Jung Chang Quotes

Powerful Jung Chang for Daily Growth

About Jung Chang

**Jung Chang**: Born on November 21, 1952, in Yangjiang, Guangdong Province, China, Jung Chang is a celebrated Chinese-British author and historian, renowned for her bestselling memoirs that offer insights into life under Mao's rule. Raised during the Cultural Revolution, Chang was forced to live and work in the countryside for several years before she was accepted into the Beijing University. There, she met her future husband, Jon Halliday, a British sinologist. They eventually escaped China in 1982, settling in England. Chang's literary career began with the publication of "Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China" in 1991, an autobiographical account of her family's experiences during the tumultuous 20th century China. The book became an international bestseller and brought Chang recognition worldwide. In "Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Led China to the Modern World" (1996), Chang delved into the life of China's most powerful empress. Her next work, "Mao: The Unknown Story" (2005), co-authored with her husband Jon Halliday, was a groundbreaking biography of Mao Zedong that challenged long-held views about the Chinese leader. Chang's works are deeply influenced by her personal experiences and her desire to bring the untold stories of China to light. Her writing style is characterized by vivid storytelling, meticulous research, and a commitment to historical truth. Jung Chang has been awarded numerous prestigious prizes for her work, including the Whitbread Award (now Costa Book Awards), the Orwell Prize, and the Manning Award. She continues to write and lecture around the world, bridging cultural divides and stimulating global discussions about China's history and its future.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body."

This quote suggests that our physical bodies are merely vessels for our immortal souls, which are the essential, spiritual parts of ourselves. It implies that the soul is not something we acquire or possess; rather, we are our souls and our bodies serve as temporary containers during our earthly existence.

"A real hero journey starts when you walk away from everything familiar."

This quote emphasizes that true heroes embark on a transformative journey, leaving behind the comfort and predictability of their familiar surroundings to explore new experiences and challenges. Such journeys often involve personal growth, self-discovery, and the acquisition of wisdom. By stepping out of their comfort zones, individuals can break free from limiting beliefs and assumptions, fostering resilience, courage, and a deeper understanding of themselves and the world. It's through these transformative experiences that one truly becomes a hero in their own life.

"To forget one's past is to deny oneself any possibility of renewal or change."

This quote by Jung Chang emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and understanding one's past in order to grow, transform, and renew oneself. By forgetting the past, one denies themselves opportunities for personal development and self-improvement, as it serves as a foundation upon which new experiences, insights, and changes can be built. Recalling past events, lessons, and feelings allows individuals to learn from their mistakes, grow from their successes, and create a more enriched future.

"When I was young, I thought I had to become someone important, but now that I am old, I know that I was important the way I was."

This quote by Jung Chang suggests a shift in personal perception over time. Initially, she felt the need to attain importance through accomplishments or recognition. However, as she grew older, she came to realize that her inherent worth did not depend on her status or achievements. Instead, she understood that she was important simply by being who she is – an individual with unique qualities and experiences, regardless of societal validation. This insight underscores the significance of self-acceptance and personal growth in one's journey through life.

"The more you know about the strong, the less you fear them."

This quote by Jung Chang underscores the power of knowledge in dispelling fear. It suggests that understanding the strength of others, their motivations, and their nature can help reduce our apprehension towards them. By knowing more about those who seem powerful, we develop a deeper appreciation for their complexities, which can foster empathy and diminish fear or intimidation. This understanding promotes harmony and cooperation in relationships, whether they are personal or professional.

I remember when my mother pointed to a stone, and she said this was the kind of stone people used to place on the feet of the baby girls to stop them trying to climb away and unbind their feet.

- Jung Chang

Feet, I Remember, Away, Pointed

For anyone to open their heart, they need the right atmosphere, and something to prompt them. For my mother it was her trip abroad: she was in a very relaxed, understanding environment. I was very sympathetic towards her.

- Jung Chang

Atmosphere, Very, Abroad, Relaxed

I would love mainland Chinese to read my book. There is a Chinese translation which I worked on myself, published in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Many copies have gone into China but it is still banned.

- Jung Chang

Love, Still, Which, Translation

Although my book is banned I am still allowed to go to China and travel. There is no longer the kind of control that Mao used to have-there have been deep fundamental changes in society.

- Jung Chang

Deep, Been, Still, Banned

If children were brought up to become non-conformists it would only ruin their lives. So parents all over China who loved their children told them to do as Chairman Mao said. It was not possible to tell them anything else.

- Jung Chang

Tell, Brought, Anything Else, Ruin

The Chinese seemed to be mourning Mao in a heartfelt fashion. But I wondered how many of their tears were genuine. People had practiced acting to such a degree that they confused it with their true feelings.

- Jung Chang

Tears, Mourning, Seemed, Heartfelt

What has marked Chinese society is its level of cruelty, not just revolutions and wars. We ought to reject it totally, otherwise in another upheaval there will be further cruelty.

- Jung Chang

Marked, Otherwise, Upheaval, Ought

I no longer have the terrible nightmares that I used to have. Mao had just died in 1976, and China began to open up. For the first time scholarships to go to the West to study were awarded on academic merit.

- Jung Chang

Study, Used, Had, Mao

It's taken us 10 years, and it was constant excitement. I was constantly shocked by how evil he could be. Mao was very, very shrewd but he didn't have human feeling.

- Jung Chang

Constant, Could, Very, Mao

When I was in China, Mao was Chairman, and parents were terrified to tell their children anything that differed from the party line in case the children repeated it and endangered the whole family.

- Jung Chang

Tell, Line, Terrified, Mao

I was not allowed to take notes but my friend and I memorised those two and a half pages. Most people talked to me because of the warning. They knew this book was not going to be the official line.

- Jung Chang

Going, Notes, Half, Warning

In certain areas where the media are still controlled, the changes have come to a halt, which is a very frustrating situation. I would like the changes to take place throughout China.

- Jung Chang

Very, Still, Which, Halt

I like to have Chinese furniture in my home as a constant and painful reminder of how much has been destroyed in China. The contrast between the beauty of the past and the ugliness of the modern is nowhere sharper than in China.

- Jung Chang

Been, Constant, Reminder, Painful

We were not treated by our own government as proper human beings and consequently, some outsiders did not regard us as the same kind of humans as themselves.

- Jung Chang

Kind, Some, Treated, Outsiders

China is more prosperous than before. The people have better lives but they are not happy and confident because the scars are still there.

- Jung Chang

Before, Still, Lives, Prosperous

While I was writing Wild Swans I thought the famine was the result of economic mismanagement but during the research I realised that it was something more sinister.

- Jung Chang

Mismanagement, Realised, Famine

I think because of their terrible past, particularly this century, the Chinese have come to accept cruelty more than many other people, which is something I feel very unhappy about.

- Jung Chang

Other, I Think, Very, Chinese

At the age of fifteen my grandmother became the concubine of a warlord general.

- Jung Chang

Fifteen, General, Became, Grandmother

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