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The man making a business out of China’s burnout generation | China | The Guardian

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Li Jianxiong was a highflying marketing executive in Beijing until a breakdown sent him to the west on a wellness voyage of discovery – just as his peers were losing faith in the Chinese Dream Li Jianxiong is convinced he has lived two lives. His first began in 1984, when he was born to impoverished farmers in China’s Henan province. Ambitious and daring, he took full advantage of the new economic reality that unfolded after the cataclysms of the Mao years. By 2017, he had secured a family, a house in Beijing and a reputation as one of China’s most talented young marketing men. His success, however, came at a cost. By then, China had become notorious for its “996” work culture – 9am to 9pm, six days a week – but Li was working something closer to 007: 24 hours a day, every day. While managing an all-consuming media crisis for his employer, a major tutoring company, he developed insomnia, heart palpitations and a severe rash that doctors attributed to a flagging immune system. He wonder

The long read China This article is more than 1 year old The man making a business out of China’s burnout generation This article is more than 1 year old Li Jianxiong was a highflying marketing executive in Beijing until a breakdown sent him to the west on a wellness voyage of discovery – just as his peers were losing faith in the Chinese Dream Chang Che Tue 7 Jan 2025 00.00 EST Last modified on Mon 15 Sep 2025 12.05 EDT Share View image in fullscreen Li Jianxiong: ‘My story is like a phoenix rising from the ashes.’ Photograph: Sean Gallagher Li Jianxiong is convinced he has lived two lives. H

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