In early 2021, as the world entered the long tunnel of the COVID-19 pandemic, I moved to Shanghai and stayed there for two and a half years.
It is ironic that Shanghai, which suffered all kinds of hardships as an outpost of imperialist invasion, was the first to receive Western modern civilization, earning the praise of being the "Paris of the East" in the early 20th century.
Shanghai, which was at the center of a period of rapid economic growth through the transition to a market economy and full-scale reform and opening up, has today stood tall as an international center of economy, finance, trade, and shipping.
Someone once said, "If you look at Shanghai, you can see present-day China, but if you only look at Shanghai, you cannot truly understand China."
This is a statement that encapsulates many problems, such as regional and urban-rural polarization and the widening gap between rich and poor classes, caused by growth drive policies centered on coastal cities.

In today's China, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, represented by information and communication technology, is becoming a reality.
Data-driven information and credit-based information and communication technologies integrated into our daily lives have eliminated cash transactions and, during the pandemic, have become a useful tool for COVID-19 prevention.
Behind this, there is also the risk that personal daily information, stored in detail in big data, can be used for the government's control purposes.
This is why I often wonder if the society in which 'Big Brother', as predicted by George Orwell in '1984', monitors citizens' every move, is becoming a reality.


China's long-standing "zero coronavirus" policy has imposed untold inconvenience and suffering on daily life.
I overcame all kinds of obstacles, such as nucleic acid testing every two or three days, movement control, and city lockdowns, and managed to escape(?) in and out of Shanghai from time to time. Through all kinds of hardships and twists and turns, I was able to explore 13 provinces and 30 cities around Shanghai, including the area around Shanghai.
Even amidst the turbulent times of history, including the invasions of modern Western powers, the rise of the Communist Party, and the Cultural Revolution, each region of China has preserved its vast relics, wondrous sites, and unique culture, as befitting a nation with a long history spanning the continent.
In that sense, the saying, “A nation that forgets its history has no future,” paradoxically hints at China’s future.
It was also a time to confirm that the Chinese people I met in various places are warm-hearted citizens of the world who are not stingy with kindness and smiles towards strangers.


It is a great pleasure to be able to compile the second installment of “A Chinese Journey Soaked in Sweat and Inspiration,” following the first, published during the two-month lockdown in Shanghai last year, after returning to Korea.
Although it was a difficult and tiring journey at times, it was also an inspiring journey, and I would like to take this opportunity to express my special gratitude to my Shanghai friend Feng Yu, who accompanied me and supported me on this journey.
I have gathered the courage to publish this book to share the inspiration of my travels through China, written with sweat and toil.
The season is now turning red with autumn leaves.