Master Chi Management Post: I just came across an article about Putian. It moved me deeply.
This place was among the first in China to be occupied by Japanese pirates (wokou). It was once bathed in blood — bodies everywhere, the people devastated.
The older generation of Putian people have always celebrated Lunar New Year on the fifth day of the first month, because the days before were mourning days for the dead.
Three sides of the city face mountains; one side faces the sea. The land is barren, resources scarce. Putian people had no choice but to leave home and make their living elsewhere.
Over the past two or three decades, the economic power of Putian people suddenly surged — beyond what anyone could have imagined.
They knew nothing about medicine — yet today, China has over 15,000 private hospitals, and 80% are controlled by the Putian network. How did they get started? They began by walking the streets selling medicinal plasters, and posting notices on telephone poles: “Old military doctor treats gonorrhea, syphilis” — that sort of thing.
Beyond that, dealers in gold and jewelry from this region number over 20,000 nationwide. Their sales account for one-third of China’s total jewelry revenue.
The town of Zhongmen in Putian was the first in the area to get rich, with timber businesses spanning the globe — controlling 90% of domestic timber trading. Gas stations run by Putian people account for over half of all privately owned stations in China. There are more than 20,000 oil painting artists from Putian. Their output represents 30% of global oil painting production.
Putian’s counterfeit industry is also, shall we say, “legendary.” Jack Ma once said, “Go take a look — it’ll blow your mind.” Putian fake sneakers are so convincing they’re nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. Rumor has it that of ten fake pairs on the market, nine come from Putian.
Consumers have even said that Putian fakes are better quality than the originals. Impossible to tell apart. They replicate Adidas and Nike — the blueprints were obtained from the inside, the materials are identical, and the workers were poached at premium wages from the very contract factories that make the real brands. Pay them more, and they come.
As one Putian shoe factory director put it: “Making shoes isn’t like building nuclear weapons. It’s really not that hard.”
The founders of the Putian medical network were not from traditional medicine families. Putian’s oil painters didn’t study fine arts. The local land produces no gold, no silver, no timber, and certainly no oil.
Every signature industry of Putian was built from nothing — born out of thin air and grown through sheer replication and relentless persistence.
And if you actually visit Putian today, it feels… unremarkable. No row upon row of five-star hotels lining the streets. No parade of luxury cars. Not even a designer brand boutique in sight. The locals dress casually — barely a suit to be seen; nearly everyone wears sneakers.
Reading about Putian, I feel a deep respect. This is a story of relentless self-improvement and defying fate. A land with no resources whatsoever — and yet it has written legend after legend.
It moves me. I want to go see it for myself. This is a truly extraordinary place with its own unmistakable character.
A person lives one life — it’s a real shame not to travel more of this country. It doesn’t have to be famous cities or scenic landmarks. Go to places like this, places that bear the deep imprint of their era. You’ll come away with a great deal to think about…
[1115] Reflections on the Relaxation of China’s Pandemic Policies
Student Question: Hello Master Chi, the recent easing of domestic pandemic policies felt quite sudden, and it’s left many people anxious again. The previous lockdowns hurt the economy, but now that restrictions are lifting, it feels like we’ve lost the state’s protection — and that’s somehow more frightening. Funeral industry stocks have started to climb. We can only hope for the best. But will the economy actually bounce back once restrictions are lifted?
Master Chi’s Response:
Don’t worry too much. I can’t say there’s zero risk if you catch it — but the current professional medical consensus is this: if you’ve had three vaccine doses and don’t have serious lung or respiratory conditions, you should be largely fine.
That said, let’s wait three months to see what the real outcome looks like.