Zhang Lijia
Zhang Lijia delivers powerful insights on China, identity, and resilience shaped by her remarkable path from rocket factory worker to acclaimed writer.
Why book Zhang Lijia for your next event
- Offers rare insider perspectives on China’s social and political shifts, shared with clarity, nuance, and lived experience.
- Inspires audiences with a true story of self-made success, resilience, and the pursuit of knowledge against the odds.
- Connects global audiences to China through storytelling shaped by journalism, literature, and frontline observation.
Non-binding request for Zhang Lijia
From rocket factory to global literary voice on China’s transformation
Zhang Lijia brings the extraordinary journey of a rocket-factory-girl-turned writer to stages around the world. Raised in a working-class family in Nanjing and sent to a military rocket factory at just sixteen, she taught herself English and opened the door to the literary life she had imagined since childhood. Today she is one of the most prominent Chinese social commentators writing in English. Her talks blend lived experience, sharp analysis, and rich storytelling, offering audiences a deeper understanding of China’s rapid transformation and human complexity.
Early Life and Extraordinary Beginnings
Zhang Lijia’s story begins in Nanjing, on the banks of the Yangtze River, where she grew up in a working-class family with a strong commitment to education. Gifted in school and dreaming of becoming a writer, her plans were abruptly redirected at sixteen when she was pulled out of the classroom and assigned to work in a military rocket factory. For the next decade, she greased machine parts for intercontinental missiles, an experience that profoundly shaped her understanding of China’s political, cultural, and social structures.
The factory years became the foundation of her voice as a storyteller and commentator. Seeking a path beyond the machines and rigid hierarchy, she taught herself English in secret, page by page and cassette by cassette. Literature became her escape and her education, eventually giving her the courage and tools to rebuild the life she wanted.
Path to Journalism and Global Commentary
In 1990, Lijia moved to England, an experience that reignited her childhood ambition. She studied journalism and returned to China ready to enter a world far removed from rocket assembly lines. Starting as an assistant to foreign correspondents, she quickly found her footing and built her own career as a journalist writing in English for international audiences.
Her work stood out because it brought an insider’s understanding of a country undergoing dramatic transformation, at a time when China remained little understood outside its borders. Lijia’s commentary on China’s social and political evolution has since appeared in influential outlets including The Guardian, The South China Morning Post, The New York Times, Newsweek, The Far Eastern Economic Review, and The Japan Times.
Acclaimed Books and Literary Voice
Her interest in telling China’s complex stories led to her first book, China Remembers (Oxford University Press), an oral history that captures the lived experiences of ordinary people through decades of upheaval. The project inspired Lijia to write her own memoir, Socialism Is Great!, a vivid account of her factory years and the sweeping changes of the reform era.
Her debut novel, Lotus (Macmillan, 2017), pushed her literary reach even further. Set in Shenzhen, it follows the life of a young migrant woman navigating desire, tradition, and survival. The novel’s nuanced portrayal of marginalized voices earned it a feature on the BBC World Book Club and recognition for its bold, empathetic storytelling.
Speaking, Lecturing, and Global Engagement
Lijia’s compelling personal journey and deep knowledge of China have made her a sought-after speaker across continents. In 2018, she received the Mulan Award for her contributions to arts and literature, a testament to her influence and originality.
She has lectured at leading universities and institutions including Columbia, Stanford, Harvard, the London Business School, and the European Institute for Asian Studies. Her commentary and interviews have appeared on major international broadcasters such as the BBC, CNN, NPR, Channel 4, Sky TV, and Al Jazeera.
What Audiences Can Expect
Zhang Lijia offers a rare blend of personal story, journalistic insight, and cultural interpretation. Her talks resonate with audiences seeking to understand China beyond headlines, whether through the lens of social change, identity, literature, or human resilience. She connects global listeners to ground-level realities of a country moving at staggering speed, all while reflecting on the universal themes of aspiration, courage, and transformation.
Currently based in London and traveling frequently to China, Lijia continues to write, speak, and explore the stories that shaped her and continue to shape the world’s understanding of modern China.
Keynotes
Keynote by Zhang Lijia:
From Rocket Factory to International Writer
I was born on the banks of the Yangtze River and, at sixteen, pulled out of school to work in a military missile factory. Weighed down by monotony and strict rules, I found escape in literature, reading the Misty Poems, writing stories, and teaching myself English.
Like many others in China during the 1980s, I struggled to break free from Mao’s straitjacket and dared to dream the impossible. In a sense, my story mirrors China’s story, a journey of awakening, self-liberation, and transformation. My path from rocket-factory worker to internationally published writer reflects the country’s own rocky road through reform and change. Drawing on my first-hand experience, I explore China’s past to illuminate its present and offer insights into the challenges that shape its future.
Keynote by Zhang Lijia:
Understanding Business Culture
China can feel impenetrable to many Westerners on their first foray into the country. To succeed in business here, understanding the cultural fundamentals is key. I introduce the ABCs of Chinese culture, the essential context for meaningful engagement, along with practical business etiquette and insights into local communication styles.
I explore the philosophy of “midstream living,” Confucianism’s emphasis on hierarchy, and the importance of mianzi (face) in everyday interactions. Participants learn what “yes” really means in China, how to build trust, and how to avoid common pitfalls. I also share simple, effective rules of thumb for navigating China’s complex business landscape with confidence and respect.
Keynote by Zhang Lijia:
The Changing Role of Women in China
My grandmother was a prostitute-turned-concubine; my mother, a frustrated factory worker and victim of political campaigns; and I, a factory-girl-turned-writer, came of age in a time of enormous upheaval. The stories of the women in my family form a microcosm of the changes Chinese women have experienced over the past century.
Chairman Mao once declared that “women hold up half the sky” — a slogan as aspirational as it is symbolic. Yet Chinese women have indeed come a long way. In this talk, I examine what the Communist Party did to advance women’s rights, as well as the setbacks brought about by economic reforms and social conservatism in recent decades.
Keynote by Zhang Lijia:
Frog in a Well (Inspirational Talk)
This speech takes inspiration from an ancient parable by the philosopher Zhuangzi, about a frog trapped in a well, able to see only a small patch of sky. When I was dragged out of school at sixteen and sent to work in a missile factory, I felt like that frog, trapped at the bottom of my own well.
To escape, I began teaching myself English, despite the ridicule of co-workers who mocked me as “a toad dreaming of eating swan meat.” My longing for a different life gave me the determination to climb out and to eventually become an international writer and journalist.
My story, of a girl who rose from the drudgery of a rocket factory to the world stage, is a testament to resilience, curiosity, and the power of dreaming beyond one’s circumstances.
A frog in a well: Zhang Lijia at TEDxMongKok
Watch Zhang Lijia in action!
