Life in Beijing: Being Small, Acting Big

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					Editor's Note: Working their way from the ground up, these people chose to live in Beijing, China's capital city, to fulfill their dreams for themselves and others. Coming from different backgrounds with a diverse array of fields and interests, they have been pursuing their aspirations in their own way. No matter what hardships they face, they persevere, and ultimately, endure.
Chen Yunying, special education teacher	Guo Ling, community worker	Zhang Xinggang, restaurant owner	Shi Xin, special effects studio owner	Bao Wei, film workshop owner

Xiang Yao, comic artist	Xiao Juan, lead vocalist	Campus band	Jocelyn Feng, hotel sales manager	Yang Que, Taobao shop owner

A pioneer of special education still inspires		Top graduate finds calling as community worker
	"We are no different from people with disabilities. We are among them; they are among us," Chen Yunying, smartly clad in a red-and-black suit, said zealously in a conference room during an interview with China.org.cn. (More) Read in Chinese		"I feel fulfilled in helping these helpless people sort things out," she said. "From these unsophisticated faces I sensed my sacred mission. The seemingly trifle things and talk can help build a harmonious society. The things and topics that the ordinary people care about most are larger than life to our community officials." (More)
Two brothers, one capital idea		A man and his dream to visualize the impossible
	There is a Chinese saying: "Study hard every day, and you'll keep improving." However, a popular Beijing grill has its own version of the saying: "Study hard and spend the rest of the day eating grilled food." (More) Read in Chinese		When 28-year-old Shi Xin opened his special effects studio in Beijing in late 2008, he was uncertain as to what the future held. At certain points afterwards, he also contemplated leaving the industry due to incessant pressures. (More) Read in Chinese
Persistence paves the path to success		Comic artist's exceptional fight against tumor
	38-year-old Bao Wei looks like a mischievous grown-up boy; an exterior that hides a stubborn and persistent man's character underneath. Arriving in Beijing nearly ten years ago, he has finally managed to set up his own film workshop. (More) Read in Chinese		A young Chinese artist has been battling a malignant tumor in her own way: creating a comic strip chronicling her life and treatment. Xiang Yao, a 30-year-old comic strip artist from Zhejiang Province, has become famous in China since her conditions were revealed to the media earlier this year. (More)
Xiaojuan's songs in the key of life		Campus band discovers life through music
	For eleven years, Xiaojuan, the lead vocalist of the independent Chinese folk band "Xiaojuan & Residents from the Valley", and her soul mate, guitarist Xiaoqiang have been singing regularly in the evening at Moon River Resort's buffet restaurant in Tongzhou District, Beijing, six days a week, from Tuesday to Sunday. (More) Read in Chinese		Despite the various personalities of group members, which range from extroverted to introverted and mature to immature, the music at the Friday sessions helps them form emotional bonds with both the music and each other. (More) Read in Chinese
Authentic Chinese culture, in a refined setting		Queque spreads her wings
	"Since the hotel was opened on May 25, 2011, we have served as a cultural communicators rather than hotel workers," Feng said. "Most of our customers are from other countries. We want to spread [China's] cultural heritage to more friends. Besides, we also want more Chinese customers to know about and inherit their own culture." (More) Read in Chinese		Yang wants her shoes, and future designs in general, to make her customers feel appealing and comfortable. She believes that Chinese designers do possess some A+ handicraft skills, derived from tradition, which are still useful for today's demands, such as natural dyeing and the art of silk-crafting. (More)

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