends of the stocks I bought. The average salary was about 70 yuan per month, so I could live an easy life with 2,500 yuan a month. But, I am abstemious, and that was enough for me to have food to eat. One should apply a happy-go-lucky attitude when pursuing fortune, although it's a hard attitude to put into practice. CP: Has your life changed since your remarkable success in the stock market? Yang: Not much. What has changed is my way of thinking. Today we live in an information era. From beginning to end, I am just a stock investor. CP: I've heard that you have taken an active part in social activities. For example, you have shared your experience in the stock market with other private investors through the media. Yang: I swore that I would help private stock investors across China with my 12 years experience. I initiated a column entitled Topics of Private Investors in some professional newspapers and magazines, such as the Sichuan Stock News. Also, I often travel around to exchange experiences with other stock investors. CP: An article once described one of your days: "He is the most diligent person. In 1988, he entered the stock market by buying Vacuum Electronics' shares. From then on, he has been a single-minded stock investor. He gets up at 8:00 a.m. every morning, and then turns on the radio to listen to the financial news. At 9:15 a.m., he turns on the computer and checks out the stock indexes. From 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., it's time for a lunch break. From 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., he checks out the stock indexes once more. Then, he consults stock matters on the Internet. He goes to bed at 5:00 p.m. and sleeps until 10:00 p.m., after which he checks out the market with an automatic stock-selecting system for two or three hours. Yang: That's exactly how I spend my days. Now we can trade stocks through the Internet, mobile phones, and portable computers. But, years ago, I had to go to the stock exchange. CP: Do you still think of yourself as a private investor? Yang: Besides institutional investors, there are private investors participating in the stock market. I am only the team leader of a trade union of private investors. 1. Yang visits a securities company as the representative of the stock
investors.
Xu Donghui never expected to be able to return to Shanghai and start a family just four years after graduating from college. A native of Zhejiang Province, Xu worked in Fujian Province after he graduated from the Shanghai Jiaotong University. In 1992, Shanghai's policy of accelerating the construction of the Pudong area triggered his dream of returning to Shanghai. At the time, there was a wealth of job opportunities in Pudong, but Xu was not eager to find a job, and instead, decided to take up further study. After two years of study, he graduated with a Master's Degree in Business
Administration (MBA). Then, he was hired by a Singapore-based bank, and
has now been promoted to department manager. His office is in the Lujiazui
Financial and Trade Zone, known as the "Manhattan of Shanghai." Three years ago, Xu met Chen, a girl from Sichuan Province working with an auditing firm. Their similar experiences kindled the flame of love, and before long, this pair of new immigrants to Shanghai tied the knot. Xu is a soccer fan. So, after they got married, attending soccer games
became their major pastime. Xu sometimes plays soccer, but because of
his thin body, he mostly acts as a substitute player. Chen, however, is
proud of her husband whenever he stands on the soccer pitch in his player's
shirt. He has recently bought a new house, which has three bedrooms. The couple has successively accomplished their dreams of starting a career, getting married, and purchasing a house--a life that everyone who moves to Shanghai aspires to. Xu and his wife represent a typical love story of Shanghai's new generation of immigrants. It is said that one out of every three people living in Shanghai is an outsider. Shanghai has thus distinguished itself as a city of immigrants. Dating on the Bund
It was by chance that Tan came to Shanghai three years ago. At the time, he was working as a mechanical engineer at the headquarters of the Opel Corporation. The company was looking for a technician for the Shanghai General Motors Co., Ltd., so Tan applied for the position, although he had just returned from a stint in the United States. Only three weeks later, he arrived in Shanghai. Before him was not only a strange culture, but also a beautiful girl who was fated to come into his life. One day, about six months after his arrival in Shanghai, Tan went to the Ireland Bar with his colleagues for a New Year's celebration. When the clock struck midnight, the bar was overwhelmed with joyful crowds. Tan and his companions raised their glasses, drinking a toast to the New Year. Suddenly, he caught sight of a girl coming down the stairs. When the girl's eyes met his, she nodded to him politely, with a smile on her face. He finally found a chance to approach her, but because he was slightly nervous he was only able to ask one question, "May I dance with you?" They then slowly made their way to the dance floor. They were both immediately taken with each other, probably because of the special atmosphere of the New Year's party, or the good feeling they had in their hearts. Afterwards, Tan began to date the girl frequently. They liked to spend their time at coffee shops on the Bund, which offer a panoramic view of the Pudong area and witness countless mixed-couples. Such an atmosphere nourished their affection. He admired her for her elegant bearing, fluent English, and enterprising spirit. She was fascinated by his honest and kindhearted personality, his rich, breathtaking travels, the radiant smile on his innocent face . . . . On a sunny spring day, more than two years later, they held a grand wedding ceremony in Shanghai. When the German groom, in his red Chinese-style wedding suit, was asked about their love story, he turned to his bride with deep affection and said, "If it was fate that drove me to meet her when the New Year's bell rang, it is love that drives me to unveil her head cover today!" The Bund has witnessed the love affair of a couple. Similar stories like theirs abound on the Bund. |