Cultural China: Seeking talent -- the ancient and modern stories

Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-24 10:18:29|Editor: huaxia

CHANGSHA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Talent has long been valued and respected in China. Many stories illustrate how people discovered and wooed "winged steeds," a phrase referring to people of great talent.

"San Gu Mao Lu," which means three visits to a thatched cottage, is among the most famous ones. It tells how Liu Bei, founder of the Shu state during the Three Kingdom Period (220-280), whole-heartedly invited renowned military strategist Zhuge Liang to assist him.

During Liu's first visit, Zhuge, who lived in seclusion, was not at home. Liu returned discouraged at a time without telegraphs and phones.

Soon Liu and his generals came again. But, again, they failed to see Zhuge. This time, Liu left a note expressing his intention.

Regardless of objections from his generals, Liu decided to visit Zhuge for the third time. This time, Zhuge was at home, but he was sleeping when Liu arrived.

Liu and his generals stood outside the house, waiting quietly for hours. When Zhuge woke up, he was moved by Liu's sincerity and agreed to serve as his military counselor. With the help of Zhuge, Liu finally founded the Shu state.

The idiom "San Gu Mao Lu" implies inviting someone to take up a task or position with sincerity and respect. The modern versions of this story are repeating about 1,800 years later. China has been fostering a culture of respecting talents and making great efforts to nurture and gather more skilled professionals amid its national rejuvenation drive.

In Changsha, the capital city of central China's Hunan Province, the human resources director Yu Bin finally hired an influential talent in the automobile mold industry after 15 years of continuous visits and invitations.

The Sunrise auto mold company Yu works with produces mainly molds and fixtures of large and medium-sized automobile covering parts. As products and techniques in this industry are updated and replaced frequently, management and technical talents are regarded as treasures.

"Taking 15 years to woo a talent is tortuous but beneficial for our company's long-term development," Yu said.

China now has many well-trained professionals who play an increasingly prominent role in the country's development. By the end of 2020, there were more than 200 million skilled workers and more than 50 million highly skilled workers in China.

"We have set up a talent mechanism in the company, aiming to train 60 to 100 skilled personnel in three batches every year," Yu said. "In the future, we plan to train and introduce more management and technical personnel, hoping to make them the biggest driving force for the company's development." Enditem

KEY WORDS: China,Culture,Talent
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